Web vs App. Everything that differentiates and defines them as marketing tools

Web and app are the two communication channels that allow a business to enjoy a greater communicative autonomy in terms of form and content. Two channels in which an organization is able to stamp its identity directly and with greater independence since, beyond technical and budgetary limitations, they are the ones who establish the content and structure the site through which they will direct the user towards an experience defined entirely by the brand. Now, What is the difference between the web and the app as communication tools? There are brands that make the mistake of conceiving the app as an adaptation of the website which the user downloads and installs on their smartphone, when in reality they should be understood as tools with a different communicative use. Below, we will analyze the characteristics of the two platforms and the way in which each one responds to different communication needs.

Differences between web and app

What aspects of functionality and design differentiate web and app?

Beyond the differences that exist in the way a website or an app is programmed, there are other functional and design issues that are interesting to discuss: A website is a site that is going to be viewed through a browser, so it must be able to adapt to both desktop screens and those of different mobile devices. It has the advantage of being very versatile, capable of being displayed correctly on any compatible device, but in exchange for It lacks features and functionalities that only apps haveWhile it is true that the web is increasingly compatible with the use of device sensors, integration is still limited, especially if we are talking about a website viewed from a computer, since it lacks the specific hardware of the smartphones. It can be argued that many of the features the app enjoys are not possible or are less accurate on desktop. For example: A PC can geolocate us very approximately using triangulation, but these devices will rarely have a GPS that communicates their exact location to our servers. Another sensor, the camera or webcam, whose quality is still just enough for a video call and cannot be handled as easily as on a mobile phone, makes it a secondary element. And what about heart rate sensors or fingerprint readers present in most new phones? Features that are unimaginable on a computer. Similarly, there are aesthetic differences. The same website is Designed to be viewed on desktop and mobile browser, while the app is designed solely for mobile devices. and even for a specific operating system. Once again, the versatility of the web also implies a limitation, which, even when using a specific design, responsive or adaptive, it will be thought and designed to be displayed in all browsers. Web and app respond to different design standards. Although the Adapting the website to a mobile version is now a matter of almost obligatory compliance, there are still a number of aspects, especially style, that differ between platforms.

What are the differences between a website and an app in marketing?

The technical, functional or design differences mentioned above directly influence aspects of the User Interface and Experience. Even so, what we must understand is that, beyond the fact that an app and a website may look similar aesthetically or functionally, The real difference is in how the user will interact with it., what they expect to find when they open them and what it will bring to them and to us as a brand. Let's consider that apps and websites are communication tools with different uses and, therefore, with different objectives.

Objective and usefulness of a website as a marketing tool

The web is the Internet navigation system par excellence. Based on the use of hypertext formats, combining textual and multimedia elements, it has evolved to impressive levels of dynamism and interactivity. A format in itself that For a long time it has served as a letter of introduction and showcase for many brands. Now, what is the purpose of the website as a marketing tool? The purpose of a website is to receive visits that allow, in marketing terms, to make a conversion. A website is an area of interaction, exchange and transaction between brand and user.. An interaction that usually begins with the website providing a piece of information in response to a user's doubt. We will be talking about exchange when the conversion occurs in which the user will report to the brand what he was attracted to. The transaction will be the final objective of the website, whether or not it happens within its domains, as long as these are those of the brand. A website must be prepared to receive the user and direct him towards conversion. If you fail to convert or strengthen the relationship, it will probably be lost forever. A user will arrive at a website for the first time motivated by a recommendation or a question and using the means that allow him to resolve his question. In the case of your website, it is likely that the first session will be the result of a Google search or caused by CPC actions. You should make efforts by relying on SEO techniques that increase your visibility in search engines. Unless you have a complex interactive tool integrated into your website, you should use the tools to solve your problem. site(whether it is an e-commerce or any web application) this will mainly be a transit place, through which the user passes, performs the specific action that they expected and from which, if you do not capture it, they will end up leaving. A website is a useful site to attract visitors and convertThe user was just passing through and your goal should be to surprise them and give them more than they were looking for. Your goal, therefore, is for them to get to know you and do something with you:

• Subscription to newsletter and generation of leads or records.
• A sale or a download if you have an online store. Unless they add a product to the cart so you can do remarketing.
• A click on an ad through AdSense.
• Any other: a consultation call, a registration for an event…

Your website should always be able to provide some kind of conversion. At the very least, generation of branding, that they know you as a brand and know what place you occupy in the market.

Objective and usefulness of an app as a marketing tool

We use an average of 10 different applications every day and 30 per month depending on the App Annie's app usage reportOnly apps that offer a specific utility and solve a problem from time to time, whether it is more or less prolonged, are included in this list. Users want to download apps that offer something different. Apps that offer unique functionality (don't confuse them, your app should do one thing, not fifty). They download it to try it out, but they will only keep it installed if they think they will open it again sooner or later. However, according to a Research conducted by Appboy, less than 25% of users continue using the app the next day, dropping to below 11% after one week. These five tips will help you increase your app's user retention, Because since you have them, you better not lose them.

