Website first or mobile app first, is this question giving you sleepless nights?
No doubt it is a big decision being your debut in the market because as they say the first impression is the last impression.
The conventional approach says to build a website first and then think about the mobile app but let’s be skeptical for a while and think again. Is it the right way to tap the market?
Not sure? That’s ok!
By the end of this article you will have an answer and most importantly you will have reasons for why you choose what you chose.
To organize the whole process we have come up with a fine-tuned checklist which will help you put an end to constant brainstorming sessions about whether to go to a website or a mobile application first.
Okay, let’s start!
Aspect 1: User Reach
As per our Google Analytics, 15% of the website traffic we receive is from mobile devices including tablets and rest 85% of the traffic comes from the desktop.
Here you can see the maximum is from Apple desktops, so the winner is the website.
Aspect 2: Will the user visit your app or website more than 5 times in a day?
If your users are frequent visitors and may visit your app more than say 5 times a day and expect a lag-free service from you, it is wise to go for a mobile app than a website.
Websites are slow to load and then there is the login procedure, maybe the browser or internet connection is poor and on the top of it, the user won’t get push notifications.
The whole point is to keep it faster, convenient and up to date.
The mobile app will provide you with all these features as it can have some offline features to give ease of access to the user even with a poor internet connection. It can be customized to give push notifications which keep the user engaged and will amplify the user visits to the app.
Aspect 3: Access to native features of the phone
In this era using HTML5, even web apps can use native Camera, Gyroscope, and Sensors but there is only one factor missing ‘The Notifications’.
Geo-targeted push notifications and also the in-app notifications are very significant for the survival of your app on the user’s device for long. So, the winner here is a native mobile app.
Aspect 4: Speed
If speed is one of your USPs or necessary for the success, the mobile app should be your best pick.
Reason: Mobile apps store users’ data on the device while web apps download it from the server which obviously takes time and make them slow.
Aspect 5: Product Complexity
Long story short, if you have a complex database to show, a native mobile app is your go-go option.
Reason: Scrolling, reviewing, editing with a web app is very complicated and irritates users.
Aspect 6: Competitor’s stand
There are a few businesses whose Unique Selling Proposition is the app. In scenarios like this, there is a little choice at your end.
Because with a mobile app, your competitor is already a step ahead and have a faster response rate.
All you can you do is hire a best mobile app developer and come up with a better version of the mobile app with unique features which are missing from the competitors’ apps.
Conclusion
You might still want to develop the website first and then go for the mobile app but before doing that try and consider our checklist and all the other aspects that are unique to your business and not covered in above checklist.
There is no clear winner between the website and the mobile app as both constitute their own benefits and flaws. However, we still recommend that if you wish to stay forward in this agile world, try and accommodate your business model into a mobile app. Reach us here for any further details.
Looking to elevate your digital presence? Contact Consagous Technologies for cutting-edge mobile app and website development solutions. With expertise in crafting user-centric experiences, we deliver tailor-made solutions to suit your business needs. Reach out now at +1 (213) 257-8054 or info@consagous.co.
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