"To app or not to app- that is the question"
With the growing number of mobile phone users, digital
marketing is taking a massive turnaround from web applications and sites to mobile phones. Anyone seeking to make significant impact on their consumers should
not only target the individual surfing on their laptop, or desktop but to the
more mobile, not so patient consumer who has a smart or feature mobile phone. A mobile strategy is inevitable.
A company's site should work across different platforms with the same clarity, information density and offer the same level of user satisfaction across all platforms. If you are a business owner with a website,
you should make it your duty to know how your site looks like on all kinds of devices and operating systems. Am
sure am speaking for many when I say some mobile sites are way too crappy and less impressive than their desktop versions. They
are either too big, not scalable, have a lot of unnecessary content or the usual nightmare of unnecessary ads.
It should be common sense for an organisation to design their sites with the progressive enhancement approach of 'Mobile-first development'; meaning development starts with mobile functionalities as it gradually builds up additional functionalities to the desktop versions. There are several reasons to back this up: for instance, the number of emerging opportunities courtesy of mobile devices are immense. Mobile allows for explosive growth- in areas such as location based services through inbuilt location detector technologies like Wifi, GPS and cell hour triangulation, that help a user get relevant information about what is close to their current location. Other emerging opportunities that can be supported by smart phones include inbuilt device orientation and acceloremeters that detect change in movement.
The Mobile first approach will force the designer to embrace constraints inherent in mobile design. Some of the major constraints include having to design for small screens and having to deal with below average performance. Unlike desktops, a small screen on either a feature or smart mobile phone will not give the designer an option to beat around the bush with ad banners or irrelevant information but will literally force them to go straight to the point and include only the core functionalities necessary. By knowing your customer needs and requirements, why exactly they would be in need of your mobile app and what they mostly use it for will allow you to make the design and content as simple and straightforward as possible.
Performance is another constraint that will force a mobile app developer to pay key interest to key performance aspects such as limiting the use of CSS grids, minifying JavaScript and CSS files, using lightweight technology as well as ensuring appropriately cached HTTP headers are used in the browser's memory. Ignoring the little hogwash I just did there, I simply mean that you ensure the designed site will deal with the slower connections and longer waits that are associated with mobile phones. Designing for mobile first will therefore ensure that web applications have an even higher performance.
Is there much need to have an application? This debate has been there for the longest time. Some people may not find it an argument anymore because having responsive websites should be s design default in this day and age. Plus with the new HTML5 capabilities, users can easily incorporate and get access to features of a device such as the camera and GPS, no need to develop a whole native app for that. Responsive websites also allow you to develop in short periods and work with a lower, more manageable budget. They also do well when it comes to SEO optimization which will work well for a company seeking to develop a web 'fan base'.
Developing an application is much more expensive than building a responsive or mobile site, and it often will take more time. It is also important that you develop for all the Operating Systems so as to make sure that none of the users are alienated. Applications are however known to provide the best user experience by providing a mobile centric experience that users grow to appreciate. They have a unique functionality and speed but unfortunately cannot be indexed on Search engines.
Companies may choose to go with applications because they allow for personalization through data by supporting push notifications sent by the app. Native applications will work well with providing product recommendations and suggesting content to the users. They also provide a better platform to gather user information and patterns when users are prompted to sign up and make profiles of themselves.
On whether to app or not, I think it all boils down to the business objectives of the organisation. In summary, I think that some of the major things that should be considered include:
1. Your Budget
If money is not an issue, then a native application doesn't sound like a bad idea. It is important to ensure that it can be downloaded on all the different online stores though. However, if you are cutting down on costs, it would be best to invest in a responsive website which will be the cheapest design option. Second on the list is choosing to develop a mobile site that is different from its website version.
2. Business Goals.
Who are you targeting? Would you want to have a stronger fan base on the net? Is the site content centric? Do you want to incorporate SEO and marketing tools? In this case, a responsive website will suit you best. It can easily be indexed in Search engines and will provide you with one URL that users can easily access and memorize. The issue with mobile sites is that they will have different URLs from the desktop version and this may not run well with the fast paced, rather impatient user.
3. Industry features.
What exactly will the app be used for? If all it will have is static information that will rarely be updated, it would beat the sense to develop a whole application for that. A standard mobile site would do, or rather a responsive site. However, in cases where you will need to have unique users sign in and take part in transactions, an application would be the best option. It would allow you to take advantage of native features of the device for functionality and performance improvement. They provide excellent performance therefore fusing these features with a cross platform operation that has a flawless UX will be the best option for your esteemed user.
For a successful app, it is important to capitalize on value engagement, ensure that the app is thoroughly tested on the different platforms, that the interface is self explanatory with the call to action buttons loud and clear in a "on-your-face-kind-of-manner", minimalist with a logical user flow and has an easy navigation.
I am still on the run to be a kick ass Digital Marketing Strategist. How am I doing so far?
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