In the last year, the U.S. mobile Web usage increased 110%. Taking the step to optimize your website for mobile devices will up your web traffic, and make your company more accessible to a wealthier and more tech savvy demographic.
Once you make the decision to update your website to accommodate mobile devices, the next choice is deciding between a mobile optimized website or mobile apps.
There are arguments for and against each choice, but in the end we at ArtVersion always recommend our customers go with a mobile optimized website. We feel it’s usually faster to produce, plus it can be viewed from multiple devices as opposed to apps, which need to be coded for each device individually. This means a different app would need to be created for the iPhone, Android, iPad etc.
Additionally, going the mobile app route restricts the number of customers you can appeal to. Apps need to be downloaded in advance, as opposed to just being able to search and use the web. Mobile apps also require a third party to get involved who will eventually need to approve the app or call for changes to the app.
In December, 2009 Morgan Stanley produced a Mobile Internet Report, researching the changes taking place in the mobile Internet market. One takeaway from the report is their note that, “the mobile Internet is ramping faster than desktop Internet did, and we believe more users may connect to the Internet via mobile devices than desktop PCs within 5 years.” At ArtVersion, we view 5 years as a modest quote. We urge you to be prepared with your mobile Internet presence as mobile platforms are growing, and they are growing quickly.
Don’t forget, the reason your company is deciding to go the mobile optimized website route is to hit as many potential customers as possible. Therefore, go with the web optimized site over the app route in order to hit the broadest audience possible.