Businesses looking to expand and evolve their mobile marketing campaign may wonder whether their budget is better directed into development of a mobile website or a mobile app. While apps are offered by many large brands and offer a rich and interactive experience for the user, they are not always the better option over websites. If you lack extensive programming know-how and are trying to keep your marketing campaign on a budget, you may need to consider the relative benefits of each in making a choice.
If you want to reach the widest possible audience, a website will be more successful than an application. Apps are typically device-specific, meaning you would need to hire a programmer to develop a separate app for each brand of smart phone out there if you want it to be useable by all smart phone owners. Websites on the other hand, reach every mobile user and don’t require any special downloads to access. Websites, therefore, are usually cheaper to create and you may even be able to do it yourself.
Websites also typically cost less to maintain because, unlike apps, they usually do not need to be updated every time a device is updated and do not need to change with each generation of smart phone. And if the site is specifically customized for mobile usage, it may be able to offer user experience that rivals that of some apps.
Experts estimate that a mobile website can reach at least 90% of smart phone users, whereas an app will likely reach only about 40%. If your company is still building its mobile campaign, mobile marketing wisdom suggests that you begin with a website and consider developing an app later according to traffic, consumer reception, and demand.
