7 Reasons Why Mobile Apps Are Better Than Mobile Websites

mobile website

As mobile apps are becoming increasingly popular for a wide range of business needs, let’s take a few moments to look at 7 reasons why these apps can be good for you instead of a mobile app.

Mobile apps rule; websites drool. While this seems like an oversimplification of the current mobile economy, it is closer to the truth than you may think. After all, why would any of your friends recommend a website over an app if given the choice? The answer is clear – apps are far superior. 

True, with the rising number of smartphone users, every company wants to be a part of the mobile boom. And mobile apps and mobile websites are both methods for businesses to market their products and services to the public. Both are designed with the intent of providing a similar service to potential customers. That said, there are key differences that put the former above the latter – and it’s important to understand them before deciding on how your business can be marketed in the growing mobile-first world.

So why should you choose a mobile app instead of a mobile website for your business?

Here are 7 advantages mobile apps have over mobile websites:

Apps offer great opportunities for users to convert

Conversion is created through a two-step process of acquisition and nurturing, and mobile apps provide better opportunities for both.

No matter the buyer’s position on the journey, mobile apps are better-positioned to capture leads than mobile websites because they’re more targeted in nature. While mobile websites are more likely to reach out to a diverse set of audiences, app-borne content is more niche and focused.

For instance, a utility app may follow the top of funnel approach to acquire new users that can eventually be nurtured into bottom-of-funnel leads. On the other hand, apps eCommerce functionalities have access to many prospective customers that are already in its bottom of the funnel (BoFu) pool and may already have BoFu needs, therefore are more likely to convert.

Additionally, mobile apps allow your business to engage and nurture potential customers in ways that traditional websites don’t.

Apps keep users engaged with your business longer than any other medium available today through push notifications, which are proven to give higher engagement rates than SMS or email marketing campaigns. Quite simply, apps are better at keeping your customers coming back than mobile websites are!

With push notifications, businesses are allowed to promote sales, discounts and other offers. Push notifications to allow you to send text or image messages right to the user’s home screen – whether or not they’re using your app at the time alerting them to special promotions and advertising events, without having to create a separate email campaign.

For marketers, this means that no matter what product or services you have to offer (online or offline), a mobile app can increase your visibility, sales and profits to levels never seen before.

Convenience and Better User Experience  

Mobile websites are often cluttered with unnecessary elements, making them difficult to navigate on a small screen. This issue is particularly significant for eCommerce operations. It’s pretty easy to get frustrated from trying to use your mobile phone to purchase stuff from the browser.

With a mobile website, users have to click links and fill out forms using the tiny keyboard on their phone. With an app, they simply tap buttons on the screen and also have form pre-populated easily – no typing necessary.

Furthermore, an app can allow users to leverage different features on their smartphones hence providing an opportunity to perform several varying functions from one place which is very unlikely when using the mobile web.

The fact that an app offers smooth navigation and a great user experience attracts users to download an app because they know they will have a pleasant experience using it.

Speed is also a biggie as far as user experience is concerned. Mobile apps are faster than their web counterparts. Mobile apps are designed to provide quick, seamless access to products and services, which means they’re built with performance and speed in mind. 

Mobile websites, on the other hand, can be slow to load, due to various factors like image size and page clutter. You’ve probably experienced that frustration yourself when trying to pull up a site on your smartphone – you know how annoying it is when a page takes too long to load and you give up because it’s not worth the wait. That lack of patience doesn’t bode well for your company when users want instant gratification.

Mobile apps let you keep your brand front and centre in customers’ minds

When customers download your application on their smartphones then it means you are always there on their phone, front and centre of their attention. An app can be easily accessed from the home screen of your customer’s smartphone, letting them engage with your brand while they’re on the go

Mobile apps can also be easily integrated with social media platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and LinkedIn. This allows businesses to expand their reach and grow their social media presence by offering incentives for users to share content within their networks of friends and colleagues.

They make it easier for customers to find you, give them a better sense of your brand value and make them more likely to recommend your business to others.

Mobile apps offer functionalities thanks to superior hardware integration

One of the biggest advantages mobile apps have over mobile websites is functionality. Mobile apps can take advantage of the many features built into smartphones, such as GPS and camera functionality, whereas websites cannot. 

This has opened up a whole new world for app designers and developers to create unique user experiences not available via browser-based content. For example, a weather app can utilise your phone’s GPS function to pinpoint your exact location and give you the most accurate weather forecast possible.

The better hardware integration allows a mobile app to provide better performance than a mobile website: when these hardware features are used, they’ll improve user retention and engagement; make it easier than ever for users to perform tasks.

However, it is important to point out, though, that mobile sites can take advantage of some of the same hardware features available to apps (particularly camera and GPS features), but there are technological limitations and concerns about privacy to be considered.

Offline usage

Unlike websites, which won’t work when you don’t have an internet connection, mobile apps can be used to provide basic functions and content even when you don’t have an internet connection. This feature is useful in multiple situations where the user may not have access to an internet connection or where it may be costly to access data. 

Apps have better personalization options

Mobile apps allow businesses to personalise their messages and offers for their customers. By utilising the data collected through various sources such as user profiles and user behaviour, businesses can send out tailored offers that will appeal directly to their customers’ needs and interests. This provides an incentive for users to continue using the app because they are receiving information that is relevant to them.

Mobile apps can be customised for each user to provide them with a personalised experience. The app can access their profile and preferences, making it more likely that the user will be comfortable with the way the app is set up and directly related to their interests.

Apps also allow for more customization as far as design goes, allowing your branding to come through in a streamlined way on every screen of your app.

On average, people spend more time using mobile apps 

If you want to make the most of your money, you need to invest it wisely – you need to be where your customers are spending their time.

According to recent statistics, consumers now spend more time on a mobile app than any other digital channel including web browsing. The implication of this is that you stand a better chance to expose your brand for a longer period with an app which can eventually lead to conversion.

Here is another thing: it’s easier for users to access the information they need via an app rather than through a browser, so they’re more likely to use your app frequently.

Takeaway: Why Mobile Apps Are Better Than Mobile Websites

Ultimately, mobile apps give you a higher chance to maximise your ROI.

Mobile websites are great, but they’re limited. You don’t have a lot of room to play around with your content and your design, which can affect your overall conversion rates.

Mobile apps give you a lot more freedom – and customers prefer them.  They also allow you to build a stronger brand identity through interactive features. And also help you collect more customer data for informed decisions including providing personalised experiences, and provide more functionalities, etc. which adds up to inspire the user to take positive action(s) that’ll eventually favour your bottom line.