Build Mobile Website or Mobile Apps  – Your Guide to Making the Right Choice

To reach today’s 4.32 billion active mobile internet users, you have two options – build mobile website or a mobile app. At first glance, both options may seem quite similar. However, they offer different benefits to help you meet your business goals.

If you wish to get the most mobile app development ROI, the following lines are a must-read.

What is a Mobile Website?

A mobile website is a site that’s built and optimized specifically for mobile devices. Everything from the font to the layout is designed to deliver a user-friendly experience for smartphone and tablet users.

Other aspects that make mobile sites differ from their desktop counterparts are –

• Mobile websites are designed for smaller screens.
• Their design is responsive, i.e. layouts adjust to screen size due to limited screen real estate.
• They come with touch-friendly navigation features such as larger buttons.
• They’re often lighter, allowing faster load times even on slow mobile networks.
• The sites contain fewer images and text to avoid overwhelming mobile users.
• They mainly allow vertical scrolling rather than both horizontal and vertical scrolling.
• They can integrate with device features such as GPS and click-to-call.

The Pros and Cons of Mobile Websites

If you’re planning to build mobile website, you should be aware of its advantages and drawbacks. Starting off with the pros, mobile sites offer –

• Wider Compatibility – When you build mobile website, you can provide a uniform user experience to users of different mobile devices. So, regardless of their devices’ operating systems, everyone can access your content.
• Broader Reach – As mobile sites can work on any platform, they can reach more people. This is especially handy for reaching a potential audience whose devices you’re not sure of.
• Easier Maintenance – In comparison with apps, sites are easier and less expensive to maintain and upgrade. Any changes you make will be reflected immediately across all devices without the need for downloads.  

On the other hand, there are limitations to building mobile sites, mainly –

• User Experience – The single-user limitation makes it hard for users to leave the current page and find other content. This can be inconvenient as mobile sites can’t fit everything on one page.
• Offline Access – Site visitors need to be connected to the internet to use it fully. Even if the site works offline, cached pages offer limited functionality.

What is a Mobile App?

Building a mobile app is the alternative to building a mobile site. This software application is designed specifically to run on mobile devices like smartphones and tablets.

Unlike websites, which are accessible through a browser, mobile apps are downloaded and installed directly onto a device from app stores.

The Pros and Cons of Mobile Applications

If you choose not to build mobile website, a mobile application delivers many benefits, including –

• Added Convenience – Mobile apps can be quicker to adopt as they provide better user experiences, load faster, and feature capabilities like push notifications.
• Personalization Opportunities – Apps allow users to create personal accounts and set preferences. This can help business owners too while creating different marketing campaigns for user groups.
• Offline Functionality – As assets are downloaded onto users’ devices, the app’s content is accessible even offline.

As for mobile apps’ drawbacks, two stand out –

• Platform Compatibility – Whereas you can build mobile website that works on almost all devices, a mobile app needs to meet the requirements of an operating system. This can mean more time and costs too for you.
• Time Consuming Updates – Updating and maintaining mobile apps is relatively more time consuming. You’ll also need to wait for app stores to approve your app every time it’s updated.

Should You Build Mobile Website or an App?

Besides the pros and cons of both options, there are several factors that can help you decide between a mobile app and website.

When to Build Mobile Site

• A mobile website can be a great option if your goal is related to marketing or communications. Especially considering its ability to reach a broader audience regardless of device.
• It will be best to build mobile website if you wish to ensure immediacy and reduce the time between initial engagement and conversion.
• A site can be a more cost-effective alternative to an app. Especially if you plan on rolling out many updates within a short period of time.
• Sites are easier to find as they can easily be SEO optimized. You can even use your own website or backlinks to send traffic to your mobile site.
• Mobile sites can last longer as they won’t be deleted unless you do so. Besides, the shelf-time of apps is relatively limited. For instance, Android apps were uninstalled within 30 days from being downloaded.
• Mobile sites can double as minimum viable products (MVPs). This enables you to test your idea before building a full-fledged app.

When to Develop a Mobile App

• Creating a mobile app can make more sense for certain types of applications such as gaming apps, utilities, and social media applications.
• Mobile apps are a more effective strategy if you have a large user base and would like to move your business focus exclusively to mobile phones.
• A mobile app offers more personalization opportunities than a site can. This will especially be useful if you plan on ensuring regular usage.
• Apps are more effective where processing is required. Similarly, they’re a better option if you wish to deliver native functionality such as click to call or GPS capabilities.
• To stay connected with your user base, push notifications come in handy. While you can build mobile websites that allow notifications, apps are still a more convenient option in this regard.
• You can view website in mobile only if the device is connected to a network. Meanwhile, apps can be used with no connection required. Plus, they store data locally and will upload once online.   

Still Unsure Between Mobile Websites and Mobile Apps?

If you need more assistance to decide whether to build mobile website or an app, we’re just a message away. Use the form below to connect with our capable mobile developers to determine which option is right for you.

You can also learn more about another alternative to these: PWA development. Progressive web apps (PWAs) deliver the best of mobile sites and apps. They offer a native app-like experience while being accessible through web browsers.

PWAs combine the advantages of both mobile websites and native mobile apps. They deliver fast, reliable, and engaging user experiences without requiring users to download from app stores.

Let’s discuss your next project for mobile today. Simply fill the form below and connect with Team DPL.