With the introduction of apps, otherwise known as technology applications, many people have found new ways of using smart phones. Even businesses have started acknowledging the multiple advantages offered by smart phone apps.
In 2013, global smart phone penetration increased to 22% of the world population, up from 5% in 2009. This rise is equivalent to nearly 1.3 billion smart phones in four years. On average, there will be two smart phones for every nine people on earth, or 1.4 billion smart phones, by the end of 2013.
With the app market expected to reach a value of $25 billion by 2015, the question now becomes: “How can businesses benefit from smart-phone app development to increase sales and fuel their growth?”
Small business owners need to focus on developing mobile strategies to help their customers find and buy products and services online, no matter what device they are using to connect.
If you’re planning to establish a mobile presence for your business or organization, one of the first considerations that will likely come to mind is whether you want to create a mobile application for users to download (app) or a mobile website, or perhaps both.
Mobile websites and apps can look very similar at first-glance, and determining which is most suited to your needs will depend upon a number of factors, including target audiences, available budget, intended purpose and required features.
Mobile Website vs. Mobile App
A mobile website is similar to any other website in that it consists of browser-based HTML pages that are linked together and accessed over the Internet (for mobile typically WiFi or 3G/4G networks). The obvious characteristic that distinguishes a mobile website from a standard website is the fact that it is designed for the smaller handheld display and touch-screen interface. Like any website, mobile websites can display text content, data, images and video. They can also access mobile-specific features such as click-to-call (to dial a phone number) or location-based mapping.
Apps are actual applications that are downloaded and installed on your mobile device, rather than being rendered within a browser. Users visit device-specific portals such as Apple’s App Store, Android Market, or Blackberry App World in order to find and download apps for a given operating system. The app may pull content and data from the Internet, in similar fashion to a website, or it may download the content so that it can be accessed without an Internet connection.
Which is better?
When it comes to deciding whether to build an app or a mobile website, the most appropriate choice really depends on the type of product or services your business offers and your end goals.
If you are developing an interactive game, an app is probably going to be your best option. But if your goal is to offer mobile-friendly content to the widest possible audience then a mobile website is probably the way to go. In some cases you may decide you need both a mobile website and a mobile app, but it’s pretty safe to say that it rarely makes sense to build an app without already having a mobile website in place.
A mobile website will be a better option for your business if:
- You are trying to build awareness for your business using mass-marketing strategies.
- If you have limited funds – developing and creating mobile apps is far more expensive than optimising your website for smart phones – or buying a website with an online shopping cart that automatically optimises for mobiles. Not only will you have to pay for the application itself, but you’ll need different versions for different devices, such as iPhone, Android etc.
- Your business is in the early stages and you need to ensure you cater to as many people as possible, regardless of their mobile type and willingness to download things to their phone.
- You need to make regular changes to your website. This is generally cheaper and easier to do on an optimised site than having to outsource a development company to make changes to your app.
A mobile application will work best for your business if:
- Your customers sit within a niche market where you have a good understanding of your customer’s mobile usage behaviour. Otherwise you’ll need to invest in expensive user behaviour studies before launching your app.
- You want to be able to provide a personalised mobile experience to different target audiences. In other words, an app is the easiest way to ensure people can find the information most relevant to them, in the quickest time possible, and generally have a great experience with you.
- Your business is well known within your industry sector i.e. if lots of customers search for your company by name, you’re more likely to have a good return on investment from creating an app – as more people will download and use it.
The first steps
Generally speaking, a mobile website should be considered your first step in developing a mobile web presence, whereas an app is useful for developing an application for a very specific purpose that cannot be effectively accomplished via a web browser.
App development has come a long way from the early days of coding. Whereas one needed to be fluent in technical languages, developments in simplifying programming languages has opened up app development to individuals with no IT or technical knowledge. App Machine, for example, is one of many App development software programmes available.
Taking control
For many small businesses, growth is dependent on a combination of innovation, service and efficiency. The advent of smart phones, tablet devices and apps is changing the way companies operate and small businesses are no exception. Apps and mobile websites offer a way to engage and reach consumers and simplify a number of business processes.
If you have favourite mobile site or app that you’d like to share, do post them in the comments below.