Mobile Website vs Mobile Business: Which One is Better Choice for Business?
Most businesses want to reach as many people as possible. As a result, the key question that many business owners have pondered is whether or not a mobile web presence would have more impact than a mobile app, or vice versus. This is an important question that requires a lot of thought based solely on the business goals, purpose, and function. Although a mobile web presence expands your marketing outreach more than an app, your target audience, budget, purpose, and required features may lead you a different direction. However, from a comprehensive point of view, your end goal should dictate which approach you decide to use even if you determine that your business would be best served by both.
Purpose, Function & Goals
The question of whether to build a mobile website or mobile app can be answered predominately by focusing on your product or service and your goal. If your company is trying to develop an interactive game, developing an app for your business may make the most sense. Conversely, if you’re trying to reach as many people as possible to increase brand familiarity, you may be best served by a mobile website. This is exceedingly true because people are doing more of everything on their smart phones, from shopping to paying bills.
One consideration that shouldn’t be overlooked is the fact that an app and a mobile website have two different functions. Perhaps the most distinguishing difference between the two in terms of purpose and function is that an app helps you to achieve a very specific function or activity that can’t be achieved as easily through the use of a web browser, whereas a mobile web presence has the broad function of expanding accessibility to a product, company, or brand. They are both helpful tools, however, one is broad in its benefits and the other helps achieve very specific actions. However, it should be noted that if your business would be best served by an app it only makes sense to have a web presence as well.
The Benefits of a Mobile Website
If your primary business concern revolves around marketing and communication, a mobile website is always the best way to go, or at least the first step in your outreach mission. It towers over the mobile app in terms of accessibility, compatibility, and cost effectiveness. The immediacy of a mobile website is definitely a huge perk. It’s much easier to access than an app and you don’t have the problems with compatibility that you sometimes run into with apps. Plus, a mobile website can be an app as well.
The Benefits of the Mobile App
Apps serve very specific purposes. However, they are very popular which proves that there are many circumstances where a very specific approach is needed and even preferred. Clearly, apps are a much smarter choice for gaming, personalized use, personalized calculations and information gathering, and situations that have enabled stand alone operation or no internet connectivity required. These are all situations that lend themselves very well to an app instead of a mobile website. This is true mostly because they are either very specific, or highly personalized tasks.
Most businesses have pondered whether or not their business needs would be better served by an app or a mobile website. Sometimes the answer to this question is both. However, there are other times when a mobile website would allow a business to reach more people much quicker and meet their goals. Conversely, there are very specific scenarios that require an approach that would focus on achieving one thing or a few things. These are situations where the mobile app would be the best choice. Consider your goals, purpose, function, and audience and make a choice that would serve your business and help it to grow as quickly as possible.
