Unless you’ve been living under a rock that blocks Wi-Fi, you’ve probably heard that the world has reached the tipping point where mobile activity is surging ahead of desktop and PC activity. And as businesses strive to move along with the trends and stay close to their target markets, many are wondering how best to approach “the mobile issue.”

Mobile strategies boil down to two main channels for connecting with your community: 1) mobile websites that are accessed via device browsers and that are written in HTML5, and 2) native apps that are downloaded to devices and written in the programming language that is specific to that device (e.g. Apple devices run the iOS operating system, while others run Android, or the Windows Phone system, for example).

Both have their advantages and disadvantages, and many outlets have analyzed them at length, arriving at various conclusions. But because there is no one-size-fits-all for every business, the debate has not resolved in favor of one strategy or another. Instead, many industry participants now recommend that businesses publish both a mobile website and an app, maximizing opportunities and leaving no user or function behind.

That said, the decision still remains one that each business must address for itself. To help guide those that are new to the mobile arena, here are the pros and cons of each channel:

Mobile App

• Users spend about 80 percent of their mobile time each day on apps, but much of this time is spent on games (about 30% of the daily total) and social platforms (about 20% of the daily total).
• Apps function more smoothly and more quickly than mobile websites.
• Apps are more robust, with access to more device features (e.g. GPS, accelerometer).
• Apps need to be written for a variety of platforms in order to be used on various devices.

Mobile Website

• Users spend only 20 percent of their mobile time in a browser.
• A mobile website can be built once and then be usable across all devices (and is therefore findable by all users worldwide).
• A mobile website is more limited in function, and typically won’t work as smoothly as an app.

Of course, with Bizness Apps, you don’t have to choose between the two. You get both a mobile app and a mobile website included in one low monthly fee!

If you’re ready to “go mobile,” click here to learn more about the web’s easiest way to build and deploy simple, beautiful mobile apps and websites.