Mobile Site versus Mobile App:  Which is best for your Business?

The big headline from Microsoft Tag's Mobile Marketing Infographic notes that by 2014, mobile Internet is set to overtake fixed Internet access. With the rise of smartphone use, businesses are needing to evaluate when and how to have a mobile presence so that potential customers trying to learn about the company while on a mobile device can have a quality experience. 

A key question for those considering a mobile solution is whether to go with a mobile website or a mobile application that would be downloaded and used on a smartphone. Each type of solution can look quite similar but there are key differences to take into consideration for a business moving into the mobile arena.

What's the Difference Between a Mobile Website and an App?

A mobile website is similar to any other website in that it consists of browser-based web pages that are accessed over the Internet, typically by Wi-Fi, 3G or 4G networks at a URL location such as http://m.da-lite.com. The characteristic that distinguishes a mobile website from a standard website is the fact that it is designed for the much smaller phone display and touch-screen interface.  With a mobile website, any mobile phone user with a browser can go to a specific web URL and see the mobile site.

An app, on the other hand, is an actual software application downloaded from online stores such as Apple's iTunes app store, Google play for Android phone apps, or Blackberry's App World.  Like a mobile website, an app can display text, images, and video.  Since it is not limited to being used in a browser, it can offer even more interactive features.  An app also offers additional features such as being able to be accessed while offline and it can use the features of the phone itself such as geo-location, the phone camera, and push notifications.  This gives a app power to offer more tools.  On the flip side, the app must meet the requirements of each of the stores noted to be accessible in that marketplace and there can be costs involved in the submission and approval process, as well as the fact that it is only accessible by those that download it.

So, as can be seen there are pro's, con's, and differences of each.  Mobile sites, since it is not necessary to download them, have higher volume of use and views of their pages.  However, for time spent using per person, mobile apps nearly always win.

So what's right for your Business?

There's no one answer that fits every business.  It depends on your goals, needs, and audience. If your mobile solution needs the following, here's the best fit for each item:

Both mobile sites and apps continue to grow in demand. 

While each option has its merits, the direction your business should go comes down to identifying what functions the intended users must have access to for your business to accomplish the goals desired. If your aim is to be informative and establish a broad mobile presence that can be easily shared and found on search engines, then the a mobile website is the logical choice. On the other hand, if your goal is interactive engagement with users, or to provide an experience that is more customized, then an app is probably going to be the best fit.

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Mike Gingerich leads the Social App division at Goshen web design firm Digital Hill.  He is a co-founder of TabSite.com, a industry leader in Facebook Page management software.  TabSite offers businesses the power to increase Facebook Marketing via easy-to-use tools to offer coupons, deals, and other promotions on Facebook.  

Press Release

Digital Hill Multimedia is pleased to announce the release of a Mobile Website for Da-Lite Screen Company.  Da-Lite is one of the global leaders in the projection screen industry.  View the mobile site on your phone by going to www.Da-Lite.com.  The site will detect your mobile phone browser and automatically display the mobile version of the site.

The Da-Lite Mobile website is intended to offer customers and dealers the ability to easily have all important product information and product documents accessible while on the go, via a mobile phone. With smart phones continuing to take a greater share of the Internet use market, Da-Lite decided to adapt early to this growing trend and offer a complete mobile version of their corporate website.

The mobile version allows iPhone, Blackberry, and other cell / mobile phone users with internet browsing capability to view all products and information Da-Lite has to offer, as well as find key contacts, use the instant chat feature, view tutorial videos (via YouTube) and  more!  Another key feature of the mobile site is that Da-Lite continues to manage their website content in one area, and Digital Hill has programmed the mobile version to automatically update and format new information for the mobile pulling automatically from the main corporate website.  So there is no added work for the Da-Lite website marketing team, just more ways that users can view their site and information!  With over 28% of mobile phone users accessing the Internet on their phones daily, this increasing trend is something companies must be aware of!

Da-Lite has been designing, manufacturing and marketing the most comprehensive line of projection screens in the world for over 100 years. You can visit the site by going to www.Da-Lite.com on your smart phone.

Don't miss out on the growing mobile market!  Contact Digital Hill today and find out how we can create a mobile version of your website. 

Digital Hill has been delivering innovative website, Ecommerce, Social Media, App Development and Web Marketing solutions in Northern Indiana and throughout the country for over 13 years. They are the creators of Facebook TabSite, a new innovative Fan Page tool enabling any company to easily customize their Facebook Page.