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Pros and Cons of User Generated Content

In today’s modern times, we live and breathe user-generated content (UGC) whether knowingly or unknowingly. It has gotten rapid popularity due to its easy access for users. So what is it exactly? 

User-generated content is any content whether text, video, images, reviews, that are created by the people themselves instead of the brands. The brands will then share these content on their social media pages, websites, and other channels. The platforms that best utilize these are Instagram and YouTube, where users can upload photos and videos on their own profile. 

You may be asking, why do people love creating their own content? Firstly, people like to express themselves, whether it’s making a product review video or taking aesthetic shots of a certain product. Making user generated content is a good way to let them both express themselves while at the same time promoting their personal values. 

As a business owner, it’s important to understand how you can benefit from user-generated content and at the same time, the negatives that come along with it to better your marketing strategies. 

 

The Good 

Because it essentially lets users do the content, it can help reduce your content burden. Conceptualizing and creating content is a challenge for any marketer. Add that to the multitudes of available content ideas online, it is hard to come up with something distinctly original. UGC can offer a different perspective to possible customers even with it just being a simple review, or discussions among customers in blog comments sections. Congruent with this is also that you can save time and money as content takes time to create which can leave you free to do other productive things.  

Another reason is to improve your reach and engagement. Campaigns in Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram that involve the use of hashtags are an example. Each time users put the specific hashtag on their posts, they are able to drive engagement to their network of followers and friends. It is said that effective UGC can generate up to 7 times more engagement than content created by brands, which can trickle down to more sales. 

UGC are made by real people with faces and stories their friends and followers know, which is why it creates trust and authenticity for your brand. Data shows that users are 2.4 times more likely to view UGC as authentic compared to content by real brands which is a good credibility boost for any brand. Modern customers also prefer knowing what they’re getting before they order and that means not just check the official pages of the brand but also customer reviews. 92% of consumers trust reviews from people they know, and 70% from online reviews. 

 

The Not So Good

Just with all positives there are negatives and one of those is having negative content. You can only have so much control over the kind of experience your customer will have and not everyone will like the products or services you are selling. People tend to be biased. It is never a good thing to completely moderate over the bad content and censor them as it can always backfire. 

As mentioned there is also the need to monitor content because although anyone can express what they want freely, people can turn nasty and malicious online. This is also a method to fight back on spam, which is counterproductive to user-generated content. 

There is potential for legal issues to look out for especially as the content is posted by the users, giving them rights to it. Reposting it without the proper attribution is risky, but should you follow through with this, you should not come across any legal problems. 

 

The Verdict? 

While there are disadvantages, the advantages clearly outweigh them. UGC can give you that level of trust and authenticity your own marketing campaigns alone cannot capture while at the same time and money in creating content. Even with the possibilities of getting negative reviews, you are able to have content that is far reaching and can even spark dialogue between potential customers. 

 

It is important to know the upsides and downsides to user-generated marketing because this is a good strategy to have for any business. Unlock the benefits of user-generated content for your business- talk with our experts and see how iManila can help your brand’s digital marketing efforts. Leave us a message or email us at [email protected].

 

Choosing the Right Facebook Ad Objective for Your Business

Setting up a Facebook ad for the first time using an ads manager account will surely make your mind go fuzzy. Every stage of the setup process is crucial to making a successful campaign, especially the objective selection.

Choosing your campaign objective is the first choice you will have to make. It will determine the optimization and bidding options you will have throughout the ad creation process. It’s like dictating to the Facebook system your goals and simultaneously trusting the system to follow through and provide you with the best tools to achieve it.

So how will you know which one to choose especially if you’re a stranger to Facebook advertising? The ultimate rule is that you choose the one closest to your advertising goal.

Facebook Ads Objective

To generate better results, you must understand what each objective means.

In a nutshell, Facebook uses the data it gets from people’s online behavior and targets the ones within your chosen target audience who are most likely to engage or see your ad.

Objectives are broken down into three categories: Awareness, Consideration, and Conversion with sub-objective options each.

