Although at this point it is quite apparent which platform is taking the lead in terms of user preference, there are still many organizations that would invest in a good looking mobile website than an actual app. There could be many reasons for this decision, but we are here to argue about which is more beneficial and why organizations should consider a shift towards the winner.
Before diving into the pros and cons to effectively weigh in the differences; we should speak about the obvious trend of excessive smartphone usage that has overtaken desktop-use by a large margin.
Especially with better, smarter, advance, and faster smartphone devices being launched every year, these devices alone have become mini-computers capable of handling much of the work that one would do on a desktop. So it is fair for many businesses to simply opt for a cost-effective mobile-optimized website.
However, since we should speak with facts and figures in place, let’s break everything down for better understanding.
What Do the Statistics Say?
According to App Annie, the mobile app industry is expected to generate revenue up to a whopping $189 billion by the year 2020; which is massive and justifies the growing scale of mobile app development industry as well. What is more astonishing is that nearly 57% of all digital media usage comes from mobile apps instead of desktops or mobile websites. Currently, there are more than 2.8 million apps on the Google Play Store and 2.2 million apps on the Apple App Store – which indicates the growing consumer demand.
These statistics clearly show the popularity and excessive usage of mobile apps, which is only going to increase more. Moreover, if your brand is providing a certain service that consumers would gravitate to quite often – they would rather have an accessible mobile app for that then having to open a web browser on their phone to access the website every time.
Nonetheless, fair gameplay is required so we discussed the benefits both contenders provide for you to pick your winner.
Mobile App Pros
• Personalization: Mobile apps enable users to set their preferences when they are downloading the app. This, in turn, gives them tailored communication based on their interests, usage behavior, location, and more. Since personalized communication is the latest and most successful trend, mobile apps are a clear winner here.
• Leveraging Device Features: A native app can make use of the device’s software and hardware like the camera, GPS, and more. This enables organizations to provide better services to their customers through push notifications, device vibrations or alerts, automatic updates, and more. Since user-experience matter, mobile websites have limited access to the device’s features, which makes them a liability for the customer.
• Offline Access: Mobile apps can run offline and provide much of the basic features without an internet connection.
• Enhanced Customer Engagement: Mobile apps are solving pain points and hence engaging customers more into the features and ease of access they are providing. This makes customers keep coming back to the mobile app experience rather than a website. 83% of mobile users deem user experience as an essential factor for mobile app success.
• Branding Perks: Even if your downloaded app is not heavily used it is still taking space in a user’s mobile, and the logo is a reminder of its presence. Your app’s icon is more like self-advertisement of your brand, which is definitely an advantage compared to a mobile website that, if not remembered or bookmarked, is forgotten.
Mobile Website Pros
• Bigger Audience Reach: A mobile website is available on all platforms, and when it comes to search engines, sites have more reach and visibility as compared to mobile apps that are limited to their respective Play Stores. So anyone can gain access to them on any device as long as they are connected to the internet.
• Search Engine Optimization: Desktop or mobile site usage isn’t going anywhere, but it also isn’t as high as mobile app usage statistics. However, when it comes to Google ranking, websites take the lead. If the pages are search engine optimized, mobile-first optimized, and have an impeccable UI/UX design – it has better chances to rank higher and, in turn, bring higher website traffic. This also facilitates brand visibility, as well. However, when it comes to personalization and interaction, websites do lack tremendously.
Who’s the winner? Mobile Apps or Mobile Websites?
The answer to this entirely depends on your organization’s goals and objectives. Nonetheless, mobile apps are a much more lucrative choice for better engagement, interaction, conversion, and communication with your customers or visitors. For the most part, mobile apps play a part as an extension of the brand; hence, investing in a functional and interactive mobile app will help grow your consumer-base, reach and brand credibility.
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