When you are looking for ways to push your business to a digital audience, the question of how you will do this will undoubtedly be at the forefront of your thinking. There are a number of different options available, from the tried and trusted website – to the new and innovative app, but which should you choose or do you go ahead and invest in both?
It is most definitely a difficult question to answer, as both a website and app can bring numerous benefits to your business, as you can find out below:
Websites
Pretty much every business today has a website, and if you don’t have one you’re definitely in the minority and are potentially missing out on a huge number of possible customers.
They can be affordable
The great thing about having a website for your business is that it doesn’t have to be an expensive outlay. There are a number of companies that offer website templates that you can use as a base before inputting your own content and imagery; therefore saving on the expensive task of having a website developed from scratch.
They are easy to advertise
Having your own website is a fantastic advertising and marketing tool, enabling you to drive traffic over to your site to find out more about your products or services. If you’ve ever advertised in print media or on the radio before, you’ll know it can be an expensive business, however, advertising your website can be considerably easier and less expensive too.
Search engine optimisation (SEO) is just one way of getting your website in front of the right people, ensuring it ranks for the right associated keywords that people search for in Google. A good website will already have a solid foundation in place for it to perform in the search engines once launched, however by getting links back to it from as many external sites as possible and also adding fresh content on a regular basis will also help your progress.
There are then further options including social media advertising through the likes of Facebook, Instagram and Twitter, all of which can raise awareness and drive people over to your website. With a relatively small investment in relation to what you’d spend on advertising space in a magazine or newspaper, you can see some super returns.
They can showcase all that you have to offer
A website provides you with a great platform to showcase all that you have to offer. With no limit on the number of pages or the number of products you list, you really can make the most of your digital space.
There’s then the option to provide case studies of previous work, testimonials from happy customers, more information about you and your business as well as that all important contact information.
The above is only just scratching the surface of what a website can offer your business, but now it’s time to explore what that an app can offer.
Apps
The app world continues to grow every single day as more and more businesses launch apps to appeal to our need for quick, easy to access information and services.
They are great for customer engagement
If you’re looking to keep yourself in the minds of your customers at all times, apps are a great way forward. Push notifications are a great feature of apps and allow you to directly inform those who have your app of the deals you’re running, new content that you’ve added or any last minute sales you decide to implement. A notification will be sent straight to their mobile’s home screen, so even if they don’t have your app open, they’ll still be able to see what you have to offer.
Another exciting feature that you can run through an app is a loyalty scheme. A fantastic loyalty scheme with great rewards will keep customers coming back for more, and can be easily managed directly through the app.
They can put yourself ahead of the rest
It’s important to take a good luck at what your competitors are up to so you can identify areas that you can perhaps take advantage of. If your competitors aren’t engaging or investing in the app market, this provides you with a fantastic opportunity to jump in there and let a huge potential customer base know that you are there.
By showcasing the fact that also have an app for your business will certainly be a huge attraction for your customers as it shows you’re investing in them and are doing all that you can to meet their buying needs.
They can showcase your offering plus lots more
As with a website, an app can promote all the products and services that your business offers but does so in a fast loading, easily accessible way.
There are then all the additional features that come with an app including scrolling functionality, the ability to still work offline, full customisation to reflect the branding of your business and so much more.
You’ll also be at the cutting edge of technology, putting your business in an app store that is accessed by thousands upon thousands of people every day. Now if that’s not a good USP, who knows what is?
Getting the best of both worlds
So it’s clear by looking through just a few of the benefits of websites and apps, that they could both be advantageous for your business. So in regards to the main question of which you should go for for your business, the answer is really both.
However, the options don’t stop there as there is a new player on the market that combines the best of both worlds; the progressive web app (PWA). Utilising all of the great features of an app, a PWA is accessed through your browser in exactly the same way that a website would be, so there’s no risk of your app not being found due to the congested app stores.
Well, that’s thrown a spanner in the works, hasn’t it?
A PWA really does combine the best of both websites and apps, so if you’re considering whether to go for a website, app or both, perhaps exploring the possibility of a progressive web app could be the solution to what you’re looking for?
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