When making the decision between a mobile app and a mobile-optimised website it will largely be determined by the type of business you are and the end goal of your mobile strategy (see my blog post Creating a mobile app strategy for more). There is no right and wrong answer, unfortunately, both apps and mobile sites have their pros and cons and it’s up to you as a business to choose which is the best fit.

I could write page upon page about the positives of both mobile apps and websites, but here are some important ones to consider first off…

Apps

•    Personalisation
Mobile apps provide a great amount of personalisation, if users require an account to access your website or create wishlists etc apps offer a way to remain logged in at all times, saving the frustration of remembering details and typing them in on a tiny screen.

•    Marketing messages (push)
Apps offer a route to advertise to customers in an unprecedented way. Through the use of push notifications, apps are able to send messages directly to a users phone. Offering exclusive discounts or news is a fantastic way to get users who’ve downloaded your app back onto it and using it.

•    Native functionality
Utilising other functions within a phone can be a great addition to an app. Accessing a camera to ‘try’ clothing on for example is an experience unique to an app, but it is also a very simple one. Shareability is vastly easier in an app too, with the ability to email or text content straight to a friend.

•    Offline access
Websites need internet connectivity to be accessed, apps don’t. If you want your content to be available wherever, whenever then an app is no doubt the best option for you. It’s worth considering what, if any, functionality will be lost when offline though. For example an app for an ecommerce website will only be available to browse, not make purchases through and the stock levels will only be correct as of the last time the data was downloaded.

Websites

•    Widest reach
Mobile websites are accessible on any platform. Rather than having to build an iOS app and an Android app AND a Windows app, one mobile optimised website will fit all. A responsively deigned website will ensure that the pages look great regardless of the devices screen size too.

•    Longevity
Mobile websites can’t be deleted. They’re always there and you control if it gets deleted. With an app the user is able to delete it whenever they want to.

•    Easily updated
Websites can be automatically updated and do not require any user involvement. Most mobile sites can be managed from a CMS similar to the one that runs your desktop site, making it an easy transition and ensuring you remain in control of exactly what visitors see and experience.

•    Cost
Perhaps the biggest plus point for mobile sites is their relative cost. With a few simple tweaks most desktop sites can be made mobile-ready. As with all website builds you could spend thousands getting it right, but to get a basic mobile enabled site is much cheaper than building an app.

It’s worth pointing out that more often than not companies who build an app already have a mobile enabled site.  It’s a great stepping-stone and you may find once you’ve adapted your site that there is more demand for a mobile app than previous realised.