Mobile App And Mobile Website: What your business actually needs?

There has been much ado about the issue of mobile apps vs. mobile websites. The usability of mobile apps has been opposed by the evidently bigger numbers of mobile website users. And just as usual, it depends on the project, its orientation and functionality, and of course, on the target user audience and budget. Here we would like to present some of the most interesting and valuable tips that you might find helpful. Somewhere apps win, somewhere websites do. But in general, you only have to walk through these facts to facilitate your choice.

Devices and platforms. Mobile apps are designed for peculiar types of devices, and fully corresponds to its capabilities. If you for some reason target the audience of iPad users, an app is a must. Mobile websites are better for delivering their content across various mobile platforms. They are freely and instantly accessible for devices. Mobile apps have to be downloaded and installed from an application store of a peculiar platform. A great win is that mobile apps are able to run offline, unlike websites. Apps are also more capable of bringing direct returns.

Content and features. Mobile Website can display text, audio and video content, as well as several other features, such as location-based mapping and click-to-call. That is why for simpler solutions, a mobile website is a better option. Mobile apps can incorporate a wider set of platform’s native features, thus have much wider functional opportunities. Turn to them when a website is not enough. Apps deliver a user experience unmatched by websites. At least for now. The situation might change with emergence of new platforms and because of varieties of devices within one platform. Then adjusting apps for all of them may become a laborious task.

Updates and changes. It is much faster and easier to update the content on a website, rather than in an application. Changes in apps can be very limited; moreover, users have to download and install updates. Changes on a website become visible straight away. Websites are easier to find and to share links. In the future, web development tools will expand the functional filling of a mobile website, thus bringing in new prospects.

Think all these issues over to draw up the entire picture of what you really need. It is generally more considerable to build a website as the first step of establishing mobile presence among a wide audience. It is faster and cheaper. That’s a great solution for the sphere of marketing and eCommerce. Meanwhile the complex software that requires native features, the software for regular and offline use, the interactive software such as games – all these are implemented best as mobile apps. Other things depend on the peculiarities of your project, which your software developers will gladly advise you on.