Tuesday, August 14, 2012

Mobile App vs Mobile Website

By David Morgan


The future of the internet is definitely mobile as more and more people access information via their smartphones and tablets. If you are currently planning to create a mobile presence for your company then there are a couple of factors that you may want to consider.

Are you looking to create a mobile app or a mobile website for your users?

Mobile apps are being downloaded daily and are available for Android, iPhones, Blackberry and tablets.

As with mobile apps mobile websites can also be accessed through smartphones and tablets, these too are increasing in popularity as users want to be able access content immediately whilst on the go.

The mobile website interface is designed for handheld devices. Mobile websites can be accessed via different features like location based mapping and click to call enabling you to call directly.

Mobile apps need to be developed for each type of mobile device. Mobile websites work across all smartphones and tablets.

A mobile app which is an 'application' can be downloaded from different app online stores and installed directly onto your mobile device. Unlike a mobile website an app can be more expensive to develop but people are spending more time using apps than a mobile website so if often worth the investment. The app will generally contain specific information, similar to a website. Apps have a platform that support certain software and is supported by smartphone platforms including Palm, Java and Windows Mobile.

It would seem that users prefer mobile apps for connecting and using services; whereas mobile websites are preferred for searching and shopping.

If you're confused about whether to build a mobile app or website then focus on what you want to achieve and your goals.

If you are looking to develop a game or an application for a specific use (with push technology) then a mobile app is most certainly what you should go for. If you are looking to provide content or set up an online store then a mobile website is for you.

To be honest it is worth considering both a mobile app and mobile website. Starting off with a mobile website is a good idea and then down the line you can develop an app.

Once launched you will need to continually develop your mobile app.

You must support and further develop it over time; this can be much more involved than developing a mobile website. You want to always make sure that your app provides more than just basic information that can be achieved by building a mobile website.

Whether a mobile website or mobile app is better for your company lies in what you want to achieve with your app.




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