To App or Not to App? The NFP Question!
10 July 2012 at 12:10 pm
| Photo: http://www.iservices.com.au |
As Smartphones and other mobile devices are being adopted at a rapid pace – more and more people are accessing the internet via their phone, and the question for Not for Profits now is to App or not to App?
That refers to using a mobile application to attract supporters or to making a Not for Profit website ‘mobile’ enhanced.
Our recent Pro Bono Australia News online Poll on whether Not for Profits have mobile websites shows that 79 per cent of organisations do not and just 21 per cent have mobile enhanced websites.
But which strategy to adopt?
iServces, a systems integrator for the Not for Profit sector, has put together a discussion paper on just that.
iServices says it seems that many Professional Associations and NFPs they have spoken with are confused about which strategy to adopt – mobile websites or mobile applications?
The iService paper discusses:
- Core differences between mobile websites and mobile applications- an in-depth analysis of the relative pros and cons
- Technology requirements of Not for Profit organisations and Professional Associations
- Ideas for mobile websites and the functionality required such as news, event registration, membership renewals and more
So App or Website?
iServices says whilst apps have a clear advantage for interactivity/gaming, for membership based organisations they prove to be a major expense and a novelty.
So, generally speaking, the company says a mobile website should be considered the first step in developing a mobile web presence.
“Apps are more useful for developing an application for a very specific purpose that cannot be effectively accomplished via a web browser,” iServices said.
“There are also studies to suggest that the average shelf life of apps is low – people download them frequently but usage drops dramatically over time.
“One study by Pinch Media showed that, for free applications, only about 20 per cent of users returned to use the app after they downloaded it. The usage for paid apps had an even steeper drop off rate.
“So, unless an app has a clear advantage over accessing the same function on a mobile website, a mobile website is the best option for websites in an enterprise environment.”
Having read your article “To App or Not to App? The NFP Question!” I just thought I’d let you know, last year we, The Life’s Little Treasures Foundation (www.lifeslittletreasures.org.au) went through this very same decision. We conducted research, surveys and decided in the end that an App was the way to go and we are so pleased we did.
The Apps “Premature Baby Journal” and “NICU Words” http://www.lifeslittletreasures.org.au/llt-app/ are two world first apps which help families who find themselves in the very daunting world of the Neonatal and Special Care nurseries of hospitals. They are designed to record information in imperial or metric measure, they are packed full of features making it easy to track the baby’s feeds, expressing times, weight gain as well as keeping a journal for all the milestones the baby achieves. There is also a glossary designed to provide clear explanations of what medical terms, medical machinery and what medical roles are in NICU and SCN.
Initially they were designed with Australian families in mind but the beauty of the App is that it can be downloaded from anywhere in the world, giving not only the aussie families access to these great resources but families from all over the world. We have been blown away by the response, and are delighted we have been able to assist so many familes both far & wide.
well this industry has got a bright future i really appreciate this the next era is all about the app 😛
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