According to recent data, the UK adult population spends an average of two hours, 37 minutes online each day. This number will continue to increase too, especially and mobile and Internet penetration rates also rise incrementally over time.
Because of this, we’re also developing clear preferences about how we access mobile content on the move. We tend to switch between native apps and responsively designed mobile sites when navigating applications, but which of these is superior?
We’ll attempt to answer this below, by assessing the key experiential factors and determining which consumption model delivers the best results!
Time and Convenience
When you access an application through a responsive mobile website, you don’t have to download any third party software. Instead, you can open up your Chrome or Safari browser (depending on your device) and simply load the relevant URL.
So, it’s often quicker and more convenient to access an optimised mobile browser, rather than download a native app that also consumes memory on your device.
This is especially true in an age where responsive design enables mobile websites to largely replicate an in-app experience. So, if you’re pushed for time and want to simplify the process of accessing content, mobile browsers may offer superior value.
Speed and Performance
If you’re an avid gamer or someone who regularly plays GGPoker tournaments, you may choose to prioritise speed, performance and a content delivery system that’s less likely to buffer.
Typically, mobile apps boast faster loading times than mobile landing pages, while they’re significantly less cluttered and have benefitted from streamlined and focused design processes.
Certainly, there are less unnecessary design elements within a mobile app, which can also help to deliver an improved experience across a broad selection of factors. This may prove to be a key consideration regardless of your chosen application and the content that you want to access.
Functionality and Integration
Due to the focused nature of mobile app design, this type of native software tends to offer superior functionality. This is because it’s easier to integrate and overlay different features, while some elements can even be added as part of tiered subscriptions.
Similarly, mobile apps can support a broader selection of relevant device tools. This is much harder to achieve as part of a responsive mobile website design, despite the advent of the web-oriented HTML5 technology.
So, if you’re someone who appreciates integration or likes to access tools that deliver superior value for money, apps may be your content consumption model of choice.
The Last Word
As you can see: there are pros and cons to both native iOS and Android apps and responsively designed mobile sites. Although the former arguably offer superior overall, much depends on your preferences and the type of content that you’d like to consume.
It should also be noted that apps tend to introduce additional layers of encryption and are more secure than mobile websites. This may be key when using apps to process financial transactions or manage your finances, as you’ll want to keep your cash and financial data as protected as possible.
