Why Mobile Apps Convert Higher Than the Mobile Web

Why Mobile Apps Convert Higher Than the Mobile Web

Imagine yourself sipping coffee in your room. You grab your phone and almost instinctively open an app. Sounds familiar?

Why do you open the Pinterest, Facebook, or even the Amazon app when you can directly look for their websites on the browser? The answer is simple here- convenience.

Using an app is a much faster and convenient way of doing things as compared to a website. As a matter of fact, there are about 4 billion mobile users worldwide. These smartphones hold about 52% of the internet traffic. While a person may browse on the web with a certain intention in mind, scrolling through apps randomly has now become a sort of habit. It means that a mobile app can convert random audiences into potential leads.

You get the point.

How Is an App Different from a Website?

A website is a responsive site that we can access on the web. These fit the size of the screen of the viewer's device and have a different layout on a desktop and a mobile device.

A software or an app, on the other hand, isn't something you can access directly on the internet. You must download it on your device.

Mobile Web Vs. Mobile Application

A common misconception lingers that a mobile app and a web app are the same. Well, it couldn’t be further from the truth.

First, they look entirely different and offer different functionalities for a user. Second, the process of development and deployment is very different in a mobile app as compared to a mobile web/ web app.

A web app is a fluidly designed website that responds when being viewed on a smartphone. These appear almost like a mobile app (only with fewer features), but you have to view them from your phone's browser.

Does a Mobile App affect Conversion Rate?

What is the purpose of an app? How does good app work?

It loads faster, uses the device's native capability, has a better user interface, offers smoother navigation, looks more personalized, and has better security.But does it have any advantage over the mobile web when it comes to conversions?

Yes, it does. On average, mobile apps convert at a 157% higher rate than the mobile web.

The amount of time that people spend on their mobile devices is generally more than desktop running time. Even if you are a working professional who happens to spend 12 hours a day on the web, you still wouldn't buy stuff there- that is where the mobile apps come in handy.

Added to this, the ads displayed on mobile apps get quicker clicks and better responses- since they are more personalized.

Why are Apps better than Websites?

Due to the ever-evolving user-base, most businesses try to ensure that their websites are mobile-friendly. The sites that don't do so can’t survive in this day and age. But don’t commit the mistake of assuming a mobile-friendly website to be the final solution. You’re just barely scratching the surface of mobile optimization.

The fact of the matter is: you need a mobile app for optimizing your business, brand, and website for mobile users. The importance of mobile phone apps over web apps can be understood by the fact that a mobile app:

Make use of the device's features - A mobile app can utilize the features of the device, like its camera, compass, GPS, etc. Thus, the user experience becomes more interactive.

Provides better optimization - Mobile apps can share better content tailored to the users' preferences, current location, items in the cart, usage behavior, etc.

Work faster than a website - Websites use web servers, but apps store their data locally on mobile devices. Thus, accessing the resources becomes much quicker and more seamless.

Allows Offline Access - Do apps use less data than websites? In a way, they do. Apps like Netflix provide their users with a download option to make it easier for them to access the content when no Wi-fi or high-speed internet is available, e.g. when traveling.

Utilizes Better UX and UI - A mobile website is limited in functionalities because it relies on web browsers. But a mobile app doesn't have any such restrictions. You can use functions like swiping, tapping, or holding down on the screen, and many more to improve their experience.

Consumes more User Time - Mobile apps consume 86% of the users' time on mobile, and mobile websites just have a share of 14%. Also, a study by eMarketer found that users spend 90% of their mobile time on apps compared to the mobile web.

Increases Engagement and Retention - A better web app might use some ways to retain site visitors, but there is no way in which mobile web drives engagement. A native mobile app, on the other hand, offers you various options like push notifications, referral programs, etc. It not only helps in driving engagement- it also raises the retention rates.

Pros and Cons of Mobile Apps Vs. Web Apps

Mobile Apps

Pros:

1. A native mobile app:
2. It is faster
3. It allows offline work
4. It can access the system resources
5. It is safer - needs approval from the App Store
6. It is easier to build

Cons:

1. It is expensive to build
2. It is expensive to update and maintain
3. App Store may not approve it
4. Developers need to build different apps for different OS based on their compatibility

Web Apps

1. Pros:
2. It is quicker, easier, and cheaper to build
3. It can update itself
4. It is easier to maintain
5. It saves space- a user doesn't need to install it
6. It does not require approval from App Store and can be launched quickly

Cons:

1. It does not work offline
2. It works slower and has fewer features
3. t has lesser discoverability because it is not present in a database, like the App Store
4. It is very insecure and comes with no parameters of quality

Conclusion- Developing an app for your business can bed a costly and tedious affair. However, once you come up with a slick mobile app, the results can be pretty sweet.

Should I make a website or an app? You might want to consider the pros and cons of mobile apps vs mobile website. An app, in this case, can get you higher conversions and retention. Are you looking forward to building the next (or first) app? JumpGrowth offers you fully customizable prebuilt mobile applications and other solutions for your business. Feel free to talk to our representative. Drop a hi, and we will get in touch with you!

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