The mobile apps may power the mobile ecosystem today but It will be foolish to write off mobile websites. They are still very relevant.
There are seven reasons why smart publishers and marketers should continue to invest in them.
# 1. Immediacy
Mobile websites can be accessed instantly. All that you need to do is to enter the web address, and press submit. The home page of the website will download on your mobile screen, and you can start browsing. In contrast, a mobile app has to be downloaded before you can access or browse content.
# 2. Compatibility
Mobile websites can be accessed across operating systems. You don’t have to worry whether a website will work on iOS or Android phones. This is not true of mobile apps. You have to download a version that is compatible with your operating system.
# 3. Updation
You can change the design of mobile websites, colour schemes, navigation etc without disturbing the user. But a user has to download the new version of mobile app every time it is updated. This can be a time consuming and annoying process. Often, the users miss the notification regarding updation, and continue using the old version.
# 4. Ease of finding
You can use search engines like Google or Bing to locate mobile websites by using generic or specific keywords. You can’t do so in the case of mobile apps. You have to visit the app store and use the search within the store.
# 5. Reach
The mobile websites, because they work across platforms, enjoy a much wider reach. You can access the website whether you use Chrome, Mozilla or Safari on your mobile phone. This is not so in the case of mobile aps. They can be accessed only on those operating systems for which they have been designed. This sharply limits their reach.
# 6. Lifecycle
Mobile websites are permanent. They can be deleted only by the publishers who have created them. Phone users can stop visiting websites but they can’t delete them. In contrast, the mobile app can be deleted from mobile phones in an instant, ending all engagement with publishers or marketers who have created the apps.
# 7. Development Time and Costs
It costs more to develop mobile apps than mobile websites. Also, it is cheaper to bring about changes in mobile websites than in mobile apps. Time is another constraint. Mobile apps take relatively more time to develop than websites.
Read also: All that you need to know about push notifications
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