Awareness

This objective allows you to generate interest in what you sell. You have two choices in this category.

  1. Brand Awareness

Use this to increase awareness. This objective will help you reach people who are most likely to pay attention to what you promote on your ad.

Instead of boosting your ad for engagements (likes, comments, shares), this is the most recommended objective to take. This does not necessarily get people to engage, click-through, or purchase.

Huge companies like Jollibee, SM, and Coca-Cola may find value in this objective, the same way other companies who are not necessarily aiming to website traffic, sales leads, or increase in purchases. This may not, however, provide the same value to small and medium-sized businesses.

  1. Reach

Use reach if you want your ad to be seen by many people around your target coverage and budget plan.

Consideration

This campaign objective category allows you to reach people who want to know more information about your brand.

  1. Traffic

This objective allows you to drive traffic outside of Facebook like inviting people to read your blog on your website, listen to a podcast, see your app, and more. Facebook will serve your ad to people who are most likely to click through.

  1. Engagement

If you want people to engage on your ad, use engagement as an objective. The engagements include reactions, likes, comments, and shares. This could also help you increase your page following, event responses, and offer claims.

Choosing engagement will also allow you to retarget people who have previously engaged on your ad for future advertising campaigns.

  1. App Installs

Use this objective if you want people to download your mobile app. 

  1. Video Views

This objective will help you promote your video and target people who are most likely to watch it. The priority is to let them see your content on the video and not to click a link or register.

This objective is also beneficial when you are planning to build a video engagement audience for retargeting purposes.

  1. Lead Generation

This objective will allow you to generate leads right within the ad. It generally invites people to register their names, contact details, and other data you would like to get from them. Additionally, the data you get are auto-populated so you can get essential information out of the sign-ups.

There are only a couple of complex steps when doing this objective. You need to use a third-party tool that should be integrated to Facebook to automatically take all data going to CRM. You can do this within the Lead Set up on Facebook. This is crucial because people would expect to know what you are offering immediately.

Conversion

This last campaign category will get people to register, download applications, purchase, or visit your store.

To optimize for Conversion, you need to have at least 15-25 conversions a week. This is only a bare minimum; the ideal number is between 50-100. This is necessary so Facebook can learn about those people who converted and target the ones who most likely to convert as well within your target coverage. Without this data, Facebook won’t be able to optimize accurately the delivery of your ads.

1.Product Catalog Sales

When you have an e-commerce store you would like to promote, use product catalog sales as an objective. This will require you to have the catalog integrated to Facebook and choose product feeds in creating a campaign.

2.Store Visits

Use this objective if you have multiple business branches and you wish to get people to visit your nearest store to purchase. You will need to set up your business locations on the ads manager before you can use this objective.

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Choose the most appropriate objective that is aligned to your current goals. Consider your first attempt as an A/B testing so you can know if your chosen objective really works for your business and if the expected results are met.

If all this is too much to take in – don’t fret as we don’t want you to stress out on something you don’t necessarily have to deal with. Get a reliable and experience-heavy agency who can do the job for you. Here at iManila, our expertise will help you build your brand and get more people to talk about your business. Request a quote for our Social Media Management and Social Media Ads now!

Where Should You Spend Your Marketing Budget in 2020

It’s a sad reality that the year 2020 has impacted many businesses in various industries such as retail, tourism, transportation, and many more. The community quarantine has definitely limited the freedom of consumers in purchasing only their needs. Fortunately, there is a way to keep your business afloat despite the ongoing pandemic. Due to this, for the year 2020, businesses should join the hype by focusing on marketing trends and safely investing in different brand strategies to keep your business going.

Here are some areas where you should spend your Marketing Budget in 2020. 

Compelling blog content

Many people rely on blogs if they need answers to their questions. The reason why it is important to post high-quality content is to be able to capture the attention of your website visitors. Your content serves as one of your most important marketing tools and it must not be overlooked. Just as well, the competition when it comes to blog posting is very high that’s why your content should always be compelling to stand out. It is also a must to regularly update blog posts on your website to reach more audience and increase your organic traffic.  

