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Responsive Website Versus Mobile App: A Comparison

“A satisfied customer is the best business strategy of all,” Michael Leboeuf.

If the global mobile internet usage figures are anything to go by then mobiles (along with tablets) will be the dominant platform to access the internet vis-a-vis desktops or laptops. A survey has revealed that mobiles have garnered a healthy share of 51.2% of the global online traffic in 2018 (Source: Statistica.) This growing mobile usage has stirred businesses to adopt a suitable mobile strategy to compete in the online landscape. However, the moot question before them is – whether to build a responsive website or a mobile application. Although both have their respective advantages, choosing one over the other would depend on a slew of factors. These include the target customers, business objectives, required features, and budget.

There are valid arguments on both sides of the divide. Mobile website enthusiasts are of the view that having a responsive website that is accessible on smartphones and tablets is more than enough to address the changing dynamics of online business. However, mobile app lovers counter that by stating the unique advantages of a mobile app that a responsive website simply cannot offer. Before digging deeper with the respective advantages, let us first understand what the two are all about.

Difference between a Mobile Website and a Mobile App

A mobile website is a collection of mutually linked HTML pages that can be accessed by a browser on the internet. It differs from a standard website in the way that it is displayed on a handheld device like a mobile or a tablet with a touchscreen interface. In fact, it is fast becoming the standard for building websites that are compatible with any type of device – desktops, laptops, notebooks, smartphones, and tablets. A mobile website provides similar features and functionalities of a standard website (designed to be viewed on a desktop) such as text, images and videos. In fact, professional website development company have long switched over to building responsive websites to meet the trend.

A mobile application, on the other hand, is a self contained program that can be downloaded on a smartphone instead of being run by a browser a la mobile website. Mobile applications can be downloaded from app stores that are specific to an operating system such as Apple, Android, Windows or Blackberry. In fact, there are a host of mobile app developing companies that builds attractive, functional, user friendly and secure apps covering every possible domain such as real estate, tourism, health, education, eCommerce, technology etc.

Which one is better – a mobile website or a mobile app?

This is slightly tricky to answer for each comes with its share of advantages. We leave it to your judgement based on your specific business objectives to choose one above the other. In fact, choosing both can give you the best of both worlds provided you have the requisite budget.

Advantages of a Mobile (responsive) Website

Greater audience reach: A responsive website can be accessed from a plethora of device platforms – mobiles, tablets, desktops and laptops. It can be easily accessed on a search engine as opposed to a mobile app, which is available in specific app stores only. This way a large number of users can easily access a responsive website.

Cost effective: Developing a mobile app is supposedly a much more complex exercise than a mobile website. This makes the latter a relatively cost effective proposition.

SEO friendly: Recently, Google has announced giving a higher search ranking to a responsive website as compared to a standard one. This helps to garner a greater brand visibility and web traffic for a mobile website.

On the flip side, a mobile website can have a few cons as well.

• Accessibility and user experience depend on the quality and speed of the internet network.
• The small screen of a mobile makes it difficult to fully navigate a website unless the usability and functionality are top notch.

Advantages of a Mobile App

Better branding opportunity: Users can have an altogether different experience in accessing information/products/services of a company when compared to its website. A company can utilize the personalized app to target users with better branding styles and tactics. If the company website falls short of user expectations, a mobile app can be the way to go. However, make sure the app provides a rich user interface and seamless functionalities. Also, the app should possess strong security measures to counter fraudulent activities.

Better medium of communication: Since a mobile app can be customized to suit the interest and preference of the user, a business can leverage it to offer personalized communication, recommendations and updates. A mobile app helps to identify the geographical location of a user, which can be used by the company to provide location specific info about special discounts, promotions, and deals through push notifications.

Offline access: Although an internet connection is preferable to run most of the functionalities that are present in a mobile app, the connection is not essential. In fact, by using a mobile app, a user can access business specific information offline as well.

Better UX: A mobile app can provide a better immersive and personalised user experience. It provides interactive ways through which a user can engage with the content. This is in sharp contrast to the similar looking interface of a mobile website. As a mobile app provides a better user engagement, it helps to improve the conversion rates.

Conclusion

Choosing a responsive website or a mobile app ultimately depends on your business objectives. If you are looking to target a large audience cutting across geographies then a responsive website is arguably a better option. On the other hand, if you want to provide a better user engagement and garner brand loyalty among your users then a mobile app is a better option. So, no matter which mobile strategy you choose, it is better to engage a professional web development agency or a mobile app development services or both to reap better rewards.