Mobile audiences can account for a significant portion of your traffic and sales. Your company leaders might decide to make it easier for people to access your webpage through a wide variety of mobile platforms. However, it can be difficult to know where to start. Before you decide whether to offer a mobile app or website, you’ll need to thoroughly understand several factors: your consumer base, the frequency of their mobile usage, how your customers spend their money, and the types of features your business wants to give mobile users. These considerations will help your organization craft mobile content that is both relevant and useful to your audience.
Usage Frequency
How often will mobile users need to access your company’s mobile resources? Some companies invest thousands of dollars in a mobile app, only to have extremely low retention rates once their app appears on the market. In fact, a quarter of mobile apps are used just once before they are deleted from a mobile device, according to statistics collected by Localytics. Will your consumer base need to access your mobile resources multiple times a week or month? If so, then an app might be the way to go. However, if they only need to access your content occasionally, then your organization should examine a mobile site.
Spending Styles
Do most of your sales come from compulsive spending? Companies that rely on flash sales and regular promotional campaigns can benefit greatly from mobile apps. Once a mobile shopper downloads your company app and enables push notifications, then you can send alerts directly to their phones and tablets regarding new sales and services. App notifications can be more intimate than an email, appearing immediately on users’ screens. However, if your business relies on a loyal, long-term customer base with few flash sales, then a mobile website will likely fit their needs.
Functionality
Mobile website can generally accomplish many of features that traditional full websites provides. However, mobile apps are better suited to multimedia and interactivity. Since users download apps directly to their devices, your company can provide users high quality graphics or games that would normally take a long time to load on a mobile website.
It can be very difficult to choose between a mobile app or website for your company. Discussing your mobile goals with mobile optimization specialists can help your company identify key needs. Be sure to weigh these user considerations before investing in either solution.
Originally posted on July 15, 2014 @ 7:58 pm
