Responsive Websites Versus Mobile Apps
Your business needs a mobile presence, but how do you go about it without breaking the bank? Is it worth having a mobile app or just a responsive website?
App or Website
The basic question any business owner needs to ask is: “Do I need an app at all?”
If you’re a law firm who primarily interacts via in-person consultations or over the phone, then no, you probably do not need a mobile app. The same goes for a restaurant owner with one or two locations.
However, if you offer an existing web service for user logins and account management, then a mobile app is probably going to be a worthwhile investment, as it will provide tremendous performance benefits while using a mobile device.
Mobile commerce as an edge case
There are, however, some edge cases in the app-versus-website debate. The most common is the area of commerce. Mobile commerce (m-commerce) is absolutely exploding, with more and more transactions taking place on smartphones and tablets every single day.
Commerce is a tricky area for the mobile-versus-app debate because the answer varies depending on the type of products being sold and the audience purchasing the products.
Although the shift to mobile shopping has greatly increased, the considerations for choosing a responsive website over a mobile app are largely still the same.
M-commerce companies should look at who their users are, what platforms they use, the average transaction price and how well their current website solutions work with features, such as shopping carts, time-outs and more.
For m-commerce, you should absolutely start with a mobile-friendly website and make sure that it’s frequently updated to be fast, efficient and to work well on multiple devices. Then, factor out how many sales will need to take place each month through a mobile app to pay for its development. If that seems feasible, building a mobile app to offer alongside the responsive experience is a great idea.
Responsive is not a shortcut
On the surface, it’s easy to assume that creating a responsive website will be less expensive than developing a mobile app. However, it’s important to consider the costs, especially if your existing website is not responsive. These costs don’t just include the web design itself, but also any upgrades that need to take place on your existing website’s backend or infrastructure.
Responsive design is not just about fitting a website on a mobile screen. It’s also about making sure that functionality works in contexts and scenarios ideal for mobile.
SOURCE: Mashable
