Mobile communications is rapidly gaining on traditional desktop practices with over 60 percent of adults choosing cell phones over desktops for convenient online access and an equally stunning 45 percent preferring email communications via their hand held devices. Being a mobile friendly business or organization has to be a priority now more than ever for anyone hoping to retain impact and influence on followers and users.

But we know it’s easy to get lost in the mobile excitement. In fact, many are overcompensating for the technological changes by building out native apps for their companies. Before you get caught up in the app hype, let’s take a step back and consider our options.

Never create an app just because it’s the hip, cool thing to do.  

While apps give users exclusivity to your content, products and brand in one click, a mountain of work awaits in the process of creating, testing and launching an app. Even after creating an app, organizations are left with the task of convincing users that it provides enough worth to download and maintain on their devices. Apps require much more commitment to a brand than a simple site.  Before you start building, ask yourself the following questions:

1. Are you providing or selling a product?
2. Will the app save your organization money or time? Does it in some way make life easier for you?
3. Does it benefit the user? 
4. Do you need to send push notifications to users alerting them to new contents and features? 

Apps are designed to give users quick access to loads of content (like news apps) or provide easy access to products (such as shopping apps) while saving organizations time and resources in the process. If you can’t answer a strong yes to all those questions, then the app world isn’t for you—no matter how many frills you add.

Most app needs can actually be solved with a responsive mobile site.

A responsive site isn’t just a pared down mobile site; it still contains all your content but adjusts to fit different size screens to ensure consistent experience for users across all devices. Not only is a mobile site easier for you to create and maintain, it’s also easier for your audience to use. It doesn’t require downloading and no one has to waste time creating a profile. Your users can simply hop on a browser and find you in seconds.

Even if you’re a product-driven business, 67 percent of users still say that they are more likely to make a large purchase on a website as opposed to purchasing through an app.

With the mobile world still shuddering from Mobilegeddon, it’s imperative to create a site that guarantees your users a thrilling experience. For most, a responsive site will do the trick with a much lower financial investment required. However, if you are providing a user experience that could be streamlined and contained on a mobile device, an app might be it for you.

Need help figuring out your app and mobile site needs? Let us help! Contact us today to see how we can make your brand blossom in the midst of the technology expansion.