If you’re working on your mobile strategy for your business or nonprofit organization, one of the first things to consider is whether you need a mobile application (“app” for short), or a mobile website, or sometimes, both. While mobile sites and apps can look nearly identical, figuring out what works best for your brand will depend on several factors, primarily the functionality you are seeking to accomplish.
When I’ve hit the streets to sell my mobile web marketing services, I’ve discovered that most business owners or nonprofit directors have no idea what I’m talking about. Considering some 95% of websites are not mobile optimized, this is not surprising (even though more than half of internet browsing traffic is performed on a mobile device!)
I’ve also had dozens of calls from people who say they were looking for a mobile app, but after talking to them for a minute or two, I’d quickly realize they were really talking about a mobile website. They were calling the mobile website a mobile app by mistake. Much of my job is to help a business owner or nonprofit learn and discover the best options for best accomplishing what they need.
What’s the Difference Between Mobile Websites and Mobile Apps?
The first thing you need to know before deciding between an app or a mobile website is the key differences between them. A mobile website is very much like a desktop website, although usually more simple and streamlined.
Mobile websites, just like desktop sites, are built using browser-based HTML and the pages are usually linked to other pages. Also just like a desktop site, you can add titles, descriptions, and keyword-rich content such as text, photography or images, and video.
One big difference between mobile websites and desktop sites is that the mobile devices use a touch-screen. The most obvious difference is that mobile websites are optimized for viewing on the smaller mobile device screens. Most mobile phones and tablets are only a few inches wide and only an inch or two taller, so mobile websites should be designed to fit these smaller screens.
Mobile phones also function as a phone, so don’t forget to include a CALL BUTTON, where the user simply taps the call button, and their mobile phone calls the number in the link. That seems like a pretty easy obvious thing to remember, but surprisingly a majority of mobile websites forget to include a call link or button.
Another big consideration is that mobile websites are almost always accessed via a mobile device, and although that device could be hooked up to wifi broadband internet service, most mobile web browsing occurs on 3G or 4G networks. This type of internet connection is much slower than broadband, and sometimes 3G or 4G users get throttled to even slower connection speeds.
It’s CRUCIAL that your pages load FAST — keeping your mobile website pages small, 30kb or less, is a very good idea.
So keeping in mind a few key differences, mobile websites are still very similar to desktop websites in that your user just simply visit them and they work.
Mobile Apps (also called Native Apps), on the other hand, are actual software applications, a specific program that a user downloads and installs on their mobile device. Users have to actually download your app, either from your website, or from popular app portals such as Apple’s App Store, the Android Market, or the Blackberry App World.
The mobile app may pull content and data from the internet, the same as a mobile or desktop website, but apps are also frequently designed so that the app is functional (or at least partly functional) even when the mobile device is not connected to the internet. Many apps also interact with the mobile device, such as your contacts or calendar or images or location or whatever else the app is designed to accomplish.
Which is Better – Mobile Website or Mobile App?
What matters most is what you are trying to accomplish. If you are simply seeking to offer your website content in a mobile-friendly format, then a mobile website is your answer. Virtually any business or nonprofit organization would benefit from having a mobile website.
However, if you are creating an interactive game or an advanced dayplanner or some other specific type of mobile application that cannot be accomplished using a mobile web browser, then most likely, an app is going to work best. Also bear in mind, that even if you have a mobile app, you are probably going to want to start with a mobile website.
Primary Advantages of a Mobile Website over a Mobile App
> Immediately Available to Your Users
Creating a mobile website is your best first step in developing your business or nonprofit mobile web strategy. Mobile websites have several advantages, foremost that the user doesn’t have to download the software or do anything else to make it work. They simply navigate to your site on their mobile device and they see your mobile website. Mobile apps require download, installation, and then at least a basic amount of setup. Some users will rarely or never download an app, but most of these same users will not have any hesitations simply visiting your mobile website.
> Compatibility Across Many Mobile Devices
Mobile websites are usually more compatible with more devices too. Most iPhone apps will not work on Android or vice versa, so you may have to develop several versions of the app, which can increase the cost even more. Plus, mobile website URLs are easily integrated within other mobile technologies such as SMS (text messaging), QR Codes, and near field communication (NFC).