Social Media Marketing

It is known that throughout the pandemic, social media usage has skyrocketed with more people staying at home. With that, and with the majority of online users on social media, no doubt that your brand should be on social media too! Social media marketing helps in improving brand loyalty. Now more than ever, it is the perfect time to invest in a social platform that will help you reach your target consumers and simultaneously build stronger relationships with your consumers. Here are the following areas you need to consider on Social Media Marketing: compelling content, visually enticing images, and paid advertising.

Quality Product Description

Product descriptions play a huge role in your marketing tool. If it is a dry feature your target consumers will surely lose their interest in your product. Product descriptions have many functions than characterizing a product. This answers the questions of your target market about your product. Product descriptions should evoke the right emotion and showcase the ability of the product. It is a must to provide a budget for writing marketing descriptions.

Video Marketing

Video Marketing is the perfect way to raise brand awareness and reach audiences who have an interest similar to your brand. Consumers watch videos for their entertainment and want to be a part of their interaction with the brand. To make video marketing effective, always have an objective in mind on what you want to achieve and determine the type of video that you will publish.

One way to keep your business afloat this 2020 is to invest in your Marketing Budget digitally (and wisely), in order to reach more audience and raise brand awareness online. The specifics of your business depend on your marketing strategies and investment. iManila is equipped to help your business keep going and to boost your online presence no matter what the situation is. Leave a message and let’s discuss how we can help you with your digital marketing needs.

SEO or SEM: Which Should You Prioritize?

When you hear digital marketing, two of the terms you would come across would be SEO or SEM. Search Engine Optimization (SEO) and Search Engine Marketing (SEM) may sound alike but serve different purposes that both aid in digital marketing. 

Any digital marketing professional should know the difference the same way a business owner should know what kind of digital marketing strategy to apply for his business. Here’s what you need to know about SEO and SEM and which you should use for your business.  

Search Engine Optimization

Search Engine Optimization is when a search engine “crawls” content to see how effective it is in attracting traffic. Things such as website titles, keywords, and tags will be inspected so that the search engine is able to rank them in their capacity to attract organic traffic. Ranking the websites will rely on various factors, some of which are: having great quality content with good link building and keywords, if the user experience of the site can meet the end goals of the site visitors, and link patterns among sites of authority. 

Google is the primary target search engine, amassing 79% of search traffic results across the globe as searched by NetMarketShare. Other search engines in the running are Bing, Yahoo!, and Baidu, but Google takes the market lead. With 66,000 searches per second on Google, SEO becomes such a timely strategy to capitalize on. 

There are two types of SEO activities, on-page SEO and off-page SEO. The former talks about the optimization practices done such as updating the tags, publishing new content, or improving page speed while the latter talks about sharing your profile, outreach, and optimizing social media profiles. Some of the activities related to SEO include: optimizing key titles and descriptions, keyword research and analysis, content creation and optimization, and site and server optimization. 

SEO when done right, can bring in a good amount of traffic and strike up conversations with potential clients and can bring you better brand credibility to search engines that you are a valuable resource. This is a practice that is geared for the long term as changes require longer periods of monitoring, meaning if you are a relatively new site it is likely that Google would ignore you in favor of more established ones at the start. 

Search Engine Marketing

Search Engine Marketing is an umbrella term for paid search advertising. This has a lot to do with having the right keywords and strategy to be able to appear at the top of search engines. It includes some popular SEM strategies such as: Pay-per-Click (PPC) ads, display advertising, shopping advertising, and remarketing. PPC is the most popular type of SEM and what comes to mind for most people when it is brought up. 

There are many activities that fall under SEM which includes: targeted (paid) ad campaigns, writing ad copy, making sure the ad falls into budget, and making use of indicators and metrics such as cost-per-click (CPC) or click-through-ratio (CTR). 

