What to choose — Mobile App vs. Responsive Website?
RESTAURANT BUSINESS:
What to choose — Mobile App vs. Responsive Website?
“Mobile App” and “Mobile-Responsive-Website” coexist and look very similar. However, both differ in the target audience, budget, and features.
How best to decide between Mobile App and a Website?
This study would help you make the best option for your business.
Mobile App and Responsive-Website Design:
Mobile App, as well as Websites both, can be accessed through smartphones and tablets. Research suggests that 70% of smartphone users access and or browse websites. Moreover, Mobile Website is like another Website, specially designed for a smaller display and touch-screen interface.
Designers could scale the look and feel of the responsive website to any device size ranging from desktops to smartphones. Responsive websites display data, images, and video similarly to the other websites.
While on the other hand, a “Mobile App” is a software application made specifically for smartphones, tablets, and smartwatches.
One could download an App from “App Stores” and install it on one’s smartphone of choice. In addition, apps let their end-users access various internal device-specific features that are not available to the web applications and websites.
One could download the App once using the internet and afterward utilize the App independent of Internet connectivity.
Which one is better?
Mobile presence is a necessity for a new business. The primary
step of a mobile marketing strategy has a mobile website. A mobile app would complement the responsive website or web presence.
The App helps users carry out specific tasks with ease compared to the website. Therefore, young generations and or youngsters do prefer Mobile apps over websites.
Cost-Effectiveness:
Creating a mobile App would initially cost you more than a traditional website. In contrast, you may need to create two separate apps, one for an Android customer base and the other for the iOS (Apple) platform, respectively.
If you have a limited budget, then having a traditional website launched first could be the first choice. However, having a dedicated web-hosting is very costly.
User Interface:
Websites have a static and navigational interface, whereas mobile apps offer an intuitive and interactive user interface. Therefore, the App would provide a better user experience to your customer base than a traditional website.
Who is your Target Audience?
It is of utmost necessity for a business owner to understand the needs and preferences of your target audience and or customer base.
Business first needs to figure out the stereotypes and or generation of customers and the demography of its target audience and or customer base.
Do your customer base spend more time on websites using computers or spend more time using their smartphones?
If a business has most of its customer base, it will spend more time on its smartphones. Therefore, having a Restaurant Mobile App is a good move forward for a better customer experience and interaction.
Affiliate and Referal Marketing:
The traditional website is better if you promote your restaurant with affiliate marketing or referral marketing.
Accessibility:
App provides access to various internal device-specific features such as phone-contact list, location services, and phone camera, such as access to end-users device data a traditional website could not offer effectively.
Speed:
Nowadays, speed matters as user research suggest that most people get irritated quickly by slow-loading websites. Speed is one of the reasons people prefer mobile apps, as apps are way quicker to function after the initial download. However, one must first download the App and install it. Therefore, providing free WiFi access to the business premises is better.
If users are looking for general information, they may prefer to browse the websites using smartphones. However, the business would need to have the website developed and the App for each mobile platform.
Once downloaded successfully and installed on the smartphone, Apps could function offline. However, at the same time, the website always needs an active internet connection.
Easy to Search:
A mobile website is accessible to search results in the Google search engine because web pages get listed in the search results. The business could direct website visitors from other websites to their mobile app landing page or app download page of the App Store.
The business needs to list their App on a platform Specific App Store. However, one could have an App landing page as a web presence to educate the end-users of its features, use case, and download link.
In addition to an App, having an App landing page is a great choice.
Reach:
Mobile websites give a broader reach than a native App.
Life Pan:
Mobile exists on the business-hosted servers and does not get deleted by end-users. While an App may get deleted by the owner of the smartphone themselves if that App in question is not helpful or not required regularly. Therefore, an In-App user discount credit system works a glue to its user base and converts it into a repeat customer.
Compatibility:
Websites are generally compatible with different mobile devices. However, for native Apps, the business would have two different versions for each type of device-specific platform (Android/iOS).
Upgrade:
Websites are easy to update, edit and, publish on shared or dedicated web servers. At the same time, an App user needs to download and re-install the updated version of the App. In addition, most smartphones can auto-update all the upcoming App-specific updates in the background.
However, these regular updates could also be eliminated by using cloud servers for app-specific data.
Maintenance:
Support and maintenance of an App may cost you slightly more than upgrading websites. However, business website hosting on a fast and reliable web server is very costly. The use of cheaply shared web hosting is counterproductive. App Stores host and promote the App for free.
Security:
Apps always win over websites for security.
Push Notifications:
The business uses Push Notifications for websites as well as for mobile collectively. However, customers and or end-users may only subscribe to the mobile platform. Therefore, mobile/smartphone Push Notifications are the new norms.
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Disclaimer: This article is for educational and informational purposes only. It should not be considered Business, Financial or Legal Advice. Consult a financial professional before making any significant financial decisions, if any.
