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I won’t lie to you, I listened to Pat Benatar’s song before writing this piece just for kicks. Alas, to my own surprise I was actually able to draw a metaphor between the 80’s hit song and the concept of competitive advantage in business! Organizations, young and old, are all competing for attention online. It’s a constantly evolving battle for attention with the growth of technology and plethora of channels to communicate on. A quintessential part of creating meaningful audience engagement for an organization is allowing yourself to be authentic and transparent… in personal relationships we call it vulnerability. However, in this day and age, any organization that masters the art of open, authentic, personally relevant communication with their audience is still on the losing end of the battle for attention if they don’t optimize their efforts on mobile.
So, the question of competitive advantage now becomes: what is the most effective and inclusive way to reach more people, more often without compromising the integrity of my business and the quality of our content? The answer is mobile. It sounds simple, but it’s not exactly easy. Since 2014, the number of people using mobile surpassed desktop users, and the number has been rising exponentially since then (these statistics and more: Smart Insights). Mobile app optimization of all your existing channels is necessary, but most organizations stop there. If you want to win the battle for attention and digital engagement, optimizing your website is the bare minimum you need to stay in the game. In other words, in this battle for love don’t bring a knife to a gunshow.
Web apps are a competitive advantage for any organization looking to increase engagement and build a sustainable, successful brand in the digital sphere. Besides the many predictions being made about web apps being the future of app development (learn more: 2016 Future of Mobile Apps), there are several logical reasons why web apps provide a unique competitive advantage.
Here’s why:
- Web apps reach a wider mobile audience because they are accessible on any mobile phone with a web browser capacity. Native apps must be downloaded exclusively through App Stores.
- Web apps allow more and easier design customization. The content, images, colors and the entire look and feel of your app can be easily customized for your user without approval requirements, app store regulations or hours of development work.
- Web apps offer more accessibility. They can be used on any mobile device with a web browser, but they can even be accessed by someone via a PC.
- Web apps are easier to maintain. Updates to a web app are immediately available to users without requiring a phone upgrade or app store approvals.
- Web apps are more affordable.
In short, web apps are easier to develop, friendly for users, easier to install and maintain, easier to customize and more affordable.
Ever heard of the WWII pilot, John Boyd? He was a United States Air Pilot who mastered the art of competitive advantage so successfully (saved his life while outnumbered by enemy planes) that his theory is now a widely accepted military and business strategy. The OODA theory and acronym stands for: observe, orient, decide, act. The person who is able to move from orient to act quicker and more efficiently has the competitive advantage. How does this battle theory apply to mobile technology and engagement? Simple. The organization that orients themselves towards mobile technology, observes the patterns of mobile engagement, decides to adopt a mobile solution and ACTS on it quicker and most efficiently, has the advantage. By reading this article about the competitive advantage of web apps, you are already at the observation stage. It’s time to decide and act!
Still unsure what mobile solution is right for you? Read our free whitepaper: 2016 Future of Mobile Apps.
If you have questions and concerns about web app functionality, engagement capacity or pricing, contact one of our InspireHUB engagement specialists for a FREE consultation.