> Less Time and Money to Setup
Mobile website are almost always much more TIME & COST EFFECTIVE to develop than mobile apps. A mobile website can be set up in a few hours or days, and usually ranges in price from free to under $1,000. Mobile apps usually take weeks or even months to develop and anything but the most basic mobile apps frequently start at $1,000 or more. Some mobile apps with advanced functionality could easily cost $10,000 or even ten times that.
> Quick and Easy Upgrade Capability
Mobile websites can simply be edited, often with an easy HTML editor that with a few minutes of practice wouldn’t even require help from webmaster or website developer. Mobile apps that need changes are much more difficult to change, and may require costly changes that only the most experienced programmers could handle. Plus, your app users would need to download updates to the software, creating even more work for your users.
> Easy to Find and Access
Mobile apps can certainly be listed on your website, but are otherwise restricted to mobile device manufacturer app stores. Mobile websites can easily be setup to be found in search engines and listed on tons of directory websites, making it much easier for potential users to find your information. Plus with CSS media queries or javascripts or other automatic device detection code on your website’s index page, visitors to your website using a mobile website are automatically directed to your mobile-ready pages.
> Easy to Share With More People
It’s easy for a mobile website user to share the link to other users with a simple link in an email or text message, or by using various social media share functions, even just a facebook post or twitter tweet. Although a handful of apps have advanced linking features, that link will only work with other people using the app or not work at all. Since mobile websites are so easily shared, found on search engines and directory sites, and can be accessed on most mobile device platforms, they generally have a much greater reach to more people.
> Longer User Lifecycle
You may have downloaded and installed an app only to unistall and delete that same app less than an hour later. According to some mobile web stats, the average lifecycle of a mobile app is rather short, usually less than a month, and sometimes mere minutes. Unless your app is really something special, it probably won’t last long on a user’s mobile device. A mobile website is always available for users to return any time.
> Mobile Website Can Have Apps Too
Mobile websites can be very complex and do most anything that a mobile app can do. Database-driven content and web-based applications can offer just as much functionality as most any native mobile app that must be downloaded and installed. Especially considering support and app updates, keeping it on your site is usually a much better idea that requires less time and expense to change.
When Does a Native Mobile App Make Sense?
Some business owners or nonprofit organizations simply like telling people, “Check out my mobile app” so it’s an ego thing, which is fine if that’s your thing. Some apps are very cool, and mobile apps are very popular despite the drawbacks. There are also specific uses when an app makes more sense.
Generally speaking the reasons you would more strongly consider a mobile app would be with requirements of increased bandwidth, highly personalized needs, frequent use, or specific functionality.
Interactive Games or multimedia content that requires a lot of bandwidth would make a mobile app the better option. Mobile users are often limited in their bandwidth or data plan, so users won’t be happy if your game eats up all their data so they probably won’t be happy if they cannot access the web until their next billing cycle when their data user package resets.
If the app is going to be used frequently, especially when mobile connection isn’t needed or available, then an app would be a better way to go. Personalization is another common reason for using a mobile app, as well as when more complicated data processing capabilities or security requirements require a step above a mobile website, such as mobile banking or big social media sites.
Mobile websites can handle basic functionality very well, such as the “click-to-call” button or even text messaging capabilities, however the mobile web doesn’t yet handle mobile specific functionality very well (like accessing the user’s camera or video). GPS and location-specific functionality has recently started working much better with mobile websites, but apps can still handle GPS better.
Phones still have slow connection issues, and many people only use mobile devices (especially tablets) on a wifi connection. The app allows the user to perform as much of the task as they can offline without an internet connection, and then complete the tasks after they go back online. For example, you can write an email offline with many email apps; the message will get saved and won’t get sent until you are back online.
The Final Answer
Generally, most business owners and nonprofits do not need a mobile app, as most marketing, functionality, and content delivery can be accomplished with just a mobile website. The much more expensive cost to app development is a very important consideration. Unless your business or nonprofit requires a specific and advanced functionality that can only be accomplished with a special software application, and can afford to develop it, starting with a mobile website is the much better choice.
WebWorkPro.com can quickly, easily, and inexpensively help your business or nonprofit organization develop an effective mobile web marketing strategy. Check out our $199 mobile website special to get you started.