While SEO is more for brand credibility, SEM is great for brand recognition most especially if you are at the top of the searches. With SEM it is easy to see your ROI because you are getting the results that you paid for, and you are able to monitor the traffic and create campaigns based on that information. SEM requires extra knowledge especially with tools such as Google AdSense. 

Which Is the One for You? 

While SEO gets organic traffic, SEM gets paid traffic through ads, which makes both actually complementary as they both rely on traffic and are accessed by queries on search engines when they try to look for something. Given the consumer pattern that most customers search online before buying, a combination of both strategies can give you the best results with visibility you need in the long term. 

A website should be SEO-friendly so SEM can have a greater chance of working. Having good SEO foundations is always a good start in letting the search engines know you are a credible site.

However, if your site is fairly new, focusing on SEM would be a better choice as SEO rank building does take time. It is still important though to keep in mind that although SEO is a long-term investment, consistently working on your SEO for a long period of time will make it even harder for your competitors to outrank you organically in the long term. 

So which strategy is the right one for you? The answer really depends on your marketing goals. Do you want to drive leads and sales or generate brand awareness? A finely tuned campaign made to address your marketing goals will be of great help in getting started on digital marketing. Not sure where to begin with SEO and SEM? Leave it to the experts in digital campaigns, leave a message and let’s discuss how we can unlock all your digital marketing possibilities. 

What are the different types of websites and how to know which type of website do you need?

Nowadays, the competition in the market is very tough. One way to make your business successful is to make it active online, and the first step to doing this is by creating your business website to serve as your virtual window and front door. The key to make your business website effective is to take a look at what your business needs and ensure that your site accomplishes the main objective of your business. 

Here are different types of websites to help you choose which fits your business.

Brochure

A brochure website is the simplest type of website, because it only has a few pages. It is primarily used to serve as an online brochure, it gives an overview on what the business is all about and it displays contact information on how you can contact the business. This type of site is typically used by small businesses that need to boost their online presence. The content from brochure websites are mostly static, which makes it perfect for startups and small businesses who want to start making their business active digitally.

Blog

Blogs are online journals that provide information to your website visitors. Because nowadays, people rely on the internet if they have a question or are curious about something, a blog provides the answer to that. It is regularly updated by a small group and can be written in laid back style. Blog websites are important, because they add features and interest to your site. It is also a must to keep it updated as much as possible for more website visitors.

E-commerce 

E-commerce websites are online stores which allow your consumers to purchase on the site itself. It features online payments as well. The main objective of an e-commerce site is to urge your website visitors to buy your product or service. This is especially suited for businesses selling multiple products. This type of website focuses more on functionality than visual aesthetics.

Portal

Portals are centralized places to share information for internal purposes of a business or organization which can only be accessed by the people within the organization. It involves a login process that grants the employees access to their accounts for work purposes. This can also be used by schools, allowing students to access details of their classes and their grades.

Informative

Informative websites convey specific educational, and instructive ideas to capture a learning audience. It serves as your business marketing tool. This type of website is usually content and design-driven in order to share more information to your audience. It is important to make compelling and informative contents to keep your visitors come back for more. The visual design of informative websites should be aesthetically pleasing as well in order to capture the attention of the consumers.

Portfolio

Portfolio-type of websites give information about your business which showcases your work. It is focused on collecting samples of past works which can be used as an online portfolio. The main objective of a portfolio website is to display compelling content and visually enticing designs to get clients. It gives an idea to the visitors on what the owner can do.

Websites play an important role to keep your business going because it reaches an audience online to give you more sales. Especially nowadays that people rely on the internet when they need something, it is a must to plan your website that fits your business to maximize its function and achieve your goals for your business. If you are planning to enhance your presence online, now is the perfect time to start your website.

iManila is equipped to help your website dominate online. All our website packages are built to provide an aesthetically pleasing website, increase your search engine visibility, and empower your organization. Visit our website at https://imanila.ph/web/web-design-and-development/ to learn more about how we can develop your business’ website.

