Today, businesses that scale in the digital space find it almost impossible to retain customers and maximize their LTV without a mobile presence. At the same time, the average number of apps on smartphones is only 35. This is a clear indicator of the tough competition that all those who aim to launch a mobile solution have to face. However, does it necessarily have to be an app, or is it possible to get by with a mobile website? Let's find out right now what’s better to implement – a mobile app or a website for business.
What Is a Mobile Website?
A mobile site is a web resource adapted for smartphones (usually via the mobile-first approach), which can be opened in a mobile web browser. In essence, such solutions are budget-friendly tools for primary interaction with customers and valuable in terms of forming a stable organic traffic flow from search engines, thanks to the SEO benefits of mobile websites, paid advertising, etc. Also, unlike applications, a website doesn’t require installation and covers a wider audience.
However, if you need to ensure deep visitors’ engagement and personalize interaction with each of them, a mobile website is unlikely to cope with this. Moreover, their accessibility for the target audience directly depends on the Internet connection quality (and its availability in general).
What Is a Mobile App?
A mobile application is a software product that requires installation on a smartphone. If implemented correctly, it becomes a permanent communication channel with customers, which means it can be used for sales, marketing needs, and customer service. In terms of types of mobile applications, the following should be highlighted:
- Native apps, which are characterized by top performance, high-class UX, and the ability to access smartphone hardware (this is all achievable through the use of native SDKs that open access to platform components);
- Hybrid apps, which essentially provide a compromise between time-to-market, budget, and the ability to implement almost any functionality;
- Progressive Web Apps (PWA), which are endowed with the properties of websites (in particular, they don’t require installation), but create a feeling of interaction with a full-fledged mobile app (via push notifications and offline access).
Overall, all these options provide a better mobile responsiveness, have a higher level of engagement (which is unachievable for conventional websites), enable offline work, and ensure advanced personalization. At the same time, the budget for their development is higher than in the case of websites; they also require an understanding of ASO principles so as not to be at the back of the pack.
Side-by-Side Comparison Table
Now, let’s perform a mobile experience comparison in the table format.
| Criteria | Mobile website | Mobile app |
|---|---|---|
| Speed and performance differences | Loads immediately after following the link, while the speed depends on the quality of the Internet connection | Works faster and more stable due to the capabilities of caching and using the internal resources of the user device |
| Cost and development time | Cheaper and faster to develop, so an MVP can be launched in just a few weeks | More expensive (especially with native development for iOS and Android) and requires more time due to the need to ensure synchronization of the work of two development teams |
| Engagement and features | Limited by the capabilities of the browser, so it’s more difficult to hold the user's attention | User engagement can be enhanced through push notifications, seamless access to device sensors, offline mode implementation, and advanced personalization |
| Offline access | No | Can work offline, saving data entered by the user and opening access to at least part of the functionality |
| SEO and discoverability | Has high discoverability potential due to the capabilities of search engine optimization and attracting organic traffic | The app store discoverability depends on compliance with stores’ policies and following the ASO principles |
When to Choose a Mobile Website
Companies that build their value in their customers’ eyes through content can achieve high ROI and quickly attract new audiences through mobile sites, as they can maximize user reach and provide convenient access to information (while the depth of user scenarios, achievable only through mobile development, isn’t so essential in such cases).
Also, mobile website development should be considered by early-stage startups when testing their business hypotheses. This approach will allow them to enter the market as quickly as possible without spending a lot of money and test their solution on a real audience.
Finally, if your budget is limited, a site can become a nice-to-have option. It can be developed gradually, scaling from a simple landing to a global portal with eCommerce capabilities.
When to Choose a Mobile App
As for the mobile application, it will be the best option if your business model is based on regular interaction with customers (usually, this thesis is relevant for eCommerce, delivery, and fintech solutions). Push notifications and offline access will come to the rescue here.
It’s also worth noting that gaming, subscription-based, and SaaS solutions are more convenient to monetize through mobile implementation, where built-in payments are an absolutely familiar format for the end users.
Finally, with the help of a mobile app, you can collect data on user behavior to build adjustable interaction scenarios, with personalized recommendations and individual loyalty programs. From this point of view, mobile software works better than regular websites for LTV and conversion optimization.
Can You Have Both? Progressive Web Apps (PWA)
When you face a mobile app vs mobile website choice, you may feel that you’ll have to give up one in favor of the other. However, there’s an intermediate option that we have already mentioned: these are Progressive Web Apps (PWA).
Essentially, PWAs are web applications that work through a web browser, but in terms of interaction and functionality, they provide a mobile-like user experience. For example, users can add the app’s icon to the home screen of their smartphones, receive push notifications, and even use some functions in offline mode. Moreover, there’s no need to pass the uploading procedure in the App Store or Google Play.
Hence the obvious advantages of PWA development for business: you get a single solution for all platforms (iOS/Android/desktop), eliminate the need to download the application from app stores, reduce the number of steps to access the functionality (a user just need to open the app via a link to start interacting with the service), get effective tools for user retention such as offline mode and push notifications, and also speed up market entry compared to native applications.
At the same time, PWAs have limited access to the smartphone’s hardware functions (camera, Bluetooth, NFC, etc.). In addition, PWA support on iOS is still inferior to Android, which limits the capabilities of even seasonal developers.
Long-Term Considerations
In the long term, it’s important to consider the specifics of your mobile solution’s maintenance and updates, and how mobile platforms’ limitations may interfere with them.
Maintenance and updates
For websites and web apps, updates are the easiest to implement: developers only need to make changes on the server side, and users will instantly get access to their new version. With native applications, things are different. Any update requires re-moderation in the App Store/Google Play, which can take from several hours to several days. In addition, some users may forget to update the app manually, so they will interact with different product versions. For businesses, this means additional costs for support and compatibility testing.
Scalability
Both websites and applications can scale – only the approach to this is different. For example, a website is easier to adapt to new languages and regions, which makes it a convenient solution for covering international markets and quick adaptation to changes in the TA’s preferences. A mobile application, on the contrary, opens up opportunities for in-depth interaction with customers, which means that over time, it can grow into a full-fledged tool for their retention. Thus, a website is well-suited for scaling reach, while it’s easier to achieve better user engagement in apps.
Platform limitations
Any technology imposes limitations that must be considered, too: while websites directly depend on browser performance and the quality of the Internet connection, apps must always be developed taking into account the limitations and rules of app marketplaces – in particular, each new feature must comply with the App Store/Google Play requirements, which often becomes a barrier to the rapid deployment of updates.
How WEZOM Helps You Make the Right Mobile Investment
A business that ignores the mobile channel of customer interaction always loses its audience and gives way to its competitors. WEZOM helps companies determine the optimal strategy and understand which format of mobile presence will give the maximum return on their business models.
Specifically, to resolve the mobile site vs app dilemma, we’ll analyze the specifics of your business, as well as its audience and goals, to build a strategy that will bring you the highest ROI. Ultimately, you’ll receive an easy-to-scale solution that will develop along with your brand and quickly adapt to new technologies and trends.
Conclusion
There is no universal answer to the question: “Which is better, an app or a website?” Your choice should depend on your business model, goals, and, of course, budget. At the same time, it’s important to ensure that your mobile product doesn’t just exist, but brings real profit. Therefore, if you don’t yet understand where it’s better to invest – in a mobile application or a web solution – you can start with a free consultation with our experts. We’ll help you to estimate the cost to build a mobile app vs a website and calculate the ROI for both of these two options.
