The Mobile Conundrum

A mobile presence is as essential for most businesses today as a websites has been for many  years. A good mobile presence will help your business to grow, whilst no website is complete without some level of mobile compatibility.

With the rise of mobile an ongoing trend, the way we utilise this ‘new’ medium is not yet decided and businesses are faced with a dilemma when considering their own mobile presence; should they choose a mobile app, which is downloaded by users and stored on their handsets, or a mobile websites, designed specifically to work and render well on a mobile phone?

Mobile-specific functionality
Mobile users are no longer satisfied with a ‘desktop’ website which renders on their mobile phone; instead, users are looking for mobile-specific functionality within the mobile internet.

That means redesigning and restructuring the site specifically for the mobile audience and understanding not only that their devices differ but also that their intent can differ too. Understanding how your content can meet their needs and provide the mobile user something of value is the key to creating a mobile optimised site that really works.

Often, the optimisation process will primarily consist of content maintenance; reducing the amount of content on your site and restructuring it to be more accessible to the user. It will require you to amend your navigation to work on the small screen and therefore to organise your content accordingly.

However, it is also important to consider the touchscreen capability of your mobile site; how does the touchscreen work and are your buttons big enough to accommodate even the biggest or least accurate finger? How will the pinch-and-zoom function cope? And will your website recognise the different handsets and resize itself accordingly?

Generally speaking, a mobile website is cheaper to produce and maintain than a mobile app. This is because, unlike an app, mobile websites will work on any platform, anywhere in the world that has internet access. When based on an existing website, your mobile site becomes a simple restructuring of current assets and can be handled by the majority of web developers worth their salt.

Mobile websites have the added advantage of being free from the technical constraints of apps too, where maintaining them becomes an issue due to the sign offs and support required. Instead, mobile websites can continue to be maintained by the original development company independent of the app stores.

What your mobile optimised site will not offer, however, is the customisable and targeted experience of a mobile app…

All about apps
Apps continue to grow in popularity. You need only glance at the likes of Apple’s App Store or Google’s Android Market to see the many thousands of apps which currently exist for our leisure/business purposes. Because of their growing popularity, apps cannot be ignored. So why is the app such a popular medium for mobile users?

The main benefit for the user is that, because an app is downloaded rather than streamed online, access time can be much faster and the chance of crashing or pausing is reduced.

App v Web infographic - click to enlarge

Apps can also provide a personalised experience for the user, allowing far more customisation than a website, and giving you the freedom to create something brand-specific for your audience. The robust nature of the platform lends itself to practical applications, so can become something genuinely useful that people will want to download and share.

However, apps take time and money to make them work. Producing even the initial idea will require user research to ensure you’re making something people want, whilst the architecture and design of the app can’t just come from your website. The experience your user has on your app has to be tailored to that platform, because the way people use them differs depending on their need. The content of your app must also be valuable enough to your audience to justify the cost of implementation.

Decision time
In summary then, the choice between mobile website and mobile app is very much down to the individual business. Many businesses will probably conclude that they need both, but here are a few questions to ask yourself to help you decide:

• What content do I have available?
• What value does that content provide to my audience and how could it appeal to them on their mobile?
• How active is my audience on the mobile internet?
• How restricted is my budget?

Laura Hampton is head of content engagement at user experience agency, Zabisco