9 Reasons Why Mobile Apps Drive More Conversion Than Mobile Websites
Every business around the world needs a solid mobile presence and this should not be news to anyone out there. We are living in a mobile dominated world where there are more than 4 billion unique users around the globe. More than 50% of internet traffic is recorded from mobile devices and in the United States alone it accounts for 65% of total digital consumption. Each mobile category has been progressing for the last few years and there are no signs of slowing down.
Most businesses have recognised these trends and revamped them to make sure they provide a mobile-friendly experience. Websites that are not mobile savvy are unable to survive in this age. Hence, it is a smart decision to shift focus on mobile experience to increase conversion. As a user, mobile apps and mobile web apps might look similar to you but there is a huge difference. In this post, we will be discussing why mobile apps are better at conversions than mobile websites. In the end, we are sure that you will be convinced that building a mobile app is a smarter choice for your business.
Enhanced Personalisation
It is a well-known fact that personalisation has a direct impact on conversions. This is true irrespective of the customer being in-store or online. The ideal way to personalise user experience is through elements like interests, behaviour, location, demographics etc. You should not make the mistake of treating all your customers the same way if you are looking to increase your conversion. A 20-year-old girl in Texas should not see the same content as a 45-year-old man in Chicago.
A mobile app makes it convenient for you to collect more data about the users in real-time. So you can use this data to personalize the user experience. In a mobile app, you will be able to provide products or services to users based on their browsing and buying history. Mobile apps simplify the process for you to provide personalisation because every user has distinct account preferences.
Ease of Communication
Communication is a key factor that increases conversion. There are a variety of reasons for a business to communicate with the customers and it can be initiated by the user or by the brand. For instance, an email marketing campaign is a type of communication initiated by the brand. Similarly, a form submission with feedback is initiated by the customer. Both the categories perform much better on a mobile app than on the mobile web. You will undoubtedly do everything to make it easier for the users but there will be times when they will need an additional level of service.
At times, users will have an issue related to a prior purchase or a future purchase. At the same time, there will be users who will need assistance to complete the purchase on your app. Irrespective of the type of inquiry, you will need to ensure that they get enough customer support time and again. These days, live chat is the most preferred communication channel for customers because it instantly enhances the customer experience of a mobile app. Moreover, you can also use push notifications to a greater effect and they perform much better when compared to traditional emails. But, you have to understand that the only way to communicate with users through push notifications is if you have a mobile app.
Make Good Use of Smartphone Features
Mobile apps are installed on a smartphone or tablet so it directly gives you access to specific features of a user’s smartphone or tablet. These features are camera, GPS, contacts etc. It makes your app highly interactive and makes it easier to use for the end-user. For instance, entering the credit card details to make a purchase. If at any point, the user makes a mistake in entering the number they have to do it again and it may end up frustrating them. But, in a mobile app, you can give an option to the user to use the camera to take the credit card number which is faster and more efficient.
There are innumerable opportunities here and it provides a better user experience in the end. By doing so, the users are more than likely to recommend your app to their friends and family. Accessing the contacts via the mobile app is an easy way for the users to share it with their loved ones.
Provide Offline Access
This is indisputably the greatest difference between mobile apps and mobile web apps. To access a mobile app, the users need a stable internet connection. If they do not have access to Wi-Fi, then they can use the mobile data to access the app. However, if they are in a no-service location then they cannot use the app. In that case, you must provide certain features which can be performed without an internet connection or in an offline mode. This is definitely not possible in mobile websites but nowadays, more and more apps have started providing offline service to users. For instance, apps like Netflix and Amazon Prime provide an option to download a movie and watch it in offline mode when there is no internet access. It just offers an additional service to the end-users and makes life easier for them to use these apps and get things done.
Users Spend a Lot of Time on Mobile Apps
To increase the conversion rate, you need to reach out to the users on the medium that they love using the most. If you take a deeper look, it is certain that almost everyone today is glued to their mobile devices. Even if they are not accessing their phones, it is always within an arm’s distance from them. However, what are users doing on mobile devices? More than 90% of the time is devoted to using applications and only less than 10% is spent browsing the web. Users are unable to convert if they are not able to access your content. There is a far better chance that they will access your content from an app than from your website. This is because mobile apps are convenient to use as they are directly installed on the user’s mobile device and it also gives you a chance to send push notifications through an app. By doing so, users can be often reminded about using the app or accessing the latest content or offers from a brand. It just takes a couple of seconds to access the app as the user doesn’t need to manually log in every time they open the app.
Improved UX and UI
It is important to have a mobile responsive website but it is still quite limited in terms of its usability. This is because a mobile website depends on browsers for the primary functions. For example, things like a refresh or back button cannot be changed by a web browser. However, in a mobile app, there is no such limitation. It can be conveniently set up so users can use the features like tapping, swiping or holding the screen to enhance their experience. The design freedom can finally lead to enhance the user experience. Users bailout of the app when it is inconvenient so it is best to provide a seamless experience to the users in order for them to convert using a fully functional app.
Need For Speed
Users like to use mobile apps over mobile websites is due to the need for speed. Mobile apps are faster and convenient to use compared to mobile websites. This is because websites depend on web servers to store data and hence it can take more time to load the content on a mobile device. Even a 1-second delay can hamper your conversion goals. Sluggish page load times can be a reason for increased bounce rates, high abandonment rates and lower conversion rates. On the other hand, mobile app data can be saved locally on each device and hence it is faster to use a mobile app than a mobile website.
Increased Engagement and User Retention
Mobile websites do not have a clear way to increase user engagement. The abilities are restricted and you have a limit in terms of when and how you can engage with the users. It has been discussed in one of the previous points that you have the ability to send a push notification to the user in a mobile app. This is clearly not possible with a mobile website. Mobile apps make it considerably easier to retain your customers with features like referral programs and customer loyalty programs etc. If users see an instant benefit or a reward by using your app, they will most likely use the app for the long term and also invite their friends and family to use it too.
Better Branding
Encouraging users to download your app is a significant win for your branding. With a mobile website, users only know about your brand when they proceed to your website. How often does that work? A user might visit your website and only stay there for a couple of minutes per session. However, people use their mobile throughout the day. So, the more they see your app and logo it will promote your brand awareness and brand recall. Even if they do not use your app frequently, they will still be reminded of your business name.
Final Thoughts
You definitely need a mobile responsive website. Having said that, a mobile responsive website has its limitations and doesn’t drive conversions similar to a mobile app. The ideal way to increase conversions is through a mobile app. From these points, we do not think there should be a debate about the best platform to promote your brand. Mobile apps are way more flexible and superior to mobile websites and drive more conversion. If you have any questions regarding sustainable mobile app development, you can contact us today.
Dhruvil is a Writer & Marketeer for Nimblechapps, joining December 2014, based out of Sydney, Australia. He has worked briefly as a Branding and Digital Marketing Manager before moving to Australia. At Nimblechapps, he worked on Social Media Marketing, Branding, Email Marketing and Blogging. Dhruvil studies Business at University of Western Sydney, and also handles Operations for the company in Australia.