Mobile apps have created a huge impact. We can install and use the mobile application to check our emails, social networking sites, developing funny videos and pictures, play games in free times or while traveling. There are even many apps that help us to locate the location, ordering taxis and takeaways, learning languages, placing orders for specific products or tools, to check about diets and exercises, listen to religious devotional songs, and many more.
Since the launch of Android’s Playstore and Apple’s App Store for iOS, many agencies/firms are investing their time and money to develop mobile apps.
What does this mean? That we should replace mobile websites with mobile applications? Well, the answer is NO.
Mobile Websites
Advantages of mobile websites
The websites are developed and tailored for smartphones. Managing the updates of mobile websites is quite easy, as many companies can fully control the hosting of the website and make the changes according to the structure as well as contents of the websites instantly. Frameworks such as Drupal has made it much easier to develop and administer a websites with lots of tested and contributed modules. And a powerful system to manage all the content in a simpler manner.
Disadvantages of mobile websites
Having mobile websites have its own drawbacks, such as pleasant user experience, less connected features, mobile platforms (such as iOS, Android, Windows, etc.) do not allow the same access to websites in the hardware device, user data, and software as for native apps.
When offline or in poor connection areas you cannot function it. One has to depend on the internet for the functioning of the mobile apps.
Supporting an extensive range of operating systems and devices is a tricky situation. The coding on a web server is not affected by a site on the user’s device. The same cannot be expected about the JavaScript, CSS, and HTML which is being sent to the browser. It is very difficult to create a powerful and consistent experience which can work across different versions of various browsers, numerous devices with variant display sizes, and functioning on the different operating system.
Mobile apps
Advantages of mobile apps
A mobile app is being designed and developed for a specific chosen device or platform. When installed, these mobile apps have their own advantages on the platforms, being both smoother and faster, it will often give the user a cohesive experience.
Once installed, a mobile app does not require an internet connection. Since it is downloaded in the device, the user can access these apps in more frequency. Be it through the lock screen, home screen, voice assistance or even via notifications.
The mobile apps can access certain features which a web browser does not have, or do have limited access to, for example, Bluetooth, the advances features of the camera, access to the data of the users such as calender events and contacts (if given permission by the user).
It has been noted that successful mobile apps incline to have common themes. It is powerful and smart while displaying an intuitive and simple interface. Most leading industries are developing mobile apps with existing sites to incline the profit in their business.
Disadvantages of mobile apps
Despite having many advantages, mobile apps have many barriers that make it unsuitable for certain resources or tasks. The most significant disadvantage is that mobile apps are built for specific devices, thus tend to be incompatible with the other devices. Whereas, a responsive website is compatible with every device.
Another drawback is a mobile app can be distributed on Apple’s App Store or Google’s Play Store, which not only delays time but also places certain restrictions on the content. It also forces the developers to cut a share of in-app purchases or sales of downloadable app with the creator of the platform.
When to choose mobile apps or websites?
The key advantage of mobile apps, it is feasible. You need to examine the experience of the user and check what suits the majority. You need to ask yourself the below-mentioned questions:-
- Will your users access the mobile app frequently? Daily or Weekly?
- Will users willingly download the app from the App Store or Play Store?
- Will users register all their details and save in your mobile app?
If your answer is ‘YES’, then mobile apps suits you the best.
The important key feature of mobile sites is its instant availability to numerous websites in spite of varied displays, sizes, and features. Tools that are not used frequently or do not have require access are always best served.
Final Note
In conclusion, there are numerous points to discuss on this specific topic. But the key message is evident: Where there is no restrictions (instant availability/offline access), the experience of users will help you decide.
Should you be forcing your user to install the app which they have most likely used?
Understand this, user do not like jumping through the little hoops for mere rewards, they would not waste time clogging through their phone’s screen.