Content Marketing

Mobile Apps vs. Mobile Websites [INFOGRAPHIC]

Mobile apps and mobile websites both have their ups and downs, including speed, cost, customer engagement, and time spent on both. For businesses debating which one to develop, there are ways to figure that out depending on the goals.

While apps don’t require internet connections and can access customers’ locations, cameras, and other phone features, mobile websites don’t require downloads, are less expensive, and doesn’t have to go through an approval process, according to an infographic by MDG Advertising.

Proven by data compiled by Flurry Analytics, people are increasingly spending more time on mobile apps, compared to mobile and desktop web usage combined.  In December 2011, users were on apps 94 minutes per day, and on mobile and desktop web for 72 minutes.

To determine what approach is best, marketers should take a look at the last section of the infographic, which explains what people use mobile apps and browsers for. Shoppers on browsers far outweigh those spending on apps (73 percent to 27 percent). Browsers also beat out apps when it comes to entertainment (60 percent to 40 percent).

More than two-thirds use apps to connect, and 61 percent sign onto them to find out information.

As more people go mobile, businesses should continue developing the best technology to serve them. Websites need to be mobile friendly, which means full of images, touchscreen capabilities, and not contain too much text.

GeekWire‘s Neil Patel says that businesses should “consider location as a key to your mobile strategy … and how your content and [the user’s] location can be used to deliver even better products,” which is where an app could come in hand.

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