flock journal

The mobile site vs native apps debate continues to be a hot topic in the industry, with various pros and cons to both, depending on a business’s needs. Cost plays a large part, and it’s true that apps are generally more expensive to make, and require more time to develop and deploy – especially when considering things like gaining app-store approval.

Mobile friendly websites are also universally accessible, with one code-base which works on whatever device you might be using. As well as this, search engine detection should be taken into account – mobile apps work within closed environments and therefore can’t be indexed by search engines.

There are however, unique benefits to developing dedicated apps –if you want to make use of smartphone functionality like the camera, GPS or accelerometer for example, which websites can’t access. On a similar note, apps by their very nature can provide a more personalised, targeted experience for the user.

Ultimately, it’s not about the technology of HTML5 vs native apps – it’s about the specific needs of a business and the context of its end-customer.