Don’t Discount the Importance of Native Apps

By now, you probably understand the importance of having a mobile-friendly website for your business. But if you already have such a website, you may think that it’s not important to also have a native app for your business.

Not so, according to some experts.

While having a mobile-friendly site is probably more important in most industries, native apps offer other benefits. One of the main benefits that mobile apps have over mobile websites is the increased control they give you over the entire user experience.

For example, apps give you the opportunity to send users push notifications, add social features, and make every function and design just how you envisioned it. Mobile websites are a bit more limited, since they can only really interact with users when they are specifically visiting the site. In addition, the need to have a mobile site that works on a variety of different devices limits how you can make your site look or interact with each device.

Andrew Thomas of SkyBell recently explained to Mashable:

“A native app allows you to deliberately design your user experience around mobile and to create a stickier relationship with your user. By using your native app, you can better code an experience with gestures, features and behaviors that may lead to better experience or conversion. For example, swipes and pinching can make navigating much more efficient and effective. Beyond the user interface, a native app allows you to make more use of APIs designed specifically for the experience you’re trying to accomplish. When done correctly, a user understands the value of using your app and adopts the use of your native app as a central part of the experience.”

But, of course, you can’t expect every consumer you come in contact with to download your app upon first learning of its existence. Sometimes visiting a website is just more convenient. If possible, it can be beneficial to have both a responsive or mobile-friendly site and a native mobile app, as they both offer benefits to different types of customers.

Brian Honigman wrote in a post for The Next Web:

“The native mobile app will provide a mobile centric experience for your existing and most loyal customers, while your responsive website can help provide an optimized experience to new and old visitors browsing your website or discovering it for the very first time.”

Code Image via Shutterstock

This article, "Don’t Discount the Importance of Native Apps" was first published on Small Business Trends