When Panvista started developing mobile technology, there was a lot of confusion as to what the advantages of a mobile website vs. a mobile app were for marketing a business. To add to the confusion everytime an article covering this debate has appeared on a major technology blog, people from both sides of the argument passionately state their opinion on which is better for marketing. However the debates tend to stop there, well short of showing any sort of evidence to back up opinions.
At Panvista, our assertion has always been that a proper mobile strategy should include a mobile website and targeted mobile apps, as the two technologies serve two unique marketing purposes. In this post, we’ll show you how the data we’ve collected to date from our platform backs up this idea.
Mobile Apps For Growing Opt-In Audiences
Mobile apps are proving to be the preferred medium for opt-in audiences on mobile devices. Individuals downloading a firm’s mobile app have made the decision to receive information from the firm they have selected. The download action is very similar to the opt-in decision one makes when they sign-up for an e-mail newsletter. As a result, these individuals are continuously returning to the app to see what the firm is publishing.
Below is a graph outlining visitor loyalty for the mobile apps we’ve measured over the past four months, detailing how many times a unique visitor has returned to the apps.
Using the past four months as our test case, we found that 60+% of visitors have returned to the apps more than 25+ times. That’s more than half of downloaders returning to the app at least once a week to see what the firm is publishing. Mobile apps have shown that they’re a quality method for generating repeat visitors to your content but how have mobile websites faired in comparison?
Mobile Websites For Quick Reference Material
The mobile app number becomes particularly interesting when it’s placed in contrast with mobile website figures. On the mobileweb we’ve found that audience loyalty is almost completely reversed as 70+% of visitors to a firm’s mobile website, never return for a second visit.
The loyal opt-in audience is almost non-existent on the mobile website side with only just over 4% of visitors returning 25+ times over the four month period to view information. That’s not to say mobile websites don’t have value though, as these mobile websites are simply serving a different purpose. By providing these visitors with a mobile experience optimized for their device, these organizations have created a quality first impression with this mass of potential customers.
Mobile audience loyalty is just one element of the mobile website vs. app debate. As we gather more data, we hope to provide more statistical insight into the app vs. mobile website debate showing that there is a need for both technologies in today’s mobile marketing landscape.
Where app based marketing is evolving as the opt-in experience on mobile devices, mobile websites are emerging as the preferred option for one-time quick reference visitors. To satisfy both types of visitors, organizations should be looking at both types of mobile marketing.