Day by day, the number of mobile users is increasing. According to statistics, 48% of websites have been visited by users using their smartphones last year. With each passing year, the count is rising rapidly.
Mobile users are spending 42% of the total time spending online globally, and 90% of the total time spent on the phone is on applications. This has made bring a good debate all around for companies whether a mobile app is a good option or a mobile website for their business.
One more popular question: why do you need that responsive website at all? Well, did you know that the quantity of mobile phone users is going to increase worldwide from 4.01 in 2013 to 5.07 billion in 2019? (see picture below). In 2016 almost 63% of the Earth’s population already owned a mobile phone. During the next years, this amount will grow in particular, thanks to China and India.
To come up with the decision, the businesses have to consider their budget, their target audience, as well as their intent.
Let Us First Discuss Mobile Apps!!!
Mobile Application Development
The native mobile app company Atlanta designs mobile applications to work on a platform either on Android or IOS. To use these native applications, a user has to download these on their mobile phone. Usually, mobile apps are more responsive a user-friendly as compare to websites.
Affect On User’s Experience
Customization of Web Development
You can customize an application as per your preference as users get an option to customize the claim based on their own choice once they download a mobile application.
Mobile apps also include a feature that enables them to track the activity of the user. Therefore, it offers some recommendations. You might have noticed that you always get pop-up ads on your phone basis on the content that you have seen on a specific application. It is because apps track the user’s activities on their use to recommended goods and services in which the user is interested.
It does not only helpful for businesses to sell their products and services but as well as for customers with enhanced user experience.
Read More: How A Well-implemented Animation Improves The User Experience?
Interactive Ways To Keep Your Users Engaged
Applications allow users to interact with some specific portions of it. It keeps the users engaged with engaging content and components. You don’t have to see the same material and images over and over again.
You Can Work Offline
There are some features in mobile applications that can be run without any Internet connection. Users can access the saved information anytime, even without an Internet connection.
It Is Time To Dig Mobile Websites!!!
These are nothing but responsive websites that are enabled to access at all screen sizes. You can access these websites on your smartphone, tablet as well as on your desktop. These are the same as progressive web apps that differ in the user’s experience.
User experience
No Updates
Like in native applications, users need to update their app to use updated features of the app. There is no update available on mobile websites that you have to download to surf the new features of the web application. Users would not even notice the update process of mobile sites, and still, they can use the enhanced features of the mobile applications.
Available For All Platform Users
Unlike mobile apps that are designed either for Android and iOS, these mobile applications can be used by all users. The user experience depends upon the speed of the network, so keep in mind that you have good network access.
Maintenance Services
The maintenance cost of upgrading the mobile website is cheaper as compared to iOS and Android application development and maintenance costs. Apart from this, it is easier to keep maintained a website. You have to update a single version of the mobile site, but in the case of mobile applications, to reach out to the maximum numbers of people, it is necessary to reach out to maximum numbers of potential customers.
Mobile Website Development is a Cost-efficient Way
For all businesses with lower investment, a mobile website is an ideal option. However, the cost of the mobile site depends upon the complexity of the website, but on average, these websites are cost-effective. In case if you wish to have your application on all platforms, then considering its cost is essential.
Remember that a mobile application is not just a one-time cost, even you need to pay regularly for maintenance of the use. While on the other hand, a responsive website can be run on every device.
Compatibility
As a mobile website is compatible with all the devices, whether it is an Android or iOS, whether it is a phone or a desktop, users can access the mobile website on their device at any time and anywhere, enhancing their user’s experience. Users who are using multiple devices get the benefit of mobile sites to access the information on the type of equipment he/she is using at that time.
So, at Last, Which One Is a Better Option?
When we consider statistics, people are favoring mobile applications as compared to mobile websites. This data might surprise you, but if you check out the statistics, you will know that the mobile app industry is generating more revenue as compared to the mobile website owners.
A Newzoo report says that 92.1 billion of revenue has been produced by the mobile app industry only. But it does not mean that a mobile app is a better option for your business.
Though nothing can be said that whether mobile app development is the right option or mobile website development is the right option, it depends upon the type of business you have.
If you wish to keep your customers engaged, it is an ideal option to choose mobile app development, while in case if you want to offer mobile-friendly content to your visitors, then having a mobile website is a perfect option.
Your target audience and the type of your business will help decide which one is a better option.
Kriyank Patel
Kriyank Patel is Sr. WordPress Developer at USS LLC. At USS LLC he provides Custom PHP Development service and Wordpress Website Development service. He likes to share some tips about web development