Can Apps replace websites?

Apps replace websites and the death of the web

As some accountancy firms debate the validity of having an App, others like Streets, Brashaw Morey and Tayabali Tomlin are already reaping the rewards. In fact in a recent blog post I wrote about one firm who surveyed their clients before buying the App – you can read their reviews here

However this blog is not about the benefits of having an App. For us the benefits are clear. The wider issue is do they have the power or potential to replace the web as we know it? The debate is a good one and it’s not recent. Back in 2011 Forrester CEO George Colony gave a speech where he proclaimed the death of the web and the emergence of the “App Internet.”

And there have been others who have written and commented on this interesting topic. We are witnessing a change, a shift in user behavior.

http://thenextweb.com/apple/2010/04/20/apps-replacing-websites-death-of-the-website

Let’s start with you and your habits

Can Apps replace websites?

Do you own an iPad or tablet? Have you downloaded an App? Downloaded the ebay App? Or Using Twitter? If so then there is an 80% + chance you are not using the Twitter.com website but actually the Twitter App.

It seems that wherever you look there is an App for that. And that’s not just because an App is cool, which they are. It’s because of a shift in user habits, and that includes the clients and potential customers of an accountancy firm like yours.

Apps are replacing websites. Twitter started as a website but quickly moved to applications on multiple platforms. So what about the Accountancy profession? Accountants will move from web based document exchange to Application based. Calculators at the touch of a button; photo receipt management and storage from the App; Mileage management, communication to and from accountant and client. All through one single App. And by the way, they are already in use by over 100 accountants using the MyFirmsApp solution.

 

MyFirmsApp

Take one of our App clients, Tayabali Tomlin

Tayabali Tomlin was an early adopter of App technology. You can read a case study from them here. We haven’t just done their App, we have also built their website (both browser and mobile enabled versions)

But here is the interesting question – what can their website do that their App can’t?

If you stop long enough to consider this question, the only conclusion is nothing. The App can run calculators that aren’t available on the website. It can track your mileage, photograph and log receipts, it can send push messages and much more. The App can also provide the user with key, important data from the website. The stuff about your firm, your team, directions, contact details, mailforms etc.

Other companies are leading the way

As is so often the case, other industry sectors are leading the way. Ever visited Shazam.com? The entire focus of the website is to drive you to the App. Our own website is designed to drive users to the App or free demo where we can talk to you about the App.

So perhaps it’s not so far fetched to consider the future where the App will become the interface with the internet.

 

Categories: Accountants, Android, Apps, iPhone, Mobile Websites, Sales