Save money, Enhance UX and Improve SEO with Cross Platform Apps
Apps that operate across a diverse range of platforms improve customer interactions and streamline your internal processes.
It is no secret that today’s SEO strategies need to focus on mobile friendly content to ensure the best user experience for visitors and consumers. However, what is becoming increasingly evident is that the same applies in the B2B market.
Whatever marketing space your business occupies, there are undeniable advantages to developing an app for internal and external clients to access your systems on the go. Broadly, there are two categories of mobile apps: cross platform and web apps.
Cross platform or web based?
A web app is one that is simply accessed directly from your browser. It is straightforward to run, and does not require any installation. A cross platform app, on the other hand, is a software platform that is installed and operated on a specific operating systems, typically Windows, iOS or Android.
Cross platform apps are developed using an implementation tool such as Xamarin. Around 75 percent of the code is the same across all platforms, with the remaining 25 percent specific to each operating system. This means that development time and cost is significantly reduced.
Access
To access the cross platform app, users need to download and install it from an app store. It can then use the inbuilt functionality of your device, for example the camera, calendar, push notifications, etc.
Web based apps are accessed directly via the browser. This means they use little or no internal storage space, but potentially have less functionality.
A significant advantage of the cross platform app is that you can access it any time, even if you are not connected to the internet. Clearly, this is not possible with a web based app. Note that with some cross-platform apps, functionality is reduced when you are offline.
Maintenance and updates
With a web based app, there will only ever be one version live, and this makes support a great deal easier. Similarly, it is quicker to release upgrades and patches, as there is only a single version to think about.
With the cross platform apps, the situation is potentially more complex, as you can find yourself with multiple versions in use across the multiple platforms. Having a mechanism to ensure that all users upgrade to the latest version will clearly reduce the headache. This can be done through push notifications to encourage users to update, or you can even set the app to automatically check that it is running the latest version whenever it goes online.
Which is right for you?
When it comes to selecting the best type of mobile app for your business, you need to consider the following questions:
1) Will you require the app to function across different platforms and devices?
2) Are there any device-specific capabilities that are “must haves?”
3) Is it essential for the app to be internet enabled?
4) How much of a priority are speed and performance capabilities?
Once you have the answers to these questions, you are a step closer to building the perfect mobile app to improve business, SEO and user experience, and thereby giving your business a valuable competitive edge.
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