 

How to Plan for the Post Pandemic Normal

The pandemic that took the world by storm erased our status quo, not just in our daily lives but also in the way we work and do business. When once work had to be done in the physical parameters of an office, we were then forced to conform to a new reality of virtual work, greatly altering the business models of many companies, even resulting in their extinction. 

At the rate that the business environment is shifting and at a breakneck speed, agile thinking has become more important than ever especially in undergoing a digital transformation. When once digital initiatives might have been on the back stage, now is the time to have them be at the center stage. As companies are slowly getting back on track, it is important to plan for a long term, one that is suitable for a digital post-pandemic normal, and here’s some important factors to consider:

Evaluate procedures 

Most of the normal business operations the past several months have been done virtually one way or the other. Because of this shift, it is not surprising to see the workforce and even industry trends reflect these changes as they go on, for some, even changing completely the way they work. 

At a heightened time like this, going back to the way things were is simply not an option. Now is the best time to reevaluate current operation policies and procedures to meet these new demands and expectations of clients. Whether it be in terms of improving virtual systems and communications, a different approach to marketing, or adopting new types of products and services, it is vital to listen to the customers and see market trends. This is the best time to think about what your business wants to prioritize, to work smarter instead of working harder. 

Plan financials 

A digital transformation will be the most important thing to consider and alongside this is thinking about where to allocate your business’ capital. It is important to not just plan in the short term in the coming weeks, months, and quarter, but to also plan for the years to come. Taking a look at the external trends brought about the pandemic is important, whether it would change the expectations of customers, a possible surge of sales once things start picking up, or if the rise is a slow one. 

Your staffing 

The global crisis has resulted in gaps to the workforce and this comes with new opportunities for you to make staffing decisions quickly. Your options should you want to hire new people are: employees who can run a business, employees hungry and looking for more, and new talent not available yet in your business that you might need. It is a good time to invest on new people who not only have the right skills and mindset but people who can be a great addition to your existing teams moving forward. 

Your workplace culture 

It is hard to create a sense of normalcy as businesses start to get back on their feet and attempt to recover. With the turn to a digital way of communicating, it is important to note that not everyone may be comfortable with such a transition. Boosting employee engagement is a must that employers should start considering supporting new initiatives such as a focus on mental health, more communication and feedback, and the like. 

Know what worked 

In the face of challenges such as establishments closing and businesses turning to virtual communication has led to creative and ingenious ways to reach out and appeal to customers given the new normal. As business plans will be thought out, it is important to know what things worked and what did not. This can be anything, from a new innovative product or service to a different strategy employed by a team for efficiency. It is vital to identify not just market opportunities but also the strengths of an organization at a time like this in order to be successful. This can help businesses be more agile in navigating future crises. 

What we know then doesn’t apply to what we know now. How we worked then, doesn’t apply to how we work now. The pandemic has shed some light on things that are important and has changed the playing field. Now is not the time to just sit back and relax but to be more proactive especially with a digital transformation. The right decisions now can save your company in the months to come during this crisis. See how we can help you navigate and plan for a post pandemic normal for your business. Leave us a message to learn more.

Microsoft Office 365 vs. G Suite

Many companies have dealt with this common question – “What should I use? Microsoft 365 or G Suite?”

With most of us relying on technology to monitor and run our businesses, apps like Microsoft Office, Gmail, and Google Docs are quite common. However, the dilemma falls on whether you should subscribe and get both? Or better yet, what is best for your business?

Here, let us walk you through on a quick comparison between Microsoft 365 and G Suite:

Microsoft 365

Formerly launched as Office 365, tech powerhouse Microsoft has rebranded their Office Suite to Microsoft 365 last April 21, 2020. 

With business plans starting at $5.00/user per month to $20.00/user per month (charged annually), Microsoft 365 offers cloud solutions from storage, collaboration (Teams), and a bundle of their well-known apps such as Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint, SharePoint, and OneDrive, that can be used on various platforms from PC, web, and mobile. Access to apps varies depending on your subscription, so it offers flexibility for business owners to choose a plan that fits their work processes better. 

