Mobile Apps Vs. Mobile Websites

AM vs. FM.
Beta vs. VHS.
SD vs. HD.
Flash vs. HTML.
Mobile Apps vs. Mobile Websites.

This isn’t a new discussion. The formats may change but the question of how to best deliver information hasn’t. Open for debate is how to deliver information and entertainment on the go. The question for the mobile app and the mobile website camps is who will be left standing?

The Basics

Mobile Website- a smaller version of a standard website but viewable on a mobile device.  Think of accessing the Internet on your phone and then going to CNN.com.

Mobile App- a program that is downloaded to a specific device, typically for a specific reason. Examples of such devices include iPhone/iTouch, iPad, Android, Blackberry, etc….

An example of a mobile app is Locate Wi-Fi anywhere. It's essentially a directory of international hotspots. We're talking 140 countries so it's perfect for the traveler.

For the past few years there’s been something of a debate as to which option is better. As with most items Internet-related, it really depends on the user’s end goals.

Here are three considerations when venturing down the mobile app vs. mobile web road.

The Considerations

1. Are you interested in reaching the masses or reaching a target/niche audience?
   
   If you’re interested in reaching the masses then a mobile website is the way to go. A mobile website gives you another channel of contact in addition to your website.  It allows you to connect with your broad demographic without targeting a specific and narrowly defined audience.
   
   If you’re interested in reaching a target/niche audience you’ll want to take advantage of the mobile app. Typically, there are three ways a user will learn of a particular app: invitation through beta testing, online via traditional computing methods or through a search on a mobile device.
   
   
2. Think about it from the user's point of view.
   
   If you want the user to use an app for a specific task or for a limited number of tasks, use a mobile app. The functionality of a mobile app works well within a device’s native application and the bonus is an Internet connection is not always required.
   
   If you want to deliver content, mobile websites are the way to go. Content Management Systems like WordPress, Drupal and Joomla! make it fairly easy to enable the mobile website feature on the backend of a website.
   
   
3. Start-up Costs and the Return on Investment
   
   Cost is a factor that should be considered when weighing the pros and cons of using a mobile app vs. mobile web. Of course, cost takes different forms. There’s the education factor and the dollar amount.
   
   If you’re already building a website (especially on one of the popular CMS platforms) then it’s relatively easy to activate the mobile website element. In the long-term, mobile websites typically cost less and are easier to maintain. When a change is made to the parent website a change is also made to the mobile website.
   
   Contrast the mobile website with the mobile app.  With a mobile app you are limited when it comes to the do-it-yourself option.  Besides that, a mobile app that works on an iPhone will not work on other devices in its particular form. To put it to you another way, you’ll need a developer to produce an app for each device. And if you want to update the mobile app you’ll again need to work with a developer to do so.

The Takeaway

The Idea	Mobile App	Web App
The Basics	Produced for a specific task (Angry Birds).	Smaller version of your website (CNN Mobile).
Your Audience	Reaching the masses.	Targeted/Niche audience.
User Experience	Specific Task (Games, entertainment, device utilities….)	Delivering content including services and information.
Start-up, ROI	Easy to activate within popular CMS platforms. Not expensive to maintain overtime.	Each mobile device needs to have its own mobile app. Can be expensive to change app over time.