What are the features of apps?

On a daily basis I hear people asking others about, which apps they have and which apps they use most frequently. People are becoming more inclined to quickly press an app rather than navigate through a website. While mobile websites need browsers to be accessed, apps need to be installed and downloaded through the Apple App Store, Android Market, or Blackberry App World. One very positive feature about apps is that it doesn’t require Internet access. Content can be received offline, which is very helpful for people that use transportation such as subways where wifi is limited. Another positive thing about apps is how well it can calculate. If you need data that has to be manipulated it is very efficient with banking and investments. Games games games! This is an additional special feature about all these apps. There are a ton of different games that encourage more users to use apps. This is especially enticing for users, who have children they need to keep occupied during long waits at restaurants and long car rides etc.

The Human Service Solution Website highlighted these four times using an app would be a better option than using a mobile website. 

•    Interactivity/Gaming – for interactive games (think Angry Birds) an app is almost always going to be your best choice, at least for the foreseeable future.

•    Regular Usage/Personalization – If your target users are going to be using your app in a personalized fashion on a regular basis (think EverNote) then an app provides a great way to do that.

•    Complex Calculations or Reporting – If you need something that will take data and allow you to manipulate it with complex calculations, charts or reports (think banking or investment) an app will help you do that very effectively.

•    Native Functionality or Processing Required - mobile web browsers are getting increasingly good at accessing certain mobile-specific functions such as click-to-call, SMS and GPS. However, if you need to access a user's camera or processing power an app will still do that much more effectivley.

•    No connection Required – If you need to provide offline access to content or perform functions without a network/wireless connection then an app makes sense.