Why you should build a responsive website, not an app

 

Did you know what the median number of apps downloaded by people each month is? It’s a massive ZERO. Yet many clients that come to us still want us to build them an app, not a website.

Apps have been all the rage for a long time but that doesn’t mean they are the right answer for your business. In almost all cases, you are far better investing in a responsive website rather than an app.

 

When you may need an app

Before we look at why you don’t need an app, let’s just cover when you should consider building one. There are two cases (and only two) when your business may need an app. They are as follows:

 

• You have enormous brand image. This means you are a fortune 500 company with a well known brand. If this is you, then there is a good chance that users are already searching for your app and are disappointed they can’t find it.
• Your app is your product. If your product is an app then obviously you need to have an app. But this isn’t the case for most businesses.

 

Now let’s look at why you need a responsive website, not an app.

 

People search for businesses on Google not the App Store or Google Play

Think about the last time you were looking for a business. Where did you search? Was it the app store? Or was it actually on your phone’s browser. I’m betting it was the latter. Because that’s how everyone searches for businesses. Because this is the way people search, you need to make sure you have a mobile friendly website ready to meet them—not an app.

 

Your brand image is at risk

It’s not just search that you need to be aware of, it’s your entire brand image. More people use their mobile’s browser than ever before. They may come across your site from social media, from an online ad or from any one of countless sources. If they come across a website that isn’t mobile responsive, even if you have an app, they are going to leave pretty quickly. An unresponsive website just looks unprofessional nowadays and reflects badly on your company.

 

No one downloads apps

As we mentioned at the start of this article, the most common number of app downloads each month is zero. That means that even if you invest in building an app for your website, there’s a good chance no one apart from your friends and family are going to download it. Think about it, how are people going to find your app? The most common way would be through your website if they aren’t already a customer. And since they are going to visit your website first, you might as well invest in a better website first.

 

If you need help creating a mobile responsive website and not an app, our team of talented web designers can help. Get in touch today.