Mobile app or a website? When you start your business and establish your digital presence, you might wonder: Which is the better alternative for your business? Should I invest in designing a mobile app, or a responsive website will be sufficient?
The difference may seem inconsequential in the initiation stage, but you gradually see the differences if you get deeper into the topic. Mobile apps and responsive websites are interconnected and equally significant, yet entirely different.
Read on if you are ready to find out the difference and decide which option is better. You will see all the definite aspects of mobile apps and responsive websites, and with this information, you will be ready to make the perfect choice for your business’s accomplishment.
What is a mobile app?
A mobile app is a piece of software you install through the play store or app store and use on your mobile phone. As there are various operating systems on all mobile devices, you develop them independently. The most famous ones are iOS and Android operating systems for mobile devices. This time, we will focus on native mobile apps that are customary to run on iOS and Android electronic devices.
Mobile apps operate only on smartphones and mobile devices and have a distinct set of users. Mobile apps have comparatively more regular users than mobile websites that work on all devices and have more returning and new users.
Mobile apps primarily have a targeted functionality that aims to simplify a task. For instance, you meditate daily, so; you need to have an app that helps you focus. The mobile app can give a more customized user experience, for example, by picking up the frequency of meditation and sending customized notifications. You can have your account on any meditation app and pick on the spot where you left off the last time you used the app. This will be an outstanding experience for your user that cannot be accomplished through a website.
Native Apps
- Personalization is about providing a bespoke experience to your users based on their interests, location, and behavior. It offers more personalization. Mobile apps allow users set up preferences from the start. This makes it easier to track users’ interactions so you can personalize their experiences per their requirements.
- It can run offline. Once the app has been downloaded on your device, its data can be stored directly. The product team can decide which content to make available for offline usage.
- It cannot run on a device with a different operating system. For instance, you can’t run an iOS app on an Android device. If you wish your app to run on both platforms, you need to develop two versions of your app—one for iOS and the another for Android.
- It’s expensive to design. The biggest drawback of building native apps is the type of coding necessary. To create an iOS app, you must learn or hire an experienced developer who can code in Swift. To develop an Android app, you will need someone experienced in Java or Kotlin. If your product team wants to launch an app for iOS and Android, they will have to write codes for each operating system.
What is a responsive website?
A responsive site is a simple website accessed through any browser. A responsive website is also a mobile website because it is mainly designed to fit on the small screens of mobile devices.
A responsive website or a mobile website has a design that functions appropriately. The content on a mobile webpage fits into any size of the screen. The content perfectly fits on the screen, whether it is a laptop or a small 6′ screen of the latest mobile phones.
Responsive Web Design
- It reduces the cost of production. If you’re developing a product from scratch, a responsive website will be less expensive than a mobile application.
- You have cross-platform accessibility. Responsive websites utilize HTML and CSS to display pages, which any browser can access. As a result, responsive websites perform equally well on multiple platforms and devices.
- There’s limited support for native device features. Responsive websites have little help from mobile device features like access to a camera, microphone, and push notifications.
Now that we have understood the differences between Native app development and Responsive web design let’s discuss the importance of UI/UX in App development.
Knowing the significance of UI/UX in Mobile app development is crucial. Many developers create their applications in a way that performs functionally but lacks UI or UX.
So, What Makes UI / UX That Important? What Are Its Benefits?
– Attracts users
The designs grab the users’ attention and make sure that they spend as much time on the app as possible. However, the users should be able to comprehend the designs and navigation well enough to stick around for a longer term.
– Creates a good impression
When a user visits your app, they should be captivated to it immediately so that they return for it repeatedly. A good app has a higher usage time, which can be done with the app’s UI / UX design.
– Builds brand
Individuals like working with famous brands that make them happy. They will be willing to take up features that can be upgraded and, thus, put resources into improving your application. Putting resources into a productive Ul/UX design helps increase consumer satisfaction, ending up with cheerful customers.
So should you choose a mobile app or a mobile website?
The perks of both mobile apps and mobile websites are essential. Mobile apps are no better than mobile websites or even vice versa. To make the most agreeable decision for your company, you should first know the purpose of your product and, most importantly, its target audience.
It hinges on your target audience and their likings. The stats today seem to favor mobile apps over mobile websites. However, they are taking into account only a generic audience that is inaccurate for your business. For a more conscious decision, you should understand the requirements and predispositions of your users.
With a complete picture of your audience preferences, you can always refer to our blog to consider the technical benefits to choose from. You can also save this infographic on Pinterest for future reference.
