Mobile Site vs Dedicated Apps

Did you know that by 2015, more than 50% of the people will be accessing your web presence from mobiles and smart phones?

Here are the advantages of a mobile version of the site compared to dedicated device based apps because of the following reasons:

• Immediacy - Mobile Websites Are Instantly Available
  
  A mobile website is instantly accessible to users via a browser across a range of devices (iPhone, Android, BlackBerry, etc). Apps on the other hand require the user to first download and install the app from an app marketplace before the content or application can be viewed - a significant barrier between initial engagement and action/conversion.
  
  
• Compatibility – Mobile Websites are Compatible Across Devices
  
  A single mobile website can reach users across many different types of mobile devices, whereas native apps require a separate version to be developed for each type of device. Furthermore, mobile website URLs are easily integrated within other mobile technologies such as SMS, QR Codes and near field communication (NFC).
  
  
• Upgradability – Mobile Websites Can Be Updated Instantly
  
  A mobile website is much more dynamic than an app in terms of pure flexibility to update content. If you want to change the design or content of a mobile website you simply publish the edit once and the changes are immediately visible; updating an app on the other hand requires the updates to be pushed to users, which then must be downloaded in order to update the app on each type of device.
  
  
• Findability – Mobile Websites Can be Found Easily
  
  Mobile websites are much easier for users to find because their pages can be displayed in search results and listed in industry-specific directories, making it easy for qualified visitors to find you. Most importantly, visitors to your regular website can be automatically sent to your mobile site when they are on a handheld (using device-detection). In contrast, the visibility of apps are largely restricted to manufacturer app stores.
  
  
• Shareability – Mobile Websites Can be Shared Easily by Publishers
  
  Mobile website URLs are easily shared between users via a simple link (e.g. within an email or text message, Facebook or Twitter post). Publishers can easily direct users to a mobile website from a blog or website, or even in print. An app simply cannot be shared in this fashion.
  
  
• Reach – Mobile Websites Have Broader Reach
  
  Because a mobile website is accessible across platforms and can be easily shared among users, as well as search engines, it has far greater reach capability than a native app.
  
  
• LifeCycle – Mobile Websites Can’t be Deleted
  
  The average shelf-life of an app is pretty short, less than 30 days according to some research. It’s questionable how long it will last on a user’s device. Mobile websites on the other hand are always available for users to return to them.
  
  
• Time and Cost - Mobile Websites are Easier and Less Expensive
  
  Last but certainly not least, mobile website development is considerably more time and cost-effective than development of a native app, especially if you need to have a presence on different platforms (requiring development of multiple apps).
  
  

Send your comments / feedback to sharad@cyber-gear.com