MobileWeb Usage Statistics.
- A
sale coming from mobile phones on eBay comes every 2 seconds.
- Smartphone
sales have become bigger than PC sales.
- Tablet
sales are expected to exceed 100 million by the end of the year.
- 28%
of Internet usage comes from a mobile phone.
- 86%
of adults own a cellphone and 53% use it to access the Internet.
When
to use a Mobile Website.
As mobile websites were strategically designed for
smartphones and not desktop PCs, they have been made efficient to show only the
most relevant information compared to the full web version. Thus, they are
mainly the effective choice if Analytics show that majority of the visits come
from mobile devices.
When
to use Mobile Apps.
Since mobile applications are stand-alone software aimed for
a specific purpose, they normally direct the people to their own compact form
of a browser for additional details. The apps then get the content from its
server so that the downloader can retrieve it anytime. They are the best option
if the target audience uses a tool regularly (like Evernote).
Here are ten (10) more factors that illustrate how they
differ from each other.
1.
Ease
of Access
·
Mobile
site: may be accessed only when online
·
Mobile
apps: may be accessed even when offline
2.
Availability
of Content
·
Mobile
site: instantly available since content may be viewed via browser
·
Mobile
apps: available only after apps has been downloaded from the marketplace
and installed on the gadget
3.
Ability
to be searchable
·
Mobile
site: easier to find because search engines have a distinct mobile
search index similar to web’s
·
Mobile
apps: harder to find as it all depends if the apps exists on the
app store of manufacturer
4.
Ability
to be shareable
·
Mobile
site: easy to share, it takes only one click. It’s like sharing a
regular web link, only it’s done on mobile
·
Mobile
app: harder to share as the person either has to go to the
marketplace first or download another app to enable sharing
5.
Compatibility
·
Mobile
site: compatible to all device types – smartphones, tablets
·
Mobile
apps: solely depends on the device. There are apps that might
work on Apple but wouldn’t work on Android or Blackberry
6.
Integration
Feature.
·
Mobile
site: can integrate with existing technologies such as QR codes
or SMS
·
Mobile
apps: can integrate in terms of built-in features like camera or
processing power
7.
Administrative
User Control and Permission
·
Mobile
site: the user has no authorization to the site except to “Read”.
Complete control goes to the webmaster
·
Mobile
apps: the user has the absolute authority to do anything he likes
with the app. He can run it, retain or opt to delete it. He has “Read, Write
and Execute” permission.
8.
Update
and Maintenance
·
Mobile
site: easy to update and maintain on the developers end. If the
site is local and the layout needs to be changed, a web design expert in the Philippines
can effortlessly do the work.
·
Mobile
apps: hard to update and maintain due to its long procedure to do
so. If the app is locally-made, the assigned iOS developer in the Philippines,
will initially perform the update and compatibility debugging. Once tested, he
will upload it along with documentation about the latest revision. The user
will then transfer and install the newest copy on his phone.
9.
Cost
and Affordability
·
Mobile
site: more affordable due to updates and maintenance
·
Mobile
apps: less affordable for the same reason
10. Best suited for:
·
Mobile
site: Ecommerce websites. The simple step-by-step instructions
will guide prospective buyer to a simpler process of purchase
·
Mobile
app: Interactive games