Mobile websites can be developed and presented as native apps on mobile devices by using mobile JavaScript frameworks such as Sencha, jQuery mobile and others. We also build mobile websites using the Responsive web design (RWD) approach where the web pages are crafted to provide an optimal viewing experience including easy reading and navigation based on mobile screen size and resolution (Refer to Web Development section for info about RWD).
Mobile Apps vs. Mobile Web
Apps can be run strictly on a phone they are designed for. Mobile websites can be run on any device with a web browser. If you are interested in reaching a niche market represented by use of particular devices and operating systems, a mobile app is a sure choice. If you are interested in mass market, you have mobile websites at your service. We at Majestic Solutions Co. help our customers in deciding what suits them and how to reach their consumers.
Mobile apps can provide broader functionality, working seamlessly with native applications in a complex way, and do not necessarily require Internet connection. Apps are a preferable choice for utilities and games.
Mobile web application development is a better choice for delivering content and shopping functions, since content can be easily accessed by search engines. It is easier to drive advertising traffic to a mobile landing page than to drive traffic to an app store to complete a download before visitors are able to interact with your content. These advantages make developing mobile web a popular solution.
Choose from these two options or apply them simultaneously. Your choice will be supported by our web mobile development. Look through the advantages of these two kinds of development against each other:
Advantages of a Mobile Website
A mobile website is instantly accessible to users via a browser across a range of devices (iPhone, Android, BlackBerry, etc). Apps on the other hand require the user to first download and install the app from an app marketplace before the content or application can be viewed – a significant barrier between initial engagement and action/conversion.
A single mobile website can reach users across many different types of mobile devices, whereas native apps require a separate version to be developed for each type of device. Furthermore, mobile website URLs are easily integrated within other mobile technologies such as SMS, QR Codes and near field communication (NFC).
A mobile website is much more dynamic than an app in terms of pure flexibility to update content. If you want to change the design or content of a mobile website you simply publish the edit once and the changes are immediately visible; updating an app on the other hand requires the updates to be pushed to users, which then must be downloaded in order to update the app on each type of device.
Mobile websites are much easier for users to find because their pages can be displayed in search results and listed in industry-specific directories, making it easy for qualified visitors to find you. Most importantly, visitors to your regular website can be automatically sent to your mobile site when they are on a handheld (using device-detection). In contrast, the visibility of apps are largely restricted to manufacturer app stores.
Mobile website URLs are easily shared between users via a simple link (e.g. within an email or text message, Facebook or Twitter post). Publishers can easily direct users to a mobile website from a blog or website, or even in print. An app simply cannot be shared in this fashion.
Because a mobile website is accessible across platforms and can be easily shared among users, as well as search engines, it has far greater reach capability than a native app.
The average shelf-life of an app is pretty short, less than 30 days according to some research, so unless your app is something truly unique and/or useful (ideally, both), it’s questionable how long it will last on a user’s device. Mobile websites on the other hand are always available for users to return to them.
Just like a standard website, mobile websites can be developed as database-driven web applications that act very much like native apps. A mobile web application can be a practical alternative to native app development.
The investment considerations of app vs website don’t end with the initial launch; properly supporting and developing an app (upgrades, testing, compatibility issues and ongoing development) is more much more expensive and involved than supporting a website over time.
Last but certainly not least, mobile website development is considerably more time and cost-effective than development of a native app, especially if you need to have a presence on different platforms (requiring development of multiple apps).
So, what approach should I choose?
Based on your requirements and goals, again Majestic Solutions Co. will guide you on choosing from these two options or combining them both. Whatever your choice will be, you will be supported by our web mobile development team.
