Many business owners struggle with whether they should design a responsive website that works across devices or focus on building a native mobile app. It’s a tricky thing since both options present pros and cons that must be considered when moving forward. The answer can really vary depending on the type of products being sold and the audience for the products. So to find what solution is the best for your business, ask yourself 10 simple questions to be sure.
1. Are you into easy access?
Responsive is the answer if you want to reach all users across multiple platforms and devices and to get your product in people’s hands faster. In addition, if your business will later require an app, website’ statistics will indicate what platforms are the most popular for your clients. Then you may focus on particular operating systems instead of guessing and spending a ton.
2. Would you use all smartphone functionality?
Apps employ amazing mobile-specific features such as GPS, NFC, galleries, contacts and more. Therefore, if you plan to equip your clients with awesome functionality and unique content, mobile app will serve you right.
3. Is SEO necessary to your business?
Choose a responsive website if your marketing strategy includes driving more traffic to site and still enjoying all assets of your desktop web SEO on mobile platforms.
4. Is it all about user’s personality?
Mobile app is great when you need to explore the preferences of each user. Application provides you with plenty of ways to watch over user’s choices, his favorite features and overall in-app behavior.
What is even better – client will remember you. As soon as the app is tied to a user’s device, its unique icon keeps remind about all awesome features your product has.
5. What’s your budget math?
Responsive website is certainly less pricy because it usually requires fewer resources to develop and bring your product to market. It’s a quicker solution which needs single code base to work across all platforms.
6. How complex is your design and UI?
Responsive website surely can provide customized UX, but with higher level of complexity, it may fail to achieve your goals. Mobile apps go with as native UI as possible, and it indeed delivers the most tailored user experience.
7. Is timing crucial for you?
Online stores usually ask publishers to follow certain guidelines, so the approval process may take a long way from one week to several months. If you don’t have the luxury to wait up in the air, you should consider responsive website.
8. What’s your monetizing strategy?
App is better way for simple and natural micro-payments for your product. Of course, shopping cart on website can provide this either, but in-apps are organically included into all the rest of user’s UX on the platform.
9. Do you plan frequent updates?
Remember long exhausting approval process? Native app can make updates rather troublesome, because each one needs to pass same approval. Responsivewebsite, on the other hand, may be the easiest way to ensure frequent updates and user’s access to most recent versions of your product.
10. Sending&receiving tons of data?
Responsive website a priori requires internet connection to deliver your wonderful goodies. And apps can work without user being always online, making all your content available 24/7 in one tap. Moreover, a skilled and handy coder can also ensure fast and smooth loading of your product!
So to decide on best solution for your business, just consider your marketing goals.
Of course, you may choose to have both – a responsive website for frequent updates and basic features and a mobile app for refined UX and flawless performance.
In the end, it all depends on three main keystones:
Just remember, the best solution is one that works for your user!
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