Should you develop a website or an app?

Responsive website development or app development? To make your offer visible on your target audience’s smartphones, there are 2 very different solutions: create a responsive website or a mobile application. Very simply, the responsive site is a site whose appearance adapts to the screen resolutions of smartphones. The mobile or “native” app must be downloaded from a store (Google Play for Android smartphones, and iTunes for iPhones and iPads). And launched like any other application on the smartphone.

The cost of developing the 2 solutions is often high so it is essential to ask the right questions before investing!

Choosing a mobile app or a responsive website development

In the meantime, here is a small overview of the advantages and disadvantages of each solution:

Creating a mobile-friendly website

• Advantages: it is less expensive because it is a fairly standard web development now
• Disadvantages: you must be connected to the Internet to view it. You cannot use the wonderful features of the smartphone such as notifications, geolocation, camera, etc., the web browser on the mobile does not necessarily provide a great reading comfort (difficulties in typing a URL or a long message, very long scrolling, etc.).

Creating an Android and / or Apple mobile application

• Advantages: Inevitably, the mobile app is completely adapted to mobile uses. Simple and attractive screens. Easy access to functionalities such as calling the contact number immediately. Also, sharing in your contact list, receiving a notification, etc. In addition, you can use the app without being connected to the Internet. Well, … as long as you don’t want to buy online of course. Finally, the mobile app will become formidable in terms of real-time webmarketing with real time notifications. Which, for example, can send a promo notification to a mobile user passing by your store!

According to recent statistics, consumers are using mobile devices for up to 70% of online purchases.

• Disadvantages: the cost, first of all. Developing a mobile app is expensive. But even more important: its launch will be only the first step! You will have (as with a site) to make a lot of marketing effort to convince mobile users to download it (advertising campaigns, contests, etc.). In addition, smartphone users rarely keep more than 15 apps permanently. So unless your app is essential and provides a real important advantage, it will not make it till the top 15.

Ask your questions ! Talk about your projects, Swiss Tomato digital agency in Geneva will listen to you and will be happy to listen to your ideas.

Send us your messages via email or via our contact form. We cannot wait to sit down with you for a tomato juice.