The answer to this question depends on a number of factors including your business plans and strategies, marketing goals, brand positioning and the availability of resources.

In this digital age, having an online presence in the form of a website, an application, through social media or all three is an expectation from your customers and potential customers that must be fulfilled. Otherwise, you could be losing the opportunity to increase your customer base translating to losses in terms of the possible number of transactions you can have per customer.

Let’s first talk about our choices:

Mobile Website (Progressive Web App)/Responsive Website:

• a way to access the internet content through browsers
• provides a native application feel through browsers
• designed specifically for mobile devices
• a hybrid of regular web pages and mobile applications
• offers benefits of mobile application experience through web browsers
• does not need a portal through which it can be downloaded

A point to note here is that this is slightly different from a responsive website design. In a responsive website design, HTML pages are linked together and can be viewed through browsers over the internet. These websites are designed to scale down to the screen of the device you are viewing the website through whether it be a mobile phone, tablet or a PC while a mobile website a.k.a progressive web application (PWA) works only on mobile phones.

Mobile Native Application:

• application developed to use on a particular platform or device and its operating system
• has the ability to use device-specific hardware and software
• a UI that matches better with the user experience of the underlying operating system

Pros of responsive/mobile website as compared to a Mobile App:

• Compatibility: a responsive/mobile website can be accessed through any device working on any operating system through web browsers. Whereas, a mobile native application needs to be built uniquely to the mobile device’s operating system, i.e. iOS, Android, BlackBerry OS, etc.
• Immediate availability: in order to view the content, a user only needs to open the link to your website on a browser for initial engagement while a mobile application requires users to download and install it before viewing the content.
• Wider reach: due to the increased accessibility to users through web browsers, you can reach a higher number of audiences across different platforms as compared to a mobile application. With a responsive website, you are killing two birds with the same stone; you are getting attention from desktop surfers and mobile surfers (working different operating systems). In the case of mobile applications, you would only reach audiences using iPhones if you design an application for iOS operating systems.
• Easier to maintain: updates on a website are less costly and can be applied across all devices instantly with immediately visible results. To update a mobile application requires users a push to download those updates which is time-consuming and comparatively costly depending on the number of platforms your application is working on.
• Easy to find: using tools such as Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) and Google Analytics to improve your websites visibility through search engine results, responsive/mobile websites are easy to find as compared to a mobile application.

Cons of responsive/mobile website as compared to a Mobile App:

• A responsive/mobile website cannot leverage the features of their devices (SMS, calling, GPS, etc.) efficiently regardless of the APIs built to solve these issues. It is more efficient to integrate these features into a mobile application for improved User Experience (UX). Features like push notifications & integration with the device’s built-in features like calendar, click-to-call & GPS retains customer loyalty.
• Mobile applications can be built to operate offline as they are downloaded onto devices and run locally while responsive/mobile websites require a constantly strong connection to the internet for all its features to load.
• The conveniency a mobile application provides in terms of enhanced user experience, faster loading and ease of use yield higher customer retention.

Ideal Use of an Application

Since building an application requires excessive research, time and cost not only during its development but even after its launch for support and maintenance, the following are reasons to which developing an application can be the right time for you:

• Regular usage for daily activities: users download and keep applications for long-term when a solution to their everyday problems is solved by it – for example, no transportation vehicle available to go to the supermarket? Use the supermarket application to delivery groceries at the door. No idea when is the next bus stopping? Use the application to track bus routes. Can’t visit the bank to view monthly bank statements? Use the online bank application to download it into your device every month.
• Native functionality and push notifications: integration with the device’s features for better and a more intimate user experience along with direct communication with the user through push notifications is another reason to have mobile applications.
• Performing calculations and visualising data: any application that will make it easier to read complex calculations through the manipulation of data on charts or reports is a guaranteed stay-in. Such applications are extremely handy on the go when internet connection is not guaranteed to access these tools on a website.

Investing time and money in an application can be nerve-wrecking especially when choosing which platform to start with first (iOS or Android); a tip here is to initially build a responsive/mobile website with built-in analytics to see from which platform the volume of your traffic is the highest. You can then start developing an application for that platform first.

So, which is the right choice?

It is not about choosing one over the other or both; it is about choosing the right solution that will bring the highest return on investment (ROI) measured in terms unique to your own business and its goals. This choice is more about your business goals than the technical capabilities of each platform.

For example, if you are a startup company that wishes to create brand awareness amongst your target audience, the fastest way to reach them is through a responsive/mobile website. However, if your startup revolves around the personalisation of everyday user tasks such as ordering food or online shopping, a mobile application can provide better user experience than a responsive/mobile website.

The shelf-life of an application is much shorter if it is not ideally designed to meet user needs while websites cannot be deleted. Through marketing technologies, you can reach your customer base to attract them back to your website. If your goals are essentially marketing or public communication related, using a responsive/mobile website is a good outreach strategy.

A smarter, strategised approach (depending on your business goals) would be to invest in both website and mobile application, allowing users a sense of distinction between the purpose of each approach.

Conclusion

In conclusion, what you aim to achieve from your audience in alignment to your business goals should be the reason why you choose a website over an application, vice versa or both. Many companies opt to have a website for marketing purposes and reaching a wider audience while building an application to accommodate specific requirements.

The truth is that you need both a website and an application to keep your customers engaged and coming back to you. What matters is what you are choosing to develop first according to the stage your business is in. You cannot ignore one platform over the other as it becomes a value added for your business. Instagram, for example, chose to build an application first and then released a responsive website.

The goals of a business should eventually narrow down to one thing: how are we a solution to our customer’s problems? You may have a product/service at hand but your customers do not know it due to your absence on the largest marketing platform: the internet.

The correct use of either website and/or application means to understand who will be accessing and using these platforms and if there is a problem existing at hand. Are these users your customers, your employees or your shareholders? What are the barriers between your organisation and them, and what problems are they facing to which you can provide solutions through a website and/or application?

If you are in the process of creating a mobile strategy, let us help you make informed decisions to meet your organisational needs.

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