What advantages will an app bring to your brand?

And for you as a brand? An app must be designed to generate engagement, so that the user adopts you as a tool that he will use frequently, as many times as he needs to solve the need for which it was created. So why create an app? The objective of an application is to generate a relationship with the user. It is not a machine to create and distribute content, but a tool that aims to become an element that links you and the user in some way. An app is not made with the idea of getting hundreds of downloads without more, but rather to establish a medium or long-term relationship with each one of them. A website responds to a query. They look at it and leave. Unless they find another object of interest, they do not return out of their own motivation. An app is not just a query tool, so the content is more tailored to a specific needFor an app, content is not generated incessantly, but rather an attempt is made to reactivate the need that prompted you to use it the first time, whether with an email or a notification push. Some actions enhanced by apps that have managed to offer something useful and thus a recurring use are:

• Request a Cabify or Uber every time you need to get from one point to another.
• Look at the Amazon catalog when you need to make an online purchase.
• Get a discount coupon when you pass by a McDonald's.

What makes websites and apps essential marketing tools for your business?

The web, a tool for attracting users

The web remains the most effective place to produce a first encounter between user and brand. It is accessed through a browser and does not require a download and installation. It works on both desktop and mobile, so creating a website responsive or adaptable to both platforms, we can reach almost all of our potential users. On a technical level, thanks to CMS such as WordPress, Joomla or similar, it is very easy to create a website. In addition, we have thousands of plugins and templates that help us design, structure and define content without having to resort to code. An advantage that until recently only the web enjoyed, but which is now equalled with platforms like King of App. But above all, a website is still a very useful tool to capture and introduce the user into our conversion funnel. Establish your business model and rely on the web to attract users towards your next objective.

The app as a unique engagement generation tool

An app needs to be downloaded, which makes access to a first use more complicated than on the web. However, it is a tool that is able to adapt much better to the characteristics of a user. smartphone, being able to make full use of the sensors and specific functionalities offered by Android and iOS. It responds to a specific need, which is why we achieve loyalty and recurrence. One of the main values of an app is that, once it is downloaded, your brand becomes part of a select club. We are in your short list. We respond to a specific and recurring need since the user has decided to put us at hand to access it more quickly, every time he needs to make use of the advantage that you are offering him. On the web, the closest thing would be to save it in favorites, but the idea with which the user does it is different, rather as a reminder. With the web we have to capture them at the moment. With the app they are already captured and once this is done we have to be able to get the most out of the capture. This is to increase the value of the download by applying techniques of mobile marketing that invite the user to obtain an improvement in the service offered. In this sense, we should talk about the model value freemium, remarketing actions, cross-selling and upselling, among others. All of this fueled by the use of Push notification, the advantages of which we already talked about in this other article. Of course, the web is useful and allows many of the actions possible in apps to be replicated, but its value or how its use is portrayed in the user's mind is different. A website and an app can be clones (in the image above you can see a comparison between the web and app versions of various well-known tools), and yet the user does not use them in the same way because the implications are different. A website answers a specific question and an app answers a common problem. The user may not have any idea when they will use the app again, but they don't uninstall it because they think "maybe they'll need it again another time." If you're thinking about creating an app, don't do it for marketing reasons. If you don't provide content that calls for recurrence, there's not much point in considering it. It's the recurrence when using the advantage that a brand puts at our disposal that makes it different. Who would use the YouTube website to watch a video on their website? smartphone when you have downloaded the app? Sending an email, checking Facebook or your bank account, all of which are fully functional services through a browser that the user prefers to consult through the app.

Combine web and app to boost your marketing strategy

To start with, getting a user to download an app is much more complicated than getting a new session on a website, and yet it can be much more beneficial. On a website, they search for something specific, they find it, and that's it. Unless there is a Call to Action or other content that expands their interest on what brought them to your site, they will have nothing else to do there. An app has a different purpose, which is to be able to respond to a specific but recurring need. How do you get them to download your app? If your app has a specific purpose such as: “find out football results”, it is unlikely (although this is changing) that someone will perform that query directly in the app store search engine. We are talking about ASO is when the necessary techniques are applied to make an application gain visibility in the market places: Google Play or App Store. Until relatively recently, users did not usually search for a specific topic in the app store, since that is what Google is for. In the market places It is more common to search by the name of the app, either guided by a recommendation, because it is the one that everyone is talking about or because you have read about it on some website. Indeed, Many downloads are attracted through a website and this is one of the ways in which synergies are produced between both platforms..

Generate synergies between web, app and other marketing channels

So, website or app? Why not both? Typically, a brand uses different marketing techniques and formats to activate the sales that are the basis of its business model. Do you want to start taking advantage of the benefits that an app brings? Make it known through your website. Use it to generate content that attracts and converts, and take advantage of it to present your application and get downloads. Don't stop here. Provide feedback and feedback on its use through other channels. Promote the reopening of the app through notifications. push. Improve your sales results in-app via email and suggesting that they follow you on social media in exchange for an upgrade.