Ten years ago there were 3 million websites and 569 million people online; today there are 555 million websites and 2.27 billion people have internet access. Back then some businesses may have considered investing in a website to be a luxury or novelty. Nowadays businesses can barely survive without a web presence and are beginning to adapt to the mobile web too.
Mobile internet usage is set to overtake fixed internet access by 2013 according to comScore. The phenomenon is particularly prevalent in the UK; according to a new report by Ofcom, Britain’s love of the latest gadgets and devices has seen the UK overtake Japan in mobile internet use. With 4G becoming widely available and operators installing Wi-Fi hotspots everywhere, consumers are beginning to enjoy truly instant access to the internet wherever they are. Given these changes, it seems we’re finally approaching an answer to the question “mobile sites vs apps: which one do I need for my business?” and we believe, for most purposes, mobile sites are coming out on top.
Currently, however, mobile apps are still seen as the method of choice for businesses to go mobile. Moreover, users typically spend more time on mobile apps than they do on websites and, since content is pre-downloaded or updated when an internet connection is available, content on apps can be used at any time. Altogether, at first glance it seems apps provide an impenetrable business case. They look great, everyone is talking about them and everyone is downloading them.
However, when considering going mobile, businesses need to think about their business needs, not current trends. Businesses also have to recognise that if they want to commit to an app-based mobile approach, they either have to dedicate themselves to one operating platform, or increase their investment to cater to multiple platforms.
To diffuse this hype we’ve summarised the advantages that mobile sites pose. Firstly, they’re viewable on any mobile device and typically cost far less to develop. Unlike apps which may need recertification on their affiliated app store, mobile sites can be easily and freely updated once set up. Additionally, rather than downloading an app, accessing a mobile site is less of a drain on data and doesn’t clutter up your smartphone. Apps essentially create a walled garden; by developing a mobile site instead, businesses can naturally extend their online presence to the 1.08 billion who have a smartphone.
For many mobile internet users, search engines leading to websites, in the first instance, are the first port of call when searching for a company, whether they are looking to download an app, or simply visit a website. Research from the IAB finds that 40% of the top 100 UK brands now have a website optimised for mobile. What’s more, users visiting mobile optimised websites spend on average two minutes longer than those users on websites not optimised for mobile. These findings are not surprising really, first impressions and ensuring a good user experience are vital in keeping the attention of the customer. Having a professional-looking mobile website makes a business look more credible and attractive, which is in turn likely to spur trust in potential customers looking for a reliable company to spend their hard-earned money with.
While it might be easy to think that only the bigger brands of this world are able to have high-end websites and mobile optimised versions, SMEs can actually just as easily rise to the benchmark. There are now tools and support available to enable businesses of any size to get started, no matter what their budget or level of expertise in this area. These tools can help businesses create fully optimised websites across all mobile platforms by providing customised templates, while also allowing businesses to add media-rich content such as videos and images to make the experience as interactive and engaging as possible. Following a step-by-step guide, SMEs can get their mobile sites up and running within hours. Having this capability will give businesses more opportunities to engage with customers – from communicating a professional image to encouraging an impulse purchase.
Creating an app of a high enough quality to actually be recognised by consumers in app stores is often going to be far too expensive for most businesses. What most organisations need is to be as available online via mobile as they are via desktop. Businesses must be reachable by consumers, whether for information or to make a purchase, and mobile makes this instant.
