Almost every newsroom already has a mobile-responsive website. That is a good start, but it is no longer the whole mobile strategy.
The better question is not, “Can people find us on a phone?” It is, “Are we giving our most loyal audience an experience built for the way they actually use their phones?”
A website and a dedicated app can both be valuable. They just do different jobs.
The engagement difference is hard to ignore
Research from Pugpig’s State of Mobile Publishing report shows that the average news app user spends nearly twice as much time engaged as a typical news website visitor. For top-performing apps, that gap can grow to 4.5 times the engagement of an average U.S. news website visitor.
App users also come back more often. Pugpig apps average 15 sessions per user each month, with top performers reaching 40. By comparison, even a leading U.S. news website may average around 10 monthly sessions per visitor.
That makes sense when you look at the broader mobile picture. Roughly 90% of smartphone time is spent in apps, not mobile browsers. The average user now spends about 3.6 hours per day in apps. A mobile website is still important, but it is competing for a much smaller slice of people’s phone time.
Apps tend to drive stronger business results, too
The difference is not only about attention.
Cross-brand comparisons have found that apps convert 1.8 times better than mobile web on average, with some brands seeing conversion rates up to seven times higher in-app. App users also generate roughly 1.5 times more revenue per session than mobile-web visitors.
One benchmark found that apps accounted for only 2% to 16% of a brand’s total mobile traffic, yet generated 24% to 65% of its mobile revenue.
That is a useful reminder for any organization with memberships, subscriptions, donations, or advertiser-supported engagement goals. Your app may not reach the largest audience, but it can be where your most valuable audience spends its time.
The website gets the first visit. The app builds the habit.
There is an important caveat behind all of these app numbers: app users are usually your most loyal users already.
They are more likely to be repeat visitors, daily listeners, subscribers, members, or people who have actively decided they want a deeper relationship with your brand. A website will almost always have broader reach because it is where people discover you through search, social media, shared links, and a quick Google search.
That does not make the app less important. It clarifies its role.
Think of your website as the front door. It is built for discovery, reach, search visibility, and casual visitors. Your app is where you welcome in the people who already care about what you do and give them a reason to keep coming back.
The website earns the first visit. The app can turn that visit into a habit.
Notifications are a big part of the advantage
One of the biggest reasons apps outperform mobile web is simple: push notifications.
A mobile website cannot fully replicate the direct, reliable connection that an app notification provides. Browser notifications can work, but the permission process is clunkier, opt-in rates are generally lower, and the experience varies from device to device.
Pugpig’s research found that publishers using push notifications see meaningfully stronger retention than those that do not. For new app users, push can more than double retention during the first 90 days after download.
For broadcasters and local newsrooms, that is a major opportunity. A well-timed weather alert, breaking local story, school closing, high school sports score, or live show reminder can bring someone back into your ecosystem at exactly the moment it matters.
What this means for broadcasters and local newsrooms
The takeaway is not to abandon your website in favor of an app. It is to stop treating the app like an afterthought.
Your website and app should be designed to do different things well.
Your website should make it easy for new people to find you. It should be searchable, shareable, and built for casual readers and listeners who may be encountering your brand for the first time.
Your app should be designed for depth and retention. It should make it easy for loyal users to listen live, catch up on local stories, receive relevant alerts, watch video, enter contests, and come back every day.
When you make the business case for an app, do not focus only on total reach. Focus on your most valuable audience: the subscribers, members, daily listeners, and highly engaged local users who are most likely to stick with you over time.
An app will not solve a discovery problem on its own. Search, social media, and a strong mobile website still matter enormously for bringing in new people.
But once someone knows and trusts your brand, a dedicated app gives you the best opportunity to deepen that relationship. A responsive website gets you into the conversation. A well-built app helps you stay there.