Establishing a mobile presence for your business immediately requires an answer to the question, “Should I create a mobile website, a mobile app, or both?” Well, that may just depend on the type of business. Either way, it is most beneficial to cover a wide scope of ways to target audiences and cater to their needs. Let’s break it down:
The Mobile Website
Mobile websites are designed primarily for devices with smaller-sized screens (smart phones and tablets) and are also equipped with touch-screen accessibility.
They can be accessed via mobile Web browsers (Safari for Apple iOS, Google Chrome for Android, etc). Once linked, the website will detect the presence of a mobile device and redirect the user to the mobile version of that website.
The large benefit of a mobile website is that it can possess all the same features indicative of the desktop version of the website, but with more mobile-friendly functionality. This is especially great for clients that prefer the classic website layout.
The Mobile App
Mobile apps are smart phone or tablet applications that must be downloaded and installed onto a mobile device via an app marketplace, such as the Apple Store (iOS) or Google Play Store (Android).
The best thing about a mobile app is that it gives businesses the ability to have a more exclusive, mobile presence to their customers. Also, apps are more easily accessed than web browsers, which lend more control to businesses in terms of mobile presence and thus more convenience to their clients.
To take marketing to a higher level, consider the presence of in-app features. For example, game apps often contain their own little up-sell buttons. If you were to play a game that requires coins to upgrade your character, you can watch a sponsored video or fill out a survey to be awarded more coins. Being able to up-sell without lots of marketing saves time and effort. To learn more about the features of mobile apps, click here (link to Mobile Apps Blog Rewrite blog).
References:
Angeles, Sara. “Mobile Website vs. Mobile App: What’s the Difference?” Business News Daily. Purch, 15 July 2015. Web. 24 July 2015. <http://www.businessnewsdaily.com/6783-mobile-website-vs-mobile-app.html>.