Mobile App vs Mobile website: Which one is better for your business?

The most popular device, mobile phone attracts more and more users. According to Statista, the number is more than 7 billion today. But it is growing every day. 

Every second small business interacts with their potential customers by means of a smartphone. Pretty remarkable, isn’t it? It becomes obvious that both a mobile app or mobile website are critical for business. 

But which one will bring your company the coveted success?

First, let’s see the difference between the two. Mobile website is a special software adapted to be viewed on a smartphone. In order to use it, a person needs to input URL address into a browser on the device. For using a mobile website the device requires to be connected to the Internet. So that the website become visible and user-friendly, developers use responsive design. It helps save money. That you could otherwise spend on developing separate software for mobile and desktop devices. 

Mobile app is a special program which can be downloaded from Google Play or App Store. Your clients can download the one and use it even without the Internet. 

You may wonder if mobile software is needed in case you have a website. For sure, yes. Because the design of laptops or desktop computers were unresponsive. It cannot scale to various screen sizes. It means that it is hard to view it on smaller screens.

What are the pros and cons of mobile apps?

Being installed on a device of a user, a mobile app becomes a tool for interacting with them. Users may run it frequently. If a dev team builds a good app that meets specific need(s) of a user, it will help you get more loyal clients.

Pros:

First of all it is worth mentioning that mobile applications work much faster than website. It is possible because doesn’t depend on the quality of the Internet connection. Furthermore they meet specific UI of related operating system. Moreover, users can interact with an application in many more ways than with a website.

Take a look at the main advantages of apps over websites:

• Fast work
• Offline access
• Push notifications
• Geolocation
• Additional Conveniences access to the camera, GPS
• High conversion
• Clients’ loyalty

Cons:

Among the main cons, we need to admit high requirements to compatibility. And for sure it takes longer time of development for a dev team.
Take a look at more minuses of mobile apps:

• High price of development
• Hard to promote(ASO)
• Requires updating on different mobile operating systems (Android, iOS)

What are the pros and cons of mobile websites?

Mobile website is a perfect solution if you specialize in marketing. It will be handy if you always need to look for new audience. It may help you inform your potential clients about marketing events.

Pros:

The main advantage of website is that their interface is more common for users. Additionally, web apps are compatible with any device regardless the operating system. And for sure, website has a wider coverage of the target audience.

Here are more pluses of mobile websites to consider:

• Cheap development
• Simple promotion(SEO)
• Accessibility to all users ( regardless of the platform)
• Fast development
• Slower performance

Cons:

• No offline access
• Limited opportunities
• Low conversion

Which of the two will be the best match for your business?

There is no one correct answer to the question. The choice depends on your business goals, budget and purpose you will use the app for. If you need to interact with the audience, keep track or collect data; mobile app is better. But if you aim to promote your business among a wide audience, then opt for a mobile website. The main goal of it will be to notify about marketing events.  But it is worth noting that having both tools, your business will benefit twice.

 Suggestions:

Mobile application is a smart solution for projects with wide purpose. When it comes to the projects with a tight budget, mobile website suits better. In case you expect ultimate performance for your business. You may try the combination of both mobile website + mobile app. The choice between mobile application and website depends on a number of factors.

Factors you need to consider:

• Your business goals
• Target audience
• Budget
• Functional opportunities
• Mobile Operating systems (Android, iOS)

Conclusion

We hope that we managed to show you the key differences between the need for a  website and an app. As you can see it depends on a lot of factors. The need of different businesses vary and they are individual. We encourage you to make an appointment with us.

We will be happy to consult you on what your business needs. Our consultations are absolutely free of charge. But it will help you to get a full insight into what exactly and why fits your business needs.