We must thank the world of technology and evolution. We are living in a world where 80% of internet traffic uses mobiles to access the World Wide Web. Mobiles have become an essential part of our technological environment. It has become mandatory for all businesses to include mobiles as an important part of their business and marketing, as mobiles have become a business tool.
Therefore, companies have to face a scene parallel to “The Road Not Taken” by Robert Frost, which focuses on the choice between the mobile application and mobile website.
Mobile websites and mobile applications both have pros and cons. Considering the B2B world; mobile websites are more than sufficient to fulfill business requirements. It opens new marketing opportunities, as the message can be pushed by notifications whenever a business desires. There is a clear advantage for this application in the frequency of usage, considering both time and numbers.
To develop an extensive mobile app for your business, all you need is a powerful internet connection that can consistently support all your online activities. So, if you are looking for high-speed internet that offers reliable service then do check out Spectrum Internet plans as they come with incredible internet speeds with an unlimited data allowance. With that said, let us discuss the pros and cons of mobile sites and apps.
Significance of Mobile Websites
We must first understand the definition of a mobile website. A mobile website is a normal website, which provides an enhanced experience on mobile devices.
We do not bear any separate expense for a mobile website and it is no longer a bonus in today’s world of technology. Most technological platforms and content management systems provide an enhanced web presence, which is responsive to the device from which it is accessed.
Advantages of Mobile Websites
One of the biggest advantages of a mobile website for businesses is that it does not lead to any separate cost to be developed. Thus, the only cost required is for the development of an excellent website. There would be no problem for a properly developed website to fit comfortably into major operating systems, Android, and iOS. It can settle itself comfortably within Google Chrome and Safari.
For the mobile website application that you have developed, there is no need for you to push for any updates regularly. Once the mobile website gets loaded, any change at the server level is going to take effect. Rapid availability is another huge advantage of a mobile website. The users can access the website whenever they desire and the business does not have to be concerned about the application uninstalls.
Disadvantages of Mobile Websites
A mobile website has disadvantages as well. As much as we enjoy instant access to a mobile website, the moment a website is closed the access is lost. The closing of the browser closes the user’s access to the website as well as your access to the user. There is no possibility of understanding and calculating the behavior of a user once the person has lost access to the website. These reasons might get us in favor or against mobile websites but we must not jump to conclusions.
Significance of Mobile Applications
Mobile applications have traveled a long way to gain importance. We have witnessed mobile applications becoming an essential business tool for a few companies. For example, Rovio, the creator of the Angry Birds game.
When we view the world of mobile business applications and after putting on our marketing goggles, building a mobile application might seem like a great idea but it is a separate cost altogether. This might not appeal to many businesses but it has massive benefits.
Advantages of Mobile Applications
Designing the UI / UX is the biggest factor contributing to the cost of building a mobile application. However, this cost is immediately returned to the business. UI / UX not only makes it user-friendly but also restricts the user from quitting the product.
Mobile applications generally lead mobile websites in speed. The user does not have to wait too long while the vital elements of the app interface are loaded. Availability of some basic features is also possible even when the device is offline. One advantage that mobile applications provide is pushing notifications. It is similar to having the authority to have access to your user whenever you want.
We have to make ourselves understand that the world of mobile applications is more like an ecosystem. Here many applications can communicate with one another to produce a business strategy, which can be helpful ahead. We are aware of how Google fit tags along with many fitness-related applications that gather data about the calories and the steps taken.
Disadvantages of Mobile Applications
One of the biggest disadvantages of mobile applications would be the cost of development. Each platform requires a different mobile application and thus the disadvantage digs deeper. We further need to choose the platforms for which we require to build the application. Moreover, this needs a separate cost.
It would be a great idea of developing an application and testing it with only one platform, just as Instagram and Prisma. Both these applications worked only for the iOS ecosystem. This plan, however, failed on the Android side. Development costs must be a concern for you when you talk about users of Windows Phone and Blackberries.
The mobile application has the value of an asset for the business and it needs to be installed. It requires a separate cost for the promotion and marketing of the app. Some businesses would be interested to keep their users connected without worrying about the involved cost while other businesses might be a little tight.
Final Words
We cannot present any clear verdict about these two platforms as they both are continually evolving in competition. Nevertheless, it is safe to conclude that it all depends upon the nature of the business and the value calculation provided by the application concerning the cost that was involved in its development.
A mobile website is like a live-in relationship and has a guarantee concerning the length of the partnership. On the other hand, an application is similar to married life and freedom of communication, a sense of commitment, and a sense of security at both ends.
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