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1/08/2016 - Posted by Emily Healey
If you’re trying to work out the right online medium for your business there is a lot to consider. With so many businesses getting in on the app game it is certainly worth considering, especially if it’s something your direct competition is using, but there is a lot to be said for a well designed website. To help you decide we’ve put together an overview of the benefits of both websites and apps and broken down exactly what the difference is. As with most things, what’s right for your business will depend on the business itself as well as the time, money and energy you have at your disposal.
One of the biggest differences between websites and apps is functionality. This is also usually the deciding factor in which you should use, if you have the resources to do so. Generally speaking, a company’s website would be geared towards sharing information whilst apps are more focused on interactivity. If you want a place for your customers or clients to go to when looking for your business a website is a great choice. But if there is a particular task, experience or tool at the centre of your idea, an app may be more useful.
To give you a better idea of when a website may be all you need, you need to look at its benefits over apps. First of all, a website is accessible to a huge, global audience and has very few restrictions. With a simple search people will have direct access to your website with no need to download anything else in order get to it. If you are sharing a lot of information it can be easier to navigate and read on a website than an app. It is also a lot cheaper and simpler to create a basic website than to develop your first app. Finally, if one of your customer’s likes what they see, it’s very easy for them to quickly share your website with a friend or even their entire social network.
Don’t write-off apps too quickly though, not all of their popularity is simply due to being the new kid on the block. Purpose built apps can have enormous benefits to your business if used properly and developed well. For example, if you want to interact with your customer base using their geolocation, by sending them updates straight to their phone, or by getting them to take and share photos with your products or services, an app can do that. As an added bonus, apps can be a great way to give your customers offline access to information they’d usually go online for. All they need to do is download the app and keep it.
There’s a lot to think about when choosing whether your business needs an app or a website and you may find that you could benefit from both. The most important thing is for you to seriously consider the choice and utilise the features of your chosen medium. Whether you go down the tried and true path of building a great website with all the information your customers need, or you develop a game-changing app that brings your clients closer to you, the right decision is the one suited to your business and the customers you want to reach.
