User’s Prefer Apps Over Websites, Why?
What comes to mind when you hear” Users like apps over websites”
Why are apps more popular than websites, yet people don’t have many apps on their phones?
It is an interesting dilemma
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We encounter this dilemma each and every day but we do not think about this consciously. We automatically go through our apps as if they were our personal spaces and art galleries. They are not owned by us and yet they feel like a part of our lives.
How do apps manage to do that?
Before we solve these dilemmas, I would like to iterate a small story.
I do not like purchasing shoes. Some look amazing on you but they are out of your budget, some are in your budget but they look outrageous. They are available in a plethora of choices which makes it difficult to choose one. Addidas, Puma, or Nike are so many good brands but how do you pick the perfect one?
I personally always pick Puma. If you ask why? and What does this have to do with apps?
I have the Puma app installed on my phone. I like browsing the shoes with great designs and great offers. These shoes are not available on Amazon or available everywhere. The app feels like my personal closet space. Moreover, I enjoy wearing their product.
There are many things that Puma apps offer that other websites would not be able to offer.
- Personalized shoe suggestions (They know my taste in colours and my size)
- Easier to browse through a single category
- Offers that makes buying feel exclusive
- Shoes that are not available on every website (Feels like my personal fashion closet)
- Increases Brand loyalty as it is easier for me to find good products easily
So here are the reasons that people enjoy apps over websites.
Apps are more convenient
- Apps are more convenient to browse because they are designed while keeping user flow in mind
- They were designed to provide services as quickly as possible.
- In comparison to websites where you need to wait for the articles to load, apps come with local storage that makes the user experience more pleasant
- It is easier to access apps on your mobile than to search on browsers
- Apps are aimed at a particular topic. Therefore, if a user wants to know about that topic he knows where to look.
- With local storage, apps can also be used in offline mode
Apps are faster
- There is a lot of friction between searching and finding the right content. It is a better experience for users to be served with the content that they enjoy.
- Advertisements and TV shows also work to provide content that people enjoy and love. With apps, it becomes easier and faster to serve those content and products.
- Apps have an unfair advantage of local storage which makes them faster than websites and better for user experience
- Fetching data from the server does not happen in real-time therefore it gives users a smoother experience as compared to websites
Apps allow users to use mobile features
- Users can use features of devices such as cameras or phone calling. It makes apps more interactive in nature
- Users can not access such features on websites therefore they lack the interactive nature that apps bring to the table
- Apps become personalized in nature over time as users use them. We can take Snapchat as an example, users prefer to take photos with the camera feature of Snapchat as compared to the camera app because it is personalized in nature.
- Apps allow you to share your findings or interests via social media. It helps users to form connections over the internet which would be slower in the case of websites.
Apps are better for customer experience
- It is easier for companies to form bonds with their customers over an app as compared to a website. As apps become personalized overtime and they serve customers the desired content
- Since UI is designed while keeping user flow in mind. There is less friction to serving a customer’s favourite service, content or product.
- Users can form User IDs in apps that give users a personalized touch as well as a feeling of owning a personal space.
- Apps serve customers on a personalized level which makes a stronger brand for the company and improves customer loyalty. Giving them coupons and extra services that are not available on the website, builds goodwill for the brand.
Should I have an app too or just a website is okay?
- If you are a brand that can be personalized towards users then apps are the way to go. Apps are the digital real estate on the user’s phone.
- If you just want to make an online presence then social media and websites are enough. Websites are the digital real estate on the internet.
- If you have the experience or the budget to make your own app you can hire a team of developers to do it for you. Then go ahead.
- If not, websites are good for business.
Why do people have fewer apps but use them more as compared to websites?
- Apps are personalized in nature as compared to websites
- Apps take space in users’ mobile phone
- Users can only use fewer apps on a day-to-day basis
Thank you for reading this newsletter. I hope you enjoyed it and If I have written something wrong please forgive me.
