Responsive and mobile-optimized web design has traveled a long way throughout these years, and now it is no longer complicated to build a mobile-friendly website that appears superb on any smartphone.

Despite that, a website is still considered far less capable than a mobile app. On the other hand, a mobile app also cannot do everything that a website does. Both have unique value propositions for companies and their target audience.

This is why it is apt to compare the advantages and disadvantages of both. Here we go.

The Mobile Website Pros

Let’s have a quick look at all the attributes that give a mobile website its worth and real value propositions.

Instant Access

In complete contrast to a mobile app that needs to be downloaded and installed, a mobile website can be accessed by anyone whenever they need and from whatever device is available.

Compatible for All Devices and Platforms

With a mobile website, your digital brand can be accessed by customers from both iPhone or Android phones. Irrespective of the devices and OS platforms, it works everywhere with just a browser.

Quick Updates

Mobile websites have more dynamic capabilities in terms of accommodating new changes and content. The businesses can easily update the content, features, and design and instantly make the new website available.

Easy Sharing

Mobile websites allow users to share a website URL through chat messages, email, or text messages at any time. This also allows publishers and marketers to direct new users or customers to a business website easily.

The Mobile Website does Better SEO

Google is giving more priority to mobile and responsive websites than desktop versions simply because of their better user experience, popularity, and ease of access. This is giving mobile websites a boost in terms of search engine ranking.

Less Expensive Digital Solutions

Mobile websites demand lesser cost and talent requirements compared to mobile apps. Faster development and a variety of time-tested technologies further make mobile websites easier options for businesses.

The Mobile App pros

Let’s have a quick look at the key factors and reasons that make mobile apps a better digital solution than mobile websites in certain contexts.

Superb User Experience

Instead of just offering web content and standard mobile web functionalities, a mobile app delivers a far better user experience through the native device and OS-specific features and design attributes. Enhanced superior user experience is a key reason that makes mobile apps so popular among smartphone users.

A Direct Communication Channel

A mobile app being accommodated right on the device screen appears to be always present and ready to engage. The app allows the business to send and showcase the relevant information on the screen or through messages. The push notifications and in-app messages take direct communication to customers to a great new level.

Faster and Better Customer Engagement

Enhanced customer engagement, which is a part of excellent user experience, is guaranteed by mobile apps. With interactive app features, the customers can enjoy communicating, browsing, purchasing, and leaving feedback with a business brand more frequently, which takes customer engagement to a new level.

Offline Access

Unlike mobile websites, the customers can now access business information through an app even while there is no Internet connection. The customers can create their menus, access product lists, listen to podcasts, play simple games, and even watch content they earlier accessed thanks to apps’ local caching mechanism.

Mobile Apps Still have An Edge. Here’s Why

While the comparison mentioned above may convince you about their mutual share of equal value propositions, mobile apps seem to enjoy a sharper edge over mobile websites at the end of the debate. When you can build mobile apps barely at the cost of a dynamic website, you should not stay away from the ambition of building it. You can hire app developers from India, known for their technical competence and low-budget development expertise.

Here are the reasons why mobile apps have an edge over mobile websites.

  • Mobile apps are equipped with location sensors to work with the latest location technologies, such as iBeacons or geo-fencing.
  • Mobile apps can send push notification messages to inform users for various reasons, including new product arrival and sending shipping information to promotional offers.
  • Mobile apps are equipped with an event calendar, demos, registration forms, podcasts, and how-to videos for engaging and useful content.
  • Easier integration with payment gateways and mobile wallet apps for faster and secure payment processing.
  • Highly interactive shopping experience with mobile e-commerce stores.
  • Inbuilt loyalty boosting and promotional features to keep customers engaged and active.
  • Thanks to always-on availability, mobile apps offer better scope for user-generated content and community building.

Conclusion

Whether it’s a mobile web or a mobile app, the use of mobile devices continues to break growth records. With such a huge and phenomenal growth story, both sides of the “mobile app vs. mobile web” debate will continue to stay relevant for years to come. For all businesses trying to establish a robust mobile presence, opting for mobile web and mobile apps has become an irreplaceable necessity. But in case you want to deliver a highly native and zero friction user experience that appears with game-like ease, opting for an app will be ideal.

Author Bio:

Jamie Waltz is a Senior Mobile App Developer at IndianAppDevelopers leading mobile app development company in India. Jamie is responsible for designing and developing mobile apps for the company’s global clients.