Many companies today are wondering the same question: Do they need a mobile app or will a mobile optimized website suffice? It is no surprise that today more than 80% of internet users own a smartphone. But does that mean your company needs a mobile app on a smart phone to be successful? Let’s find out.
If your current website is not mobile friendly, it needs to be. The amount of internet users on a mobile device are only growing. How do you determine if your website is mobile responsive? Google solved that problem – just enter the website into the Google Mobile-Friendly Test.
Are consumers able to navigate through the mobile website with ease? If your audience is having trouble navigating through your mobile website chances are they will leave your site and go to a competitor who has a more efficient website or mobile app. Can you imagine trying to order a pizza on your smartphone with a standard website? (Shown below.) It would be very frustrating and ineffective, compared to the mobile site that gives the consumers an easy prompt to find exactly what they are looking for.
When a user makes a search on Google from a mobile device, Google may actually remove your site from being found in the search results if it is not mobile optimized. According to an official Google statement, between 51%-60% of search queries globally now come from mobile devices. (August 2016)
So far we know that in 2016 we need a mobile responsive website to say the least. However, this still doesn’t answer the question whether you need a mobile app or not. Not many people know that there is an option to save a website to the home screen of their device. Yet, more users are likely to engage with a mobile app, rather than opening up one app just to be transferred to another. Not to our surprise, but U.S consumers now spend more time browsing their apps than they do watching TV, according to Apple CEO Tim Cook. We know that consumers love their smartphones and apps, but what is in it for you?
Here are a few pros of having a mobile app for your business:
· Increased engagement with your customers
· Access to GPS
· Recording and streaming videos
· Boost repeat customer visits
· Permit a wide variety of online transactions
· Include the positioning of loyalty cards
· Push promotions or notifications
· Help build brand recognition by providing a visual design
A key feature of a mobile app is the performance of the app overall. A mobile app is specifically designed to be on a mobile device screen, which results in better visuals and faster response time. Not to mention, many apps run successfully without the use of the internet. The app can collect the data that you enter into it and will upload to the server once it reaches internet access.
When choosing to create an app you also need to consider how quickly you can make changes and updates when needed. It is relatively easy to update a website and your users will see those changes instantly. An app however will require an update with the permission of the user. Studies show that when an app encounters a bug customers are 40 times more likely to abandon the app. So yes, it does take time and effort to create a successful app, but it may be well worth it for your company.
There are many different questions to ask and things to consider before you decide that your company needs a mobile app. Nimblesoft is here to help you make that decision. If you think that a mobile app, or even just a mobile friendly website is crucial for your business, look no further.
Feel free to personally contact me at [email protected] with any web design or mobile application questions you may have.