Mobile site or web or native app?
With the advent of the mobile market, economies are expanding at a rate faster than it can be accommodated. Mobile has brought in its wake a host of growth avenues for companies.
Let's take a look at some statistics that point towards the growing mobile world:
- 27% of companies worldwide planned to implement location-based marketing in 2013 according to a report by Econsultancy
- 25% of international media and marketing executives see mobile as the most disruptive force in their industry, informed AdMedia Partners
- 48% use or would like to use a smartphone to shop while in-store or on the go confirms Cisco
- The number of US mobile coupon users will rise from 12.3 million in 2010 to 53.2 million in 2014, driven by the rapid adoption of smartphones, as stated by eMarketer
Let's analyse each of these 3 platforms individually:
Mobile site
Firms can build a single responsive site for all their business with the capability to run on multiple platforms. Else, they can choose to build a separate mobile site for their business. The latter approach can be quite cumbersome for web developers and designers.
Firms can build a single responsive site for all their business with the capability to run on multiple platforms. Else, they can choose to build a separate mobile site for their business. The latter approach can be quite cumbersome for web developers and designers.
Pros of having a mobile site:
- A mobile site renders easy and quick access of information to its users
- Offers efficiency and speed to users
- Delivers customized experiences to users at all times
- Generates more revenue with more action buttons
- Enables payment transaction in a secure and easy way
- The site is smart and intuitive which can detect the device it is being run on and adjusts itself accordingly
- Offers clean and simple navigation with systematic scrolls and zooms at places most required
- Allows faster download speed to users
- Mobile sites can use QR Codes to bridge the gap between online and offline media
- Mobile sites are a one-time investment thus offering a cost-effective solution even to small-business or start-ups
As most users like to shop from home while watching TV a mobile site is the best option to bank on this trend. It is vital for businesses to optimize business solutions and bring at the door-step of its customers.
Native app
A native app is created in the language of the creating system it will be used for. They are easy to install and function with however, they are an expensive option as they take a lot of time to develop and have to be adjusted for each operating system.
Pros of having a native app:
Native app
A native app is created in the language of the creating system it will be used for. They are easy to install and function with however, they are an expensive option as they take a lot of time to develop and have to be adjusted for each operating system.
Pros of having a native app:
- Native apps work faster than mobile web apps
- They can interface with a device's features such as GPS, camera and so on
- They provide function-specific performance
- They offer consistent multi-device performance to its users
- They use push technology to automatically update information for mobile users
- They help to reduce data cost by rendering data synchronizations with a lot of back-end data sources
Native apps require a lot of back-end maintenance work in order for it to function properly. Unless, the app is rendered useless for business requirements.
Mobile web app
Sites built using HTML/CSS are a cheaper and faster alternative to go mobile. The only problem with a mobile web app is that many users hardly care about updating their browsers until they get a new phone.
Pros of having a mobile web app:
Mobile web app
Sites built using HTML/CSS are a cheaper and faster alternative to go mobile. The only problem with a mobile web app is that many users hardly care about updating their browsers until they get a new phone.
Pros of having a mobile web app:
- They have a great cross-browser support
- They are quick and easy to launch
- It is designed specifically for the mobile and is thus better suited to work with it
- It is easy to make modification or render updates on it
- It offers a great platform for gaming services
- It can perform complex functions such as calculation and maintaining charts, reports or calendars
- It can work offline well in contrast to a mobile site
A mobile web app is a sure return on investment as it offers dynamic and integrated platform for performing a range of functions. They are designed to give a more personalized experience to users accessing it for regular usage.
To sum it up
Though there are a lot of structural differences between a web app, a mobile site and a native app; the user experiences offered by the two can make huge difference for brands to fulfill their goals.
Apps, no doubt, offer a bunch of commercial opportunities for companies but development and maintenance cost is something that firms must look into. The after-effects of implementing of any one of these options is a continuous process that requires due consideration.
To sum it up
Though there are a lot of structural differences between a web app, a mobile site and a native app; the user experiences offered by the two can make huge difference for brands to fulfill their goals.
Apps, no doubt, offer a bunch of commercial opportunities for companies but development and maintenance cost is something that firms must look into. The after-effects of implementing of any one of these options is a continuous process that requires due consideration.
More on - http://www.oyetrade.com/adaptive-website-design.aspx
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