Business is about connecting with people through all available avenues.
The most important of those tools at business leaders’ disposal are smartphone applications. With apps, users can interact with companies in entirely new ways. Users can automatically keep track of their rewards, creating measurable value for them. Interacting with your app also builds audience engagement, which helps make your business important in people’s lives.
However, developing an app can be confusing. While app development has many stages, the first step is to decide between building a web app vs mobile app.
They have different advantages and disadvantages. To learn about them, and for help deciding which is right for you, keep reading below.
Web Apps: Adaptable, Flexible, and Usable
Web apps are usually the more cost-effective and elegant solution for businesses looking for an app. These apps are built similarly to websites but are presented differently. Rather than users on interacting with them through a browser, they interact through an app.
Information is pulled from online and presented on a person’s phone. This means that the performance of your app is dependent on a person’s Wi-Fi signal. It also means that it’s simple to design, which makes it a cheaper option for businesses.
It is also cross-platform, so no matter whether users use the app on an Android or iOS device, they’ll have the same experience. Web apps are basically virtual storefronts – the same no matter how people interact with them.
Mobile Apps: Put Performance Above All Else
Web apps are good for businesses that are already established somewhere else. They just open a new avenue for customers to interact with the organizations.
But if using the app is the main way users interact with your company, consider building a mobile app. While mobile apps still pull information from online to function normally, they also handle that information differently.
Instead of opening a storefront online to be accessed by everyone, the storefront is opened right on the user’s phone. This means all the app’s processing is done on the phone, improving performance.
Unfortunately, it also means multiple apps need to be developed for different platforms. It also means that mobile can be more expensive. Yet, it’s still worth it to guarantee your users’ a good experience if they only interact with your business through your app.
The Web App vs Mobile App Debate: Personal Choice
If your company is based off users interacting with an app, it may be a better decision to design a mobile app for all major platforms. This way, users can access your product without an internet connection. They can still use it since it becomes a part of their phone.
You should make sure that your iOS and Android apps perform seamlessly and are designed similarly. Part of Snapchat’s issues right now is that the company only targeted iOS users. By leaving Android users in the dust, they sacrificed a large audience.
However, if you are just looking for a way for users to access your business, then consider a web app. It is cost-efficient and adaptable for a variety of platforms. Users will be familiar with the app, no matter what phone they use.
What matters when you try to decide if you want a web app vs mobile app is what users will think of it. It must be designed well either way. And that is best done by professionals.
Contact us and you will have an elegant, smooth app for your business – and a new way to make money!