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The acquisition of apps by tech companies frequently hogs the headlines
these days. The recent acquisitions of WhatsApp by Facebook, and Viber by Rakuten, an Asian e-commerce giant, are a few examples that have
given rise to a plethora of debate on the future of mobile website experience
(responsive website) versus apps. There has been a mad rush on the big
over-the-top apps of late, and the tech companies are not delaying a moment to
capitalize the growing market share of native apps. The latest Twitter’s launch of app-install ads is just an example, and Google too has rolled out a feature called "app indexing" that gives apps developer an ability to connect their apps to the search engine. Amidst a consistent
growth of mobile apps economy, the mobile-optimized website or responsive website is
gaining traction. Now, the multi-dollar question
is- if a responsive website ever wins against apps?
Hundreds of posts are indexed by search engines highlighting the
benefits of a responsive website. The reputed site like Mashable already
declares 2013 is a year of responsive web. Google too has published
Zero Moment of Truth (ZMoT)
that identifies the factors influencing a consumer’s online buying decision in
a multi-device economy. Further, we are seeing a consistent average increase
in overall traffic from mobile devices year over year.
One of the reasons as why responsive website is gaining traction in
recent time could be that Google is making recommendation for a mobile friendly
website. It seems quite repugnant when some SEOs recommend responsive websites for search engine
benefits, more than looking at things from an eagle’s eye. They refer a link of
Google’s official website while
pitching their clients for responsive websites. It’s true that the search engine
recommends building smartphone-optimized websites, primarily because of enhancing
users’ experience across multiple devices. Developing a responsive
website with an objective to leverage Google’s algorithm for top SERP and high
organic traffic may not the best bet, at least I think. Why? Because, organic search on mobile is going
less as the adoption of smartphones is increasing.
Martin W. Smith (Marty) has shared an interesting post on G+ highlighting the trends in Google's annual searches and smart phone penetration in the US. He finds that the organic search growth is slowing as smartphone adoption increases Year over Year. Cognizant of the fact that organic search is less on mobile, Google has recently expanded indexing of Android App content in search results. This has opened an extra avenue for apps optimization. However, this remains to be seen if the organic search on Google increases down the line with this initiative.
Whether or not the search on mobile will increase, but the current scenario depicts a complete different picture. Undoubtedly, social activity is more on handsets than search activity. In fact, the growing use of apps is slowing down the organic search
on mobile. Practically speaking, all of us use G+, Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, What’s App,
Twitter, Paytm, Flipboard, and a variety of apps on mobile, and do not spend time on Google.
The apps’ use on mobile continues to rise in 2014 compared to the previous
year. New data from app analytics provider Flurry released
a report showing native apps continue to dominate the mobile web.
We are now in the second quarter of 2014, and we don’t see any reverse
trends going to happen this year. Personally, I use apps on my android
phone more than browsing websites, searching less on Google, and reading a very
limited number of blogs and news. I'm sure my behaviour is not different from millions
of users. So, I trust Flurry’s report more from a user behaviour perspective
than simply going to believe the data.
As far as I know, there are various reasons for a native app being
preferred to a responsive web. And, this is not just true with the messaging
apps, but with many others too.
Convenience: Apps
usage is very handy on mobile or small screen device. They are easy to
download, and browsing experience is faster compared to the mobile web
experience (aka responsive). The simplicity of apps from a user point of view
bangs the complexity of the web from a developer’s perspective.
People’s Perception: Most of us think that the apps are for
mobile first. Since, the mobile web experience, at least these days, is a
matter of hit-or-miss. Most of the people are not ready for making further investment, not because
the mobile website lacks potential to grow, but because they are more than
happy with the large user base of their current apps.
Infrastructure: If we look at the average internet speed worldwide. South Korea has the highest internet download speed averaging 17.62
Mbps followed by Romania (15.27 Mbps). Surprisingly, the United States manages
with just 4.93 Mbps while China, home to the world's largest Internet
population, manages a dismal 1.96 Mbps. Unless
infrastructure is put in place to give a fast browser experience, or mobile
browser technology picks up as fast as apps, the
native apps continue to be the top preference among a big chunk of users.
Experience: The whole browsing
experience of a website on various handsets may not be great compared to
apps. For example, a user prefers an app to a responsive website if
s(h)e wants to book a flight ticket. Many a time, transaction breaks down, but it works great on an app. Personally, I use Paytm for booking bus tickets, DTH, and Mobile
recharge.
TechRepublic has an interesting comparison that summarizes the twelve principles that define
each of the associated mobile design approaches, comparing each method of use
and implementation.
Considering various pros and cons, apps have some benefits
over a responsive website. However, the benefits of having one over the other
also depend on one’s business. For gaming, entertainment, messaging, utility services,
social networking, apps are absolutely must to have more than a responsive website.
On the contrary, there are businesses like automotive, jewellery, real estate; legal, etc. responsive website is required to give a pleasant web experience,
though it would be nice to have both if possible.
Responsive website is one of the best
available options you need to explore. If your apps are not very
popular, nor they fit in your business requirement now, responsive website is something
you should consider very seriously. On the hand, if an app fits in your business requirement,
invest in building apps and promote them rigorously to increase user base.
In gist, the app versus mobile website argument really doesn't matter because there are instances where mobile website matters more than apps and vice versa. Both are inter-connected, and should be looked at the two sides of the same coin, shouldn't we? Chime in with your comments!
In gist, the app versus mobile website argument really doesn't matter because there are instances where mobile website matters more than apps and vice versa. Both are inter-connected, and should be looked at the two sides of the same coin, shouldn't we? Chime in with your comments!
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