Mobile Websites Vs. Mobile Apps – What’s the Difference?

Mobile is not just the future: it’s the present. Mobile websites and mobile apps are crucial to any customer-facing business, because their client base is, like all of us, constantly on the go. That means they want to access the goods and services they need on their smartphone or tablet, at least as much as on a traditional computer – and, increasingly, more so.

The question for business, then, is not if mobile … but how. Essentially, there are two means of providing content for your mobile clients – mobile websites and mobile apps. We design both, but each have distinct features which can make them more appropriate for certain applications than others.

Simply put, a mobile website is a corporate platform much like your standard website, but optimised entirely – often designed from scratch for – mobile devices. The URLs of mobile websites are accessed via a browser in the usual way, but display perfectly on smaller screen sizes. The best are responsive – that is, they can alter their appearance depending upon the precise size and orientation of the screen on which they are viewed.

Often, mobile websites are very cost-effective – since much of the content and branding for them will already exist as part of your standard site. Likewise, they can be optimised to rank very highly on search engines, ensuring it is easy to find and giving you the edge over competitors.

In this way, mobile websites can reach a broad audience – particularly since they tend to be more accessible across a wider range of platforms and devices than mobile apps. Anyone with an internet browser can access a website; apps need to be downloaded, and often designed rather differently for the various mobile devices and operating systems available.

That said, mobile apps can better leverage the capabilities of those devices: from GPS to cameras, smartphones can tablets offer you extra functionality that can help your business offer added value to customers – and therefore incentivise them to engage with you. That’s a powerful tool for capturing and converting customers.

Likewise, mobile apps can be accessed offline, without an internet connection – because they have been downloaded to a device. Mobile websites, of course, require a user to have a data signal in order to access your business. Apps give you a more sure-fire means of integrating your business into the day-to-day life of your client.

So the decision is far from easy, but depends very much on the context of your business – and that of your clients. If you’re looking for a fresh new way of engaging clients, and can offer them a crucial daily service using the capabilities of their device … you may have an argument for designing a mobile app. If not, a website may be your best bet.

Tell you what. Why not contact us today and we’ll help you decide on mobile websites vs mobile apps?

Contact ImagePlus for Mobile App Development

We provide mobile app design and development for all project requirements, both consumer and business apps. If you’re in need of a mobile app or just have an idea for a project you wish to discuss, please contact us to arrange a consultancy.

Call us on 024 7683 4780 or email us at info@image-plus.co.uk.