Mobile App vs Mobile Website: Which Is Better For Business?

NASDAQ:SCOR- an American internet analytics company says that the number of people using smartphones in United States has grown by 10% as compared to previous quarter. More than 68% of people currently make use of smartphones to shop or book any service online. To address the rapidly expanding mobile audience, the importance of building mobile compatible applications has increased. So if your business is still deprived of a responsive mobile presence, you’re missing out on a very big opportunity.

While navigating the alternatives for building a perfectly operating mobile business application, the options are tricky.Mobile app vs mobile website-the options are not plenty, but the decision requires a serious business consideration. There’s been a lot of buzz around Google play, Apple’s app store and Blackberry’s app world. This invariably lures every business to create an app. Well, there is nothing bad about it, but is mobile app the right solution for you?

Before you answer this question, consider these points to make a correct decision:

What are your business goals?

If your business is completely based on user activity-just like Facebook, twitter or any gaming app, going for a mobile app would be suggested. An app always has more features as compared to mobile website. They run fast, they are optimized for devices users are using, have superior graphics, effects and have interactive user-interface. However, if you are a service provider where users just come to get more information about your offerings, mobile website is preferred. The decision depends upon what you do and offer.

Who are the people you want to target?

Define the people who will be using your mobile app or mobile website. Mobile website is simply the mobile version of a website that can run on any platform. Study your audience to examine if they will be willing to perform steps like searching, downloading and installing your application. People will take the pain of following these steps, only if they feel it is associated with their daily routines. They choose newspaper app over website, because it gives comparatively easy access. So if your audience returns to your website on daily bases, you should go for an app.

Are you planning to monetize online?

Monetizing is easier on mobile application than on website. Apps can be used to provide additional features you want to add to increase purchases. Users find them with quite an ease as compared to a website. Thanks to in-app purchases! However, if you are offering some micro-purchases, adding a shopping cart to you website would solve the purpose. Whether it is about android or iOS apps development, it is easy to make money through a mobile app.

How important SEO is for you?

If SEO is an important consideration of your business strategy, sticking with mobile website would be second to none. Mobile apps are environments that cannot be crawled by search engines, which is why they make no impact on search engine rankings. However, with mobile websites you will get good amount of traffic which is traceable through paid campaigns on internet. You want a mobile app or mobile website depends upon the SEO considerations.

Does your platform involve complex technology and design?

When web technology and design rise to a more complex level HTML 5 might fail your expectations. However, mobile apps perform far better than responsive websites when better UX, great data connectivity and frequent data transfer rates are in demand.

Does your business require frequent updates and maintenance?

Updating and maintaining a mobile website involves less complicated methods. Updates are immediate in mobile website, which is certainly not the case with mobile applications. The app updates needs to go through lengthy procedures of approvals in app stores. To present your users with recent updated version, it can take a month with mobile application and a day with mobile website.

Keeping these points in mind it will probably be easier for you to scrape off the layers of publicity, and decide what is right for your business, your budget and your monetary expectations. A mobile app or mobile website, which one can solve the purpose.

If you are thinking of building you mobile app or mobile website, our web developers, iOS and android apps developers have the best skill set to handle technology behind them. You can REACH OUT TO US HERE.