Communication on the Internet is evolving at a monumental speed as technology advances. Five years ago, the smartphone market was still in its infancy. Today, almost all the American population is equipped, and nearly 80% of Internet connections are now via a Smartphone.
What is the consequence for your business communication? Simply that a website is not enough anymore! Your website must now be perfectly adapted to mobile use. Otherwise, you risk losing most of your audience. Therefore, you have two solutions: a mobile version and/or a mobile application. Today, we will explain the interest in developing a mobile application for your business.
Before going into the thick of it, it is important to remember a little web vocabulary, so that no one gets lost on the way! We must, therefore, differentiate four concepts: the website, the mobile version, the responsive version or the mobile application:
The website
Your corporate website is simply a classic site, designed for widescreen navigation, from a computer. The website is still essential today because it allows you to communicate on the internet and share useful information with your customers and prospects.
The responsive site
With the rise of the mobile web, we have seen more and more often appear responsive websites. These are simply websites designed to automatically adapt to the size of the screen on which they are viewed. Highly efficient because they can adapt to any screen size, they remain fairly limited for complex website projects. Creating a responsive website nonetheless remains one of the most popular ways to adapt a site to mobile browsing. This technique is indeed required to replace the mobile version eventually (see next point). The only bad thing is that it is extremely difficult to adapt a non-responsive website to this technique. Better to think about creating a responsive website directly.
Mobile version
The mobile version of a website is simply a copy of your website, designed to fit the screen of a smartphone or tablet. This is often a simpler version, which allows you to view content quickly on a touch screen, from an internet browser. If your website does not have a copy in mobile version or is not responsive, it may simply be illegible on smartphone and therefore lose a large audience. Note: If a mobile version of a site is easier to develop than a responsive site, it is also more restrictive. Indeed, as a copy of your site, the mobile version is separable. In case of an update, you will have to update both versions of the site separately. Similarly, links to the same content on your site or mobile version will be different, which may cause compatibility issues. A mobile version does not take into account the size of the screen on which it is viewed, which does not make it suitable for 100% of smartphones and tablets.
In contrast to the mobile version, which is accessed from a web browser, the mobile application (or App) is like software that you can install on your smartphone. If your customers install your mobile app, they will be able to access its content directly through a logo, on the menu of their phone.
It is important to remember here that these notions can be quite complementary. Even if internet browsing via smartphone is more and more popular, it is always essential to have a classic website. We will choose if we prefer to create a responsive site or a mobile version for smartphone browsing. Having a mobile version of this same website will not prevent you from launching a mobile application.
The purpose of our article of the day will be simply to show you the interest of a mobile application, and to make you understand its stakes!
The benefits of a mobile app
It should be noted that a mobile application is often more difficult to develop than a mobile version of a website. Nevertheless, this difficulty is justified by the many interests of a mobile App:
You create a link with your audience.
Downloading a web application is already the first commitment. Thus, you are certain that everyone who has downloaded your App is sensitive to your message and your products and services. Being directly present on your audience’s smartphone is already a huge plus!
You simplify access to your content
To access your application, a customer will only have to click on a logo. On the contrary, accessing a website or mobile requires a Google search or knowing a URL by heart. By facilitating access to your content, you are certain that your customers will consult them more often.
You send notifications
Unlike a website, a mobile App allows you to send push notifications directly to your audience. Do you have important news to communicate? Do you want to launch a promotional campaign? Do you want to talk about a corporate event? Your application will allow you to send a notification to all those who have installed it, and therefore to be certain that your message is seen.
You have a tailor-made tool
A website or mobile version is naturally limited. On the contrary, a web application will be tailored to your needs and those of your customers. You can create the perfect tool that will help you disseminate information, boost your online sales or strengthen your relationship with the customer.
You can use all the possibilities of a smartphone
Having a mobile application is also an opportunity to exploit new tools, such as geolocation. Does a user approach your shop? Why not encourage him to purchase a targeted promotional offer? You can also integrate the use of the microphone or the camera in your application. The possibilities are endless to make an App a new marketing tool, and the only limit is that of your imagination!
You can communicate about launching an App
Launching a mobile application can be the occasion of a real communication campaign, which will allow you to make known both your application and your company. On the contrary, the launch of a mobile version of a website will not impress anyone!
You have a more serious image
Today, most companies offer a mobile version of their site. On the other hand, few companies have a Mobile App developed. This is both an opportunity to distinguish yourself from the competition, and to show a serious and professional image to your audience.
You boost your brand image
If one of your customers has installed your mobile app, they will see your logo every time they visit their phone. Is it more effective to reinforce your brand image and guarantee you will not be forgotten?
Develop a mobile application
You will understand, the creation of a Mobile App can have many advantages, provided of course to have the use of your customers. Properly designed and tailored to your customers, a mobile app could simply boost your sales and business communication.
Once your idea of the mobile application in mind, you have to develop! If you need serious and experienced developers to do this, you can trust the Access Com ‘team. Our developers are indeed able to design a custom web application, whether for iPhone, Android or Windows Phone.
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