E-commerce Mobile App v/s Website: Which is Better Solution in 2022?

The e-commerce mobile app and website has been battling in the minds of e-commerce business owners for a long time. Now, it is time to leave the fight and reach a result with certainty. So, if you are a business owner using the brick-and-mortar technique with plans to shift your business online to an e-commerce platform, then congrats on your fabulous decision.

According to statistics, almost 95% of customer purchases will be through online e-commerce platforms by 2040. So, without further delay, let us move on to the main purpose of the blog. Yes, here we will share our thoughts and experience on which is a better e-commerce development solution for an e-commerce mobile app or website in 2022. 

Those days ended when websites were enough to take a business on the path of success and make it popular amongst customers. In this modern digital world, e-commerce store owners are investing more in mobile app development rather than having an e-commerce website on the internet.

All this leads to an uncertain feeling in the minds of some e-commerce vendors and they try to find the answers to several questions that are-

• Is it necessary to invest in e-commerce app development?
• Is it ok to have a mobile application to run the business effectively?
• Which one to choose from the two to help the business grow?

So, as a business owner if you feel the same and have doubts about choosing the best one from an e-commerce website or mobile application, then keep on reading the write-up further to clear your doubts. Before we start, here is a description of the e-commerce website and e-commerce mobile application.

What is an e-commerce website?

The websites that run the business functions online are known as e-commerce websites. Every online website shopping you visit is an e-commerce website. The online sites help the customers purchase products over the internet and increase business sales.

Customers find their products online, add them to their cart, and complete the payment process to shop for the item. Amazon and eBay are the two most popular e-commerce websites that can be accessed easily by the customers to purchase their products.

What is an e-commerce mobile application?

E-commerce mobile applications are designed to run on mobile phones. With the increase in the number of mobile users, mobile phones have become a luxury. There is almost 70% of people depend on mobile devices for their day-to-day work.

Mobile phones are built on specific operating systems- Android and iOS and to use a mobile application the user has to download and install it using Google Play or the Apple store. Once you have the e-commerce applications on your phone, you can use them according to your needs.

What is the best pick for 2022- an E-commerce website or an E-commerce mobile application?

Now, it is the time to face the big question and get a specific solution for it. Below we have listed some of the crucial factors that will give you the answer to this question. Also, it will help you choose between the two choices.  Scroll down and read on the factors briefly.

1. Customized User Experience

User experience plays an important role in retaining the existing customers in the company. When the developers cannot find the bugs and fail to take action, it gives a negative impact as there are ample e-commerce transactions involved in the process.

So, if there is poor user experience, then it may result in users avoiding the website or deleting the e-commerce application. And, to maintain the UX, get engaged with the customers all day long.

E-commerce websites can provide a top-class user experience, but when it comes to providing a personalized experience to customers, there is no better option than a mobile application. Mobile applications can resolve the issues of their users 24/7.

You get all the notifications about offers, coupons, discounts, and others at your fingertips at a fast speed, but to access a website, signing in is essential.

Result: This makes mobile applications win over E-commerce websites through this factor.

2. Timeline and Cost

The cost of an e-commerce website as well as a mobile application depends on the scope of the project. Some of the factors that mainly affect the cost are UI &UX experience, features, pricing, services, technology, and many more.

Also, building an e-commerce mobile application cost more than developing an e-commerce website. Timeline is also high for mobile applications when compared to website development; this is because of multiple CMS options available that favors the e-commerce website development such as Magento, WooCommerce, Shopify, and others. All these CMS platforms are ready-to-use and have appealing themes and plugins to run the website faster.

Result: An E-commerce website is a better option providing low cost and timeline to develop than an e-commerce mobile application.

3. Marketing and Advertising

Getting customers involved in the e-commerce business is easy when you have access to the e-commerce website. As marketing and advertising are done on social media and other digital platforms, it is easy to bring visitors to the website in the same way.

But a mobile application does not offer easy advertising and marketing methods as it is essential to download the application to buy products from the online store.

Result: Considering this factor, it can be said that an e-commerce website is a better option if your products require full advertising and marketing.

4. Search Engine Optimization

Online stores can easily drive more traffic if there is an effective SEO strategy used by the business. Yes, it is true. If you are a small business enterprise or a start-up and want to grab the attention of search engines to get some traffic, then choose e-commerce website development.

The content on the website can be optimized by adding compelling product descriptions, the right keywords, and good images. You can also use several content marketing tactics to get a good number of customer reviews.

Also, organizations are making use of app store optimization to enhance the visibility of an application in the app store. This helps in boosting the app download. But website SEO gives better results rather than an e-commerce application.

Result: Through this factor also, an e-commerce website has an edge over the mobile application.

5. Maintenance

Maintenance is one of the most essential factors considered for e-commerce. It includes all the repair activities that are carried out by the mobile and web developers. It is necessary to keep the mobile app and website updated with all the latest and modern technologies.

For this, you can hire an e-commerce website development company in Bangalore and get their services from a well-experienced web or mobile developer.

Also, the business owner should keep up with the mobile applications and hire an Android or iOS to get the required help. If your mobile application is built with cross-platform development technology, then seek help from a single developer.  

Result: Considering the maintenance factor, it is found that both mobile applications and websites work equally and satisfy the customer’s needs.

6. Offline Usability

Handheld devices are considered people’s best companions in today’s time. And, why not give access to the business even when you do not have any network coverage? So, if you want the customers to visit your online store when they are not using the internet, then choose an e-commerce mobile application.

The offline usability of the mobile application can be accessed by the data storing ability on the device of the user that can be easily retrieved.

Result: Using mobile application suits perfect for the business to engage existing customers and attract new customers.

Which one is better in 2021? E-commerce website or E-commerce mobile application

Well, picking one from the two is a difficult thing to do. The choice fully depends on the budget, business goals, project size, business domain, and target customers.  As one of the top website and mobile app development companies, we can suggest that many clients working with us have said that a mobile application is a better choice than using a mobile-friendly website.

Having both in the business can offer the best benefits to the company. Like, if you need more online presence for your business, go for a website and if you need user experience, then switch to an e-commerce mobile application. Also, the customers in this modern digital world, customers are more used to mobile apps for browsing products and making purchases rather than using a website.

EndNote

An E-commerce website is considered necessary to have a great online presence and a mobile application is best to provide a customized user experience at a very fast speed. Therefore, to run an organization effectively, both platforms are necessary to keep the customers engaged in the business.

But, if you have started the business on a limited budget and looking for a great solution to earn profits, then keep in mind the factors discussed below to choose the right platform. So, if you are still confused, reach out to us and get a free consultation from our expert team of web and mobile developers. They will surely provide you with the best e-commerce solutions and help you understand the need for websites and mobile applications in business.