The terms "mobile application" and "mobile website" have become so widely used that some people get confused about the difference between the two. Interestingly the confusion is less when you say "mobile app" as opposed to "mobile application".
If you are not a techie person I can see how the two can can be confusing. Let me try and give an explanation without using too many words.
The main difference is that the mobile application is a piece of software you download from a store into your phone or other mobile device and then periodically download upgrades to it. But you "carry" it inside your phone. A mobile website is just a website that has been optimized to look good on mobile devices. You can access it from the regular or "desktop" browser as well as from a browser installed on your phone.
I wrote earlier that Google calls websites that have been optimized for mobile devices "responsive" websites. Google also does not recommend having a separate website setup specifically for mobile devices. For example, you can have a website that is "www.ottawawebdesign.com" and there will be a mobile-friendly version of it "www.m.ottawawebdesign.com". Google does not recommend this. Instead, you are advised to use ONE website and implement CSS media queries to ensure that when someone access your site via a mobile device, they get a proper display. This has been our strategy all along so I can't complain about Google in this respect.
Also, mobile apps are usually designed to do something specific, like a calendar or weather updates whereas a website can be very general in nature.
Most recent website templates provided by reputable template design houses like Joomlart or Rockettheme are "responsive" by default. Some contain small bugs and need minor adjustments here and there but overall most recent templates are of very high quality and highly "responsive".
Hope this makes sense folks, but as usual, if you need help, contact me via my web design Ottawa website.
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