Originally, the first mobile apps were created for Apple's phone system, mainly to cope with the commercial success of iPhone technology. However, Android applications gradually developed as well, and today, there are even more of them than on the App Store.
In the world of mobile applications, two models stand out: paid mobile applications, which require payment upon download, and free applications. It’s also important not to confuse mobile versions of websites with applications.
A mobile version of a website is responsive or adaptive, meaning it’s designed to be visited on a mobile device such as a tablet or smartphone.
An application, on the other hand, is a completely independent program that runs and installs directly on the smartphone, requiring a prior download. Moreover, applications offer numerous advantages:
- faster page loading;
- often much more extensive features than a website’s mobile version;
- customizable notifications;
- easier access to user data; and
- the ability to run offline (for certain apps, as is the case with a native application), even without internet access.
Today, apps cover various domains on the web, including social networks, commercial information, games, news websites, and mobile commerce. Many major brands have their own application, the development of which allows them to reach a larger audience and improve the user experience.
Just like websites are listed on search engines like Google, mobile applications are visible on application websites. These vary depending on the type of smartphone used.
For example, for Android, it’s the Google Play Store; for Apple, it’s the App Store; and for Windows Mobile, it’s the Windows Store.
Brands are putting in effort to be visible on these platforms, as applications represent a significant commercial opportunity, especially considering the increasing number of mobile users.
