July 16, 2016
In Mobile
If the predictions are to be believed, then by the year 2020, 90% of worlds’ population will own a smartphone device. At present, the number of mobile users has exceeded the number of desktop/laptop users. Every large and small scale business must have a mobile presence in order to reach the masses, enhance the sales and build brand identity. To establish a mobile presence, the first question you need to answer is:
Does your business need a mobile website or a mobile app?
According to a report, people devote nearly 90% of their time in mobile applications compared to mobile websites, still at first glance, both looks analogous to each other but which one will suit your business depends on multiple factors which include: intended purpose, essential features, available budget, and target audiences.
What Is the Difference between Mobile Website and Mobile App?
Mobile applications are downloaded and installed on your handheld device while a mobile website involves browser-based HTML pages which are interconnected over the net (typically require 4G, 3G, or Wi-Fi network).
A mobile website is intended for smaller mobile touch-screen interface and display. They have similar features like that of any other standard website and can display elements such as videos, images, and data and text contents. They also use features specific to mobile like- location based mapping or click to call option. Mobile applications, on the other hand, may pull the information from the net and can also download the content to access without the data connection. Customers visit the device-specific portals like Blackberry App World,
Android Market or Apple’s App Store to search and download the application for a particular OS. Mobile websites have far greater reach capability as compared to the mobile app, as the app can be used by only that user after downloads it in their smartphone whereas the website can be seen by accessing the browser.
A mobile website provides a platform to the user where they can access all the information about the company or business while mobile apps provide a more interactive platform which provides a person space to the user as the applications use the hardware elements of the device such camera, location etc.
Which has an Upper Hand on the Other?
According to a conducted survey, the average lifecycle of an app is really short i.e. less than a month. So, in order to introduce a mobile app, there has to be a genuine requirement for the users to install it. If the app is not that useful or unique, it is difficult to say that it will last longer on the customer’s device. One the other hand, mobile websites are always available for the customers.
As far as security is concerned, you can definitely trust mobile apps to be absolutely safe and bug-free as they are quality tested by leading app stores with respect to their influence on the smartphone on which it is used and their operations whereas this assurance is not provided by the websites. Though the ones which are quite eminent among a large mass of people can be certainly trusted.
Having said that, to decide which one is better than the other depends on the end goal. If the aim is to provide a mobile responsive content to the eclectic viewers then a mobile website makes more sense but if the aim is to develop an interactive game, mobile app development is the best option. If required, both can also be created. It is quite innocuous to say that it doesn’t really make sense to create a mobile application without previously having its website.
In a broad-spectrum, the first step towards creating a mobile web presence is a mobile website, however, the motive of an app is to fulfill a very precise purpose which can’t be effectually accomplished through a net browser.
Inference
With the proviso that the handheld device is relatively new leading edge, the “website vs app” question will continue to be a very genuine deliberation for the businesses pursuing to launch a mobile presence. If the objective is to deliver an application which requires to perform more like a computer program or to have an interactive engagement with the customers, creating a mobile application is a wise choice whereas if the objective is chiefly concentric to marketing or to convey information and create a comprehensive mobile occurrence which can be shared among customers effectively and effortlessly and bring into being on search engines, then the logical choice will be to launch a mobile website.