• By quade
• 7 August 2023

Understanding Web and App Presence For Your Business and Why It Matters for Your Business

In today’s rapidly evolving digital landscape, having an online presence is practically a requirement for everyone from small businesses to giant corporations. Now that people are turning to their computer screens to do their shipping instead of the storefront, this is the place where you need to get your customer’s attention. You can reach people digitally through different means such as with websites or mobile apps and we will explain the difference between web and app presence and which you prefer.

The Importance of Digital Presence

In the digital age, establishing a strong and effective digital presence has become a necessity for businesses and organizations alike. Digital presence refers to your online footprint from your website, social media profiles, mobile apps, and other methods you interact with our customers. Today it is estimated that around 71% of all companies in the world have an online presence of some kind, allowing them to tap into the digital economy.

More and more people are turning to their phones to access services or make purchases. The only way to access this market is to be online and reach them directly. The question is what are the ways you can do that?

Making Informed Decisions for Your Business

The decision to invest in either a web and app presence, or both, is not one to be taken lightly. You do not need to have both an app and a website to succeed, it is better to focus on the one that is better suited to your goals. Both of these projects represent a huge investment in time and money so you want to make the right decision based on facts and knowledge.

Websites have been the cornerstone of the internet and for many years have been how people access content. Websites are what appear on search engines like Google and being the first result can make all the difference in creating a sale. Only about 0.63% of Google users will go to the second page, showing how a quality website can make all the difference with your digital footprint.

With smartphones becoming widely used and the main way people interact with the internet, mobile apps are available for almost anything. In fact, almost half of all small businesses have a mobile app for their services in 2022 based on a report by top design firms. The advantage is you can directly market to your customers either through push notifications. This is an experience not possible with other forms of media.

So which of these is the best platform to use?

Considerations for Deciding Your Web and App Presence

There are many things to plan for when deciding on your Web and App Presence and it is not just about preference. Neither one is better than the other, but they both offer unique advantages and disadvantages that you have to consider carefully, especially since creating either requires plenty of time and money so you want to get it right. Here are some critical considerations to help you decide on your web and app presence strategy:

What is Your Goal?

Having an online presence is meant to improve your business, so you have to ask yourself what you want to achieve by investing in the internet to find which platform suits you best.

If you are trying to market your product and attract new customers, then a website is the better option because it can easily appear in search engines. On the other hand, if you are trying to offer a personalized experience for your customers, an app is more versatile and can offer more options.

What Are You Trying to Sell Your Customers?

The type of content or service you offer will also affect what you choose for your web and app presence. If your business is content-heavy like news, e-commerce, or service-based businesses benefit more from websites because they do not require as many features.

Meanwhile, businesses that require personalization or monetization will perform better with mobile apps because there is more you can do with them.

Accessibility and Reach

Where is it that you want your customers to access your service? The device they will typically use should affect your web and app presence. If you expect them to use their computers to use your services then it is best to focus on web content but if your product or service is geared towards mobile users, then a mobile app is the better choice.

Websites are also better at reaching new uses because of their appearance on search engines. This increases the likelihood of new users stumbling across your website. More than half of all website activity comes from organic users who find your content while searching for it.

Apps on the other hand are less likely to bring organic uses. Their focus is more on retention and bringing in an existing market of users. The mobile apps allow them to come together and enjoy this service.

Development and Costs

Another important question to ask is how much is your budget for your web and app presence? Both of these projects can be expensive, but mobile apps typically cost much more to develop because you will need to add unique features, personalized service, and other important options. Even basic apps can cost between $10,000 – $40,000.

Meanwhile, a website is much cheaper in comparison as there are many web developer tools and templates you can use. You can make a basic website for about $200 and further improve on it over time.

The question doesn’t stop there as you will still need to maintain both platforms afterward so you have to consider the long-term plans for either system. This should include the costs, content, and updates necessary to keep both platforms running.

What Are Your Competitors Doing?

You also need to remember that you are not the only one who will be shifting online. All your competitors and rivals will probably do the same so you should take a look and see which platform they use. That doesn’t mean you shouldn’t just copy their web and app presence. Instead, you should also see how well they are doing and what you can improve from their ideas.

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