12 Jul Mobile Website VS Mobile App
The future of the internet is definitely mobile as more and more people access information via their smartphones and tablets. If you are currently planning to create a mobile presence for your company then there are a couple of factors that you may want to consider.
Are you looking to create a mobile app or a mobile website for your users?
At the moment the numbers of apps that are being downloaded are increasing daily, these are available for iPhones, Blackberry, Android and tablets.
As with mobile apps mobile websites can also be accessed through smartphones and tablets, these too are increasing in popularity as users want to be able access content immediately whilst on the go.
The mobile website is very similar to the everyday website but instead the internet can be accessed through WiFi, 3G or 4G networks and the actual website interface is designed for a much smaller handheld device. With a mobile website you are also able to access different features including location based mapping and click to call which is clicking on a telephone number and be being able to call directly.
An important point to remember is that all mobile websites are compatible across all smartphones and tablets, whereas a mobile app will need to be developed for each type of device.
A mobile app which is an ‘application’ can be downloaded from different app online stores and installed directly onto your mobile device. Unlike a mobile website an app can be more expensive to develop but people are spending more time using apps than a mobile website so if often worth the investment. The app will generally contain specific information, similar to a website. Apps have a platform that support certain software and is supported by smartphone platforms including Palm, Java and Windows Mobile.
Recent studies have shown that people tend to prefer mobile apps for connecting with friends, interacting with services and navigation, whereas mobile websites are preferred for searching and shopping.
If you are slightly confused and cannot decide whether to build a mobile app or a mobile website then it really comes down to what you want to achieve and your end goal.
If you are looking to develop a game or an application for a specific use (with push technology) then a mobile app is most certainly what you should go for. If you are looking to provide content or set up an online store then a mobile website is for you.
However you may want to consider having both to reach a far greater audience but that is something that you may want to take some time considering. If this is the case then to take your first step in the mobile world it is probably better starting off with a mobile website as they are not as expensive as an app when it comes to their development and content management system.
When developing a mobile app it doesn’t end when you have launched it.
You must support and further develop it over time; this can be much more involved than developing a mobile website. You want to always make sure that your app provides more than just basic information that can be achieved by building a mobile website.
Ultimately your final decision of whether a mobile website or mobile app is best suited to your company lies in the demographics of your audience and what you want to achieve as your end goal.