Microsoft 365 also offers Home Plans from a $149.99 one-time purchase plan that includes the classic versions of the Office apps for one 1 PC or Mac, to monthly plans that range from $69.99 (Personal) to $99.99 (Family) annually that already includes Cloud storage, access to Microsoft Premium apps and advanced security for your devices.

G Suite

Known for its business solutions such as Gmail, Drive, Docs, Sheets, and Slides, G Suite provides various apps for productivity and collaboration ideal for both business and personal use alike. 

Initially released in 2006, G Suite offers real-time collaboration with its cloud-based solutions, which has been ideal for businesses and educational use. 

Monthly plans start at $4.20/month (Basic) to $25/month that includes access to a Gmail Business email, Google Meet, Cloud Storage, Sheets, Doc, Slides, to name a few. Inclusions vary per plan, but all plans include 24/7 standard support and Admin Security and administration controls. 

As the leading choice for office and productivity applications, choosing between Microsoft 365 and G Suite boils down to how well you know your company’s needs and your priorities. G Suite’s Gmail platform is trusted by many companies globally, while Microsoft’s Office apps are a staple for business operations. 

Need help in assessing which works best for your business? Reach out to us at iManila!

As one of the most trusted websites, hosting and digital marketing providers in the Philippines, iManila is an authorized reseller of G Suite and Microsoft Office platforms. Get a free consultation today, contact us at [email protected]. 

How to keep your CMS safe and secure

Website security is one of the pillars of running a business online. Website hacks are not an uncommon phenomenon with 30,000 new small business website hacks a day together with corporation breaches. Rather than waiting for the inevitable, being prepared for such attacks is always a good preventive measure that can save you time from constant web debugging or worse – loss of income from your website and loss of company credibility. 

Hackers have targeted the top three open-source Content Management Services (CMS) such as WordPress, Joomla, and Drupal due to their popularity. As technology evolved, these three CMSs have evolved to be more secure through patching its loopholes. 

Common Security Threats to CMSs

  • Data manipulation: Changing parameters and SQL injections are common hacks used. Malicious SQL statements are being inserted in entry fields for execution. 
  • Accessing data: This means using SQL injections or Cross-Site Scripting (XSS) attacks as a way to jeopardize user data. A web application is used to send the malicious code using a browser side script. 
  • Code Injection: Causing lost or corrupted data, lack of accountability, or revoking access, this is the kind of attack that can affect the whole server that runs the website. 

With the common threats illustrated above, here’s what you can do to ensure your CMS stays safe at all times. 

Update your CMS Admin Password 

If you are the type to just use a common password for the majority of your sites or don’t update your administrator password in the past months, then take this as a sign that you need to start doing so. 

The chances of a hacker knowing one or two of your logins is not a slim one. Using a strong password together with a password storage vault can be handy in helping you keep track, organize, update, and manage passwords in one place. Taking an idea from password generators can come in really handy if you do not want the hassle of coming up with one from scratch. 

SSL Certificates 

With the encryption that an SSL Certificate can offer, users are protected from hackers and those attempting identity theft. It has become the PCI standard especially for e-commerce websites that accept sensitive information such as credit cards and personal data. Since 2018, Google has started ranking websites without SSL Certificates lower and most hosting providers provide free SSL or SSL at a low-cost option. 

Website Monitoring 

Constantly monitoring your website is one of the best solutions that can also help you understand common issues and threats. There is an abundance of online services that can offer a way for you to monitor your website 24/7 and help with security measures such as Google Search Console with their alerts and cPanel with their server error logs. 

Security Plugins 

Despite security updates and patches of CMSs, sometimes additional security measures are still important. While server configurations are one way to get security, not everyone can access or have the ability to secure a server properly. A plugin or extension proves to be the easiest way to ensure the server is configured correctly with the right security. Examples of the ways you can protect your site are through Firewall Protection which can help block brute force and DDoS attacks, restricting IP addresses, and more. Some of the available plugins are as follows Sucuri and WordFence (WordPress), Akeeba Admin Tools and RS FireWall (Joomla), and Security Kit (Drupal). 

