Should you build a Mobile Website or Mobile App?

Most people know that the future of the web is mobile and more consumers are accessing the web via their smartphones , tablets and other portable devices. As result, businesses need to have a mobile presence yet many are uncertain whether they should have a mobile app or a mobile website.

What is the difference between a Mobile Website and a Mobile App?

Before you can start thinking about which solution is best for your business, it is important to understand the difference between the two. You can access mobile websites and mobile apps through handheld devices such as smartphones and tablets but there are some key differences.

Mobile Websites

A mobile website is accessed over the internet and consist of browser based HTML pages. The main difference between a standard website and a mobile website is that the look and feel of the site has been designed to display in a mobile friendly way. Like standard websites, mobile websites can display text, images, data and video. They can also give the user options of click-to-call and location based mapping. There is no need to download or install any applications and is a very easy way for user to access your business on the move.

Mobile Apps

Mobile apps are applications that are downloaded and installed on your mobile device instead of being simply displayed in a browser. Users can download apps from various app market places such as Apple’s App Store or the Android Market Place. Apps can provide a much richer user experience because apps can work with the device’s native applications in more complex ways. For example, the user can get GPS directions to the business using the mobile’s native features or scan QR Codes to unlock coupons and rewards. Also mobile apps open up the opportunity for businesses to send push messages directly to their customers’ handsets.

Reports also show how mobile apps trump the entire web (mobile and desktop) in terms of how much time users spend with each (On average, they are 2.4 times more impressions that web users). According to comScore and Alexa data compiled by Flurry Analytics, mobile apps are taking up a greater share of users’ time each day compared to mobile and desktop web usage, which was dominant just 2 years ago.

So what is right for your business?

Both mobile websites and mobile apps have their disadvantages and advantages. That is why we advise businesses seeking to establish a mobile presence to utilize both technologies and have a mobile app and a mobile website. This way you are targeting the widest possible audience and delivering a mobile experience the works for almost everybody.

At Eazi-Apps, when we build a mobile app for our clients, we also deliver a custom mobile website that has a similar look and feel of the mobile app to ensure consistency in design and user experience. When users land on the customer’s website through a mobile device, we automatically display the mobile website instead, and if the user wishes to engage more deeply with your business, they also have the option of downloading your app.