Businesses can no longer afford to not maintain a mobile presence. Rapidly increasing smartphone usage and consumer preference for mobiles over desktops are major reasons for brands to build a mobile presence. Mobile apps and websites are both parts of building a strong mobile presence. With consumers spending 90% of their mobile device time on apps, it may be safer to assume that app development needs to be a business priority. Still, it helps to understand the differences between mobile apps and websites to conclude which channel would serve your business and customers better: Basic Design Difference Mobile websites are browser-based. They use inter-linked HTML pages to present content. Mobile websites can be accessed using Internet communication facilitators such as 4G or wireless networks.
The basic difference between a standard website and mobile site is that the latter is designed for mobile devices such as smartphones and tablets. Mobile websites with a responsive design are known to deliver a better user experience as such websites automatically adjust to a device’s screen specifications. Mobile apps, on the other hand, are applications that can be downloaded and stored on mobile devices. Apps can be downloaded from the device-specific manufacturer such as Google Play Store for Android devices and Apple’s App Store for iOS devices. Unlike mobile websites, apps do not depend on browsers for functioning though they may fetch data and content from the Internet. Content can be downloaded and be accessed offline with apps. Speed of Access Mobile apps is faster than mobile websites as the former are first downloaded and then accessed. Unlike websites, apps do not depend on servers for loading. So, if you are looking to deliver fantastic user experience, then mobile apps may be best for you.
If your website uses any kind of media content, then mobile apps can be beneficial because 90% of people using mobile devices prefer apps to mobile websites for media consumption (Source: Inc.com). Given the above statistic, mobile apps are a must if you are a news, entertainment, or retail business. Mobile apps are indispensable for e-commerce businesses. m-commerce — the process of using smartphones as against desktops or laptops for shopping — is expected to become the future of shopping. By 2021, m-commerce will constitute 72.9% of retail e-commerce sales, according to a Statista research. If you are already using an e-commerce store such as Shopify or other, then this is a good time to move to a mobile store entirely or maintain an m-commerce store along with the e-commerce platform. All you have to do is convert your Shopify or other e-commerce stores into native apps.
While there are mobile app converters, they may not be able to provide the extent of app customization your business demands. Hiring an app development company can offer greater benefits.
Even if you do not have an e-commerce store, you can use apps for delivering specific business functions. Known as mobile commerce in the mobile world, such specialized apps deliver value by solving a customer issue. Well-designed mobile commerce apps can help earn customer loyalty. User Experience Mobile apps tend to offer enhanced user experiences. They have faster loading times, and navigation and search are customized to mobile devices.
Native apps, in particular, are designed to make use of all features of the respective device or platform (Android or iOS devices for example). Native apps can be designed to make optimal use of device features such as camera, GPS, and other media or other tools, to deliver a rich user experience.
The efficiency of native apps is one of the reasons for the emerging trend of app commerce.
App commerce refers to shopping, or any buy/ sell activity, using native apps. It is gaining fast prominence among retail and other industries. Mobile sites, even responsive ones at those, cannot achieve such leverage of native device features as apps. This ability of mobile apps to deliver fantastic user experiences is a major reason for the rise in conversions through apps. Criteo research found that mobile websites delivered only a 4% conversion rate whereas mobile apps brought in an 18% conversion rate for retail businesses.
In Conclusion, Mobile apps are gaining a faster edge over mobile sites. It may not necessarily mean that your business does not need a mobile site though. A mobile website could help you with the initial engagement when a consumer is just getting to know your brand. Once customers are familiar with your brand, you can leverage mobile apps to convert them into loyal purchasers and increase your customer retention
rate.
