WordPress Tips

Remember your first smartphone? Maybe you had an early version of the iPhone. Apple released the first iPhone only 10 years ago, and look how much has changed because of that technology. Even then, responsive web design was a distant future technology. Apple thought their device would be just fine for view full sized websites designed for desktops. If you wanted to zoom in, you pinch, dragged, and double-tapped to make the content larger and readable. On occasion, you might have found a website that offered a separate mobile version.

Times are certainly different! Mobile browser usage has surpassed desktop browser usage, and it is now surpassing even mobile app usage. Users will spend longer time on apps once they have them open, but today most people will open the browser first on a smartphone before opening a mobile app. Research indicates that app downloads have reached a peak of approximately 50 to 60 per device. Users now avoid downloading apps unless they know and trust the brand.

This means that while a consumer may spend hours on Fortnite, Facebook, or Angry Birds, they are unlikely to download your app. They are much more likely to visit your website through their mobile browser. Translation: you must ensure that your website is mobile optimized, especially with a WordPress site.

NOYO Web Development believes that WordPress is the best platform available for mobile optimization. Not only is it easy to create a mobile optimized site with WordPress, it’s also easy to manage your site from a mobile device. This is the first in a series looking at WordPress and mobile.

Mobile Site vs. Mobile App

We find that fewer clients are asking for mobile apps, although you may still want one. But, let’s take a look at both.

Although the research shows that mobile browser use is much higher than mobile app use, it also indicates that consumers who have downloaded an app will spend far more time in the app than the browser and engage much more deeply with it than a mobile optimized website.

So, which is the best one for your business?

The first element to consider is the circumstances for which you might want an app created:

• You are developing an interactive, rich experience such as a game
• The existing technology doesn’t enable you to recreate what you want, such as that game
• You own an established brand and want to make more convenient for consumers to engage with your business via the app. For instance, larger travel sites and retailers are frequently easier for interaction across an app

In the first two instances, you will need a different platform than WordPress. But for the third instance, you have an excellent option for creating an app using WordPress with WP-REST API. More on that later.

These are the circumstance in which a mobile optimized website is a much better choice than an app:

• You need to utilize SEO to draw visitors to your site
• You want to encourage social media sharing of your content. This can be done over apps, but not very well
• Consumers won’t need to access your site offline
• You have a limited skill set or skinny budget
• You want to provide the same experience and content to consumers over an array of devices such as tablets, smartphones, and desktops

If you have stopped to read this, then there is a significant chance that one of the above circumstances will apply to you. In most cases, a mobile optimized website is the appropriate choice. Even if you do elect to create an app, we recommend starting with a WordPress high quality mobile optimized website.