As a small business, you may be wondering if you need a mobile website or app. After all, most of your customers probably use their smartphones to browse the internet and social media. And, according to a recent report by Nielson, 64% of Americans say they are more likely to buy from a mobile-friendly site. So, it stands to reason that having a mobile site or app could help you increase sales and grow your business.
But, before you invest in a mobile website or app, there are a few things you should consider. In this article, we’ll take a look at the pros and cons of each so you can decide which is right for your business.
Mobile Website vs Mobile App
A mobile website is a website that is designed to be viewed on a smartphone or other mobile device. Mobile websites are typically simpler than traditional websites and only include the most essential information. This makes them easier to navigate on a small screen.
A mobile app is a software application that is designed to be used on a smartphone or other mobile device. Mobile apps can be used for everything from playing games to ordering food to monitoring your fitness. Many businesses are now using apps as a way to engage with their customers and offer them unique experiences.
So, which one is right for your business? Let’s take a look at the pros and cons of each option.
Pros of Mobile Websites
One of the biggest advantages of having a mobile website is that it’s easy and relatively inexpensive to create. You don’t need any special coding language or skills to create a basic mobile website. And, if you already have a traditional website, it can be relatively easy to adapt it for mobile devices.
All you really need to create a basic mobile website is an understanding of HTML and CSS (the code used to create websites). If you’re not sure how to code, there are plenty of resources available online that can help you get started, including w3schools.com and Codecademy. There are also plenty of free templates available online that you can use as the foundation for your own site. Of course, if you want something more custom or complex, you may need to hire a web developer to help you out.
The cost of creating a mobile website will also depend on whether you already have an existing traditional website. If you do have an existing site, then adapting it for mobile devices may not cost anything at all if you’re able to do it yourself (or with the help of someone who knows how). However, if you don’t have an existing site or if your existing site isn’t well suited for mobile devices, then you may need to hire someone to help you create a new one from scratch which could cost several hundred dollars (or more).
Another big advantage of having amobile website is that it can be accessed by anyone with an internet connection – regardless of what type of device they’re using. This means that even people who don’t have smartphones or tablets can still view your site without any problems (which could come in handy if potential customers are trying to find your business while they’re away from home).
Cons: One potential downside of having amobile website is that it may not offer the same level of functionality as amobile app . This means that some features or tasks that could be done easily through an app may be more difficult (or impossible)to complete on amobile website . For example , ifyou want customersto be ableto book appointments or make purchases directly through your business ,you may need an app since this type offunctionality isn’t typically possible with amobile website . In addition , depending on how complexyour desired functionalityis , developingamobile websitemay actually end up being more expensive than developingamobile app since it would require addit ional codingand programming .
Another downsideofmobile websitesis that they tendto receive less traffic thanmobile apps . Thisis because peoplearemore likelyto go directlyto anapp storeand downloadanapp than theyareto searchfor amobile websitethrough theirphone’sbrowser . In fact ,according totraffic datafrom Comscore , only about 4%ofmobile web userssay theywould ratherbrowse themobile webthanuse anapp . So ,ifyou’remain goalis toget peopleto seeand interactwithyour business ,you’rebetter offwith amobile appthanamobilesite .
Pros: The main advantageofhaving amobile appisthatit offersa betteruser experience thandoes amobilesite .Thisis because peopleareused totouchscreensthan theyaretotraditionalkeyboardsandmousesoamobilesitecanbe difficutnavigatetouchscreensmall screensize .. Also ,withanappyouhavemuchmorecontrolover howyour contentlooksand functionssinceyou’renotlimitedbybrowsersstandardslike HTMLand CSS . Thismeansyou candesignacustomuser interfaceandusetheimageryand colorschemeofyourchoice whichcanhelpyour brandstandout .. Appsalso tendtocome withadditionalfeaturesandsettingsthataren’t typicallyavailableonmobilesites likesplashscreenspush notificationstodayscreewidgetsandmore .. Allof thiscanhelpmakeyour businesseasierto findandinteractwithwhichcould leadtoincreasedcustomersatisfaction andsales .. Finallyappsgiveyoua waytocapture users’demographicdataANDlocationdataANDusage dataANDpreferenceswhichcanthenbe used forsalesands marketingcampaigns Ithasneverbeeneasiertargetcustomerswithspecificoffersbasedontheirlocationpreferencesandshoppinghistory ..
Cons: One potentialdrawbackofhavingamobileappisthatthecostofdevelopingonecanbe quitehigh dependingonhowcomplexityou wantitbe .. Alsoifyou’renotcarefulthereturnoninvestment(ROI)for developinganappcan bedifficultmeasure sincepeoplemaynot actuallyendupusingit.. Sowhileapps tendtocome withsomecool featuresandreceivemoretrafficthendoesthemobilewebtheyaren’tnecessarilyrightforeverybusiness type .. Anotherdrawbackisthatthereisnomorecertaintythatpeoplewillactuallyseeorfindyournewly developedappintheirtargetedappstorebecausetherearemillionsofthemouttherecompetingforthesame attentionandspaceontheseplatforms .. One wayaroundthisisyourdevelopingalreadyexisting relationshipswithotherpopularbrandsthattarget similardemographicstoyoursowecanpromoteeach other’sappsI’mcross-promotiondealsbutthiswillobviouslycostyousomethinginreturnfortheexposure..
