Apps can look better than mobile platforms (plus load faster as your mobile platform version of the site is more optimized for load speeds (less images).
For example, I have been working on my mobile version of my site (
http://www.itmustbecollege.com/) to convert it over to (
http://m.itmustbecollege.com). The reason I am doing this - and YOU SHOULD.. is for two reasons:
1) When people visit my FB posts via a mobile phone, it directs them to my website, on their mobile device - the homepage is very image heavy, so this takes a while on some phones, so you have two options:
* One, opt the user to download your app when they reach your site via a mobile device
* direct them over to your mobile site.
I will do both eventually, as my site is all user-submitted stuff and mobile phone browsers do NOT allow for ANY file uploading / file form submission via the actual browser (which is why I need an app).
That is the main reason why you should do BOTH. The thing with mobile sites though, is you need to put in some php / cookies to track which one the user wants on that device. For example I have a code that does the following in PHP:
Code:
* IF no cookie setting is set, and it seems a mobile device (via a function I have) send them to the same page, just with 'm.*' rather than 'www.*'
* If cookie is set, follow w/e setting they have choosen.
With a mobile app, you obviously know that mobile phones are using it - so easier to decide on what to put. Either way, I suggest both. Though do a mobile site first as people using GOOGLE, etc. are going to find your SITE not the app. Now, you can do what I suggest and "alert" them when they go to your page to DOWNLOAD the app - but most users might just close that and continue with the pages.
