Mobile Website or App? Which is Best For Your Business?

Mobile usage to access the Internet overtook desktop usage in 2015 and has continued to increase year on year.

Living in this mobile world means we as consumers want, need and expect information to be at our fingertips in super-fast time, wherever we are, whatever we are doing.

If you haven’t yet considered expanding your marketing strategy to include mobile investment, then now is most certainly the time to be doing so, especially since the launch of Google’s new Mobile First Index.

So how do you as a business cater for the needs of the mobile-user?

What is important to understand is that the mobile-user searches in a different way to a user who is using a laptop of desktop computer.

More searches are conducted on mobile devices than on desktop. *87% of people have their smartphone by their side day and night. When we want or need something, we reach for our mobile device as it is the most convenient and fastest way of gathering the information we need. These bursts of interaction are called micro-moments, and businesses need to tap into these micro-moments to maximise on opportunities for connecting with the mobile user.

During these interactions, a user will have want-to-buy, want-to-know, want-to-go, want-to-do moments which are loaded with intent, context and immediacy. Your brand needs to be there, be useful and be quick to capitalise on these micro-moments. Your mobile-experience has to be fast, frictionless and relevant to what the consumer is looking for.

Mobile Website, App or both?

The difference between a mobile website and an app is that a mobile site will work to attract new users, whereas an app will help to increase the engagement and loyalty of your existing customers, or those who have already interacted with your brand.

Apps

Apps drive more transactions and value by removing barriers to purchase and as such, retailers often see higher conversion rates on their apps compared to their mobile or desktop sites. If you are not an ecommerce business, you may choose to have an app that offers something extra that your desktop site doesn’t offer, such as a super-quick booking system or quoting system. Whatever type of app you choose, it should improve the mobile user experience and be relevant to their needs.

Consumers can be quite choosy as to which apps they download and use, so the success of your app will largely depend on how strong your brand loyalty is, the usability of the app and how useful the app is to your customers.

Mobile Website

It is crucial for any business to have a site that can adapt to the mobile-user experience.

According to studies conducted by Google, mobile users think less of brands that don’t have great mobile sites. Over 67% of mobile shoppers say they’re more likely to make a purchase if the site is mobile-friendly and more than 75% of mobile users say they’re more likely to revisit a mobile-friendly site.*

Making a site mobile-friendly can be achieved by making a desktop site mobile-responsive so the content will adapt to different screen sizes. An alternative is to have a separate mobile website that is more streamlined than the desktop version, with easier to use navigation, larger touch-points and faster download speeds.

A mobile website will appear in the Google search index results if a user conducts a relevant search, whereas an app will not, so we will always recommend that a business has a mobile site as a priority.

If you feel an app would be of value as well, then great! Having a mobile site isn’t just about making the next sale, it’s about building a strong brand and making sure customers keep coming back – this is where an App can really work well.

Whizz Marketing is a Google Partner Agency and SEO Company in Hampshire. If you would like further information on how to market your business to the mobile user, please get in touch with Louise on 01252 622129 or visit whizzmarketing.co.uk.

Source
*Think with Google – what users want from mobile sites today.