Earlier the rivalry happened only between businesses/companies but today; we have too many options of the same thing that internal competition is also getting fierce. Like for example; native apps vs hybrid apps, which eCommerce platforms are the best? Or which framework to choose? And the most confusing one which we are going to discuss today is – Mobile App vs Website.
The Growth of Smartphone
We are living in a mobile era. Apart from the three basic necessities – air, water, and food, the fourth has added up now, and that is smartphones. Can you imagine life without it? Pretty difficult right?
The fever of smartphones has been spreading more than the coronavirus for a few years. Every family, be it big or small; own a smartphone, in fact, almost every member of the family owns one. Therefore, with mobile usage increasing exponentially; it is becoming a dilemma for retailers getting online presence as to whether to create a mobile app or website for their business or perhaps both.
Mobile App? Mobile Website? What is the Difference?
One of the biggest misunderstandings is that mobile apps and mobile websites are one and the same. They may look very similar at first glance but are not. Both are indeed accessed on handheld devices such as smartphones (e.g., iPhone, Android and Blackberry) and tablets but, a mobile website is just like another website that consists of browser-based HTML pages that are linked together and accessed over the Internet (for mobile typically WiFi or 3G or 4G networks), and is designed for the smaller handheld display and touch-screen interface.
On the other hand, mobile apps are applications that are required to be downloaded and installed on a mobile device, rather than being rendered within a browser. The app functions either by pulling content and data from the Internet or it may download the content so that it can be accessed without an Internet connection.
Now, although the selection between two depends on various factors like your business goals, budget, target audience, intended purpose and required features etc., let’s see why mobile apps are far better and convenient than mobile websites. According to recent market research, over 60% of users prefer mobile apps over websites to purchase online. Now, if you too are planning to get online but are wondering what to get developed then guess what the current scenario points towards owning an application as far more beneficial than a responsive website. Here’s why.
7 Reasons Why Magento Mobile Apps Make a Better Choice with Websites
Better Customization & Personalization
Mobile is a personal device of every individual; a more customized and personalized approach can be given based on the location, usage behaviour, interest of the user and more. As the location of the devices can be tracked using magento mobile apps, it becomes easy to understand the preferences of the user and thus required recommendations can be given to them thereby, enhancing the business potential. The users use their mobiles for accessing their social media platforms, and Google search all the time that will help you understand their personalised interest and thus more customers can be attracted.
Push Notifications
The best feature that any Magento mobile app offers is the facility of sending push notifications or in-app notifications to their users directly. In-App notifications are received when a user opens an application on their device while push notifications are received on devices regardless if a user opens an app or not. Basically, it is the update and promotional notifications that pop up on your device every now and then which disappears once opened. These notifications help the brand to stay updated as the trends change and catch customers well in advance by showing your updates in the form of notifications and thereby prompting users to take action. Hence, push notification has become the integral part in mobile commerce development.
Offline Advantage
Magento mobile apps are always convenient to use as it is available anywhere at any time. Also, they can be accessed even when there is no internet connection. Ability to work offline is what makes a mobile application far more desirable than a mobile website. Although apps need an active internet connection to perform critical tasks like checkout and payments, they still offer basic content and functionality to users even in offline mode. And that’s what makes all the difference.
Speedy & User Friendly
In today’s 5G generation; speed matters a lot. People are running busy schedules, and anything having downtime becomes a hassle. Magento mobile apps store the data locally on the phones, and they don’t have to pull out data from large servers; as a result, they give much faster access compared to mobile websites. Thus, the fast-loading and better browsing experience that one can get from mobile apps are greater than mobile websites which retailers can take advantage of to increase their sales.
Brand Presence
The most important part of any business is to be identified by their brands. Even when a user isn’t using the app, he/she must be still reminded of the brand associated with the app. The icon of the app acts as a form of brand advertisement which influences the user’s perception about the label subconsciously. The websites that rely on browsers to support functions are designed in a certain way but, mobile applications can be designed to support the ease of use where swipe gestures like a drag, pinch, hold, tap, double-tap and more make them even more advantageous.
If you’re willing to experiment with branding, then there’s nothing better than a mobile app. You can virtually change how your app appears along with colours and layout whenever you want with version upgrades and uniform it according to your vision and what users want.
Easier Communication
Magento mobile apps offer a very user-friendly interface that allows users to experience two-way immersive experience that is pretty hard to get on a mobile website. Various functionalities like chatbots, customer support calls etc. can be implemented on mobile apps that will make communication between you and customers easier, smoother and faster.
Magento mobile apps have an added advantage where you can code an app into utilizing various features of the mobile device as well so that once the app is downloaded, the customers can use features like the camera that can scan PDFs, QR and barcodes etc. for payments, GPS to connect with maps and other services, and compass that can be utilized for thousands of different purposes. Thus, communication via mobile apps is a much convenient option as compared to the website.
More Usability
On average, a user spends almost half of the day on their device’s installed apps. The convenience of browsing, shopping, paying, all is much better via mobile apps than mobile websites. Therefore, if you’re looking to increase conversions, Magento mobile apps can be a great medium to push users down the conversion funnel. The latest trends show that COVID-19 has pushed up mobile usage by 50%. With more people working from home and maintaining social distancing, they have started depending upon their mobile devices for their daily needs.
Wrapping up
As said before, although the decision between two depends on various factors; since Magento mobile use continues to grow worldwide, you will have to offer something that serves customers well and quickly. So, be it a mobile app or mobile website you are planning to develop, make sure you pick a seasoned magento mobile app builder who can crack both professionally.