While plugins can be helpful, it is worth noting that it is important to keep all plugins updated and to keep an eye out for security risks. It is important to download plugins from the official website and developers to face less security threats, malware, and other compromised data. 

Security should always be the utmost priority and thankfully there are a lot of helpful resources available that can help secure your CMS website. If you are new to CMS then don’t let that unfamiliarity get in the way of securing your website. Let a partner agency like iManila assist you with your website. We have a variety of website maintenance and server management services for your different business needs. Drop us a message and see how we can work together! 

Mobile App vs Mobile Website: Which is Better?

Reports show that 58% of website visits come from mobile alone in 2018. As for online shopping, 40% of users do online transactions on mobile. One can’t deny the importance of mobile in this time of business. The question then isn’t about whether your business needs a mobile strategy or not — but whether your business needs a mobile app or a mobile responsive website. 

There are many factors to consider whether a mobile app or mobile website is better suited for your business needs. We’ve made the choice easier by weighing out the options for you. 

 

Mobile Apps

Mobile apps are the ones that can be accessed natively whether Android or iOS. This offers a much faster and responsive experience compared to a website. Here are some of its key features: 

An Interactive Experience 

Apps are generally more interactive and let users interact and experience more value through this new engagement channel. Instead of just displaying words or text the users can interact with its specific components. An example is with Instagram and how users can post their photos on the app while they are limited only to viewing through the website. 

Customization

This allows the user to get the most out of their app experience. From the get-go users are given the freedom to customize and tailor the app to their tastes. Apps can also track user engagement and allow it to offer recommendations to the user which helps better their experience. Businesses can experience being able to send out tailored notifications to its users based on their location, interests, and behavior. 

Intuitive Interface

Apps have their own interface which allow users to have a more immersive experience. Users of certain operating systems also get to experience the same tailored functionality with the app that meets the same characteristics and functionality that they expect. This is a limitation of responsive websites as it offers the same functionality and experience across different devices. 

Offline Accessibility

While a great majority of apps cannot function without internet use, information already loaded can still be accessible for its users. Some apps still offer some type of functionality while offline. This allows the users to still be able to make use of the app with or without connection to the internet. 

Device Capabilities

This allows the app to make use of capabilities users have in their smartphones such as GPS or a camera. Using these capabilities makes for a better experience for its users. For example the app would need to access the location of the user in order to better tailor the restaurant coupons that it offers the users. 

 

Mobile Responsive Website 

This is essentially your website that is customized so that it can be viewed and accessed the same across different devices with different screen sizes. 

One Size Fits All

Responsive websites can be accessed with devices of any operating system (Android, iOS) as long as there is internet connection. This means that they come completely free of charge unlike some apps. But while it is compatible, factors such as internet connection, quality, and speed are still factors that can affect the mobile web experience. 

No Updates 

Unlike apps that need to be constantly updated, websites do not interrupt the user’s experience as websites are easy to update, support, and fix bugs. The best part is that the users would not even notice when a website is being updated, and they can get right into the website experience without any hiccups. 

Cost Effective

This is more of a benefit to businesses but should you wish to establish your business in more than one platform, cost is an important consideration. However, it still depends on the complexity of the responsive mobile design as a complex one can cost just the same as a mobile application. 

With both options presented, the right choice still depends on the company and their business objectives. Should you wish to interact and engage with customers on a deeper level then mobile apps are your best bet but if you aim for mobile-friendly content for a wide range of people then mobile responsive websites should do the job. 

If done correctly, they can be an invaluable tool at helping get your brand out there. If this sounds like something you want but are not sure where to start, then let a partner agency help you achieve your business goals. iManila has been in the industry for more than two decades and has helped thousands of clients improve their work through technology. Let us help you take your business one step further with a mobile strategy, drop us a message to learn more.