HypeText

Many Mobile Marketers are going App crazy....but while there are opinions...there are also the facts...

Granted there are Millions if not Billions of Apps downloaded...

According to Pinch Media only one percent of people who download an app become a long term user

(Pinch specializes in tracking App Usage for Developers)

Other statistics show 80% of downloaded Apps are used only once...

Shoes.com, the largest online shoe retailer released their Mobile Apps and their Mobile Website about the same time...

One year later they took a look at where their mobile sales were coming from and found 80% on their Mobile Sales came not from their Apps but from their Mobile Website. (And their Apps were several times more expensive to develop)

I often have clients ask about Apps and I tend to talk them out of it not only because of development cost, but because of cross platform compatibility.

Whats your take on the topic?

Nail Yener

+1 for mobile websites.

Reasons:

1. You cannot make cross-platform mobile apps easily. Even if you can do, you cannot target all devices. But you can make cross-platform mobile websites easily.

2. Not many mobile web visitors will bother with downloading an app for every site they visit.

3. Mobile apps will not appear on mobile search whereas a mobile optimized website will have priority compared to regular websites.

4. Mobile apps will not update automatically as far as I know. But you can update your mobile website whenever you want.

I am sure other warriors will add more points (pros or cons).

Internet_Corporation

They both serve 2 different purposes,the mobile website is there so that mobile visitors using a mobile browser can make contact, find out more etc. etc.

So I can't see how you can compare the 2, if you choose an app over a mobile site your mobile visitors still can't interact with the business so a mobile site is a must have.

[SIGPIC][/SIGPIC]

Magnum1

I'm finding that many are selling mobile "Apps", but they are no different in many cases than a mobile site.

I was looking at a couple of Warriors offering mobile app building on this forum. They are charging $400-$600+ for you to buy and resell to offline clients. I checked out their actual "Apps" they were selling and they did NOTHING different or extra than the standard mobile websites I sell clients for half that price.

HypeText

I have to admit, I am rather surprised. I really half expected that a crowd of Angry App Developers/Sellers would chase me off the WF with Torches and Pitchforks! lol

greatbizideas

Nail,

I got some very valid points and I get this question from most of my clients as they are crazy about apps.

Hypetext,

thanks for starting this topic..

Jay Moreno

i think you will find 90% of mobile apps dont infact need to be an app at all and a mobile web app could easily replace them...

personally i would review my clients requirements and actually see if it needed it to be an app... if there was a fine line between it being an app and/or a mobile web app/site then i would demonstrate the two... and then if they still wanted to pay for an app to be developed then so be it... at least they know their options...

HypeText

No Problemo!

nickhumph

I think the problem is the apps are just crappy and not engaging with the user at all and too dis-familiar from their normal desktop website. I hate that and most users hate that. If there's nothing special in the app, then what's the point of tapping on it?

Imagine a companies app with an in-built game or quiz or something like that to get a free voucher, coupon, etc. I think that's a better way to go forward and maintain some friggin loyalty!

Increase Page Conversions by 72% through the most underrated marketing tool out there!