You have a
website idea but you don't know, maybe to start
developing a mobile application. You know this is quite an important and at the same time a popular question that I hear from clients. In this article, you'll learn when to choose a website and when to start from a mobile application. All insider information from
leading developers of mobile applications and complex web platforms. What other companies keep silent about. But if you have not yet
chosen a web design company, I think our article will help you too.
Running ahead, I'll tell you in
90% of the cases you need a website. Only in rare exceptions, you should start developing a mobile application. Let me explain. The mobile applications market is developing dynamically,
thousands of new programs for smartphones are created every day. As pointed in the report Statista for March 2017, the world has more
than 6.5 billion(!) apps for download.
Competition is impressive. But more interesting information is hidden in other figures. According to
Statista,
the number of apps that use regularly has ceased to grow since 2012. People are just tired of new and useless applications.
Moreover, as reported by
QZ, in 2014, over 65% of users download
0 applications per month. Only one in three downloads new applications to the smartphone.
In 2016, Recode published a research that showed the application market is transforming, the percentage of those who
uninstall applications reaches 20%.
As you can see, the mobile applications market is oversaturated. People want to use
only useful apps. Here there is a
war for the attention of users. If your app has downloaded, it does not mean that it will be used it. It's sad, but it's a fact. But still, let's see when you really need to start developing a mobile app.
1. High Budget
As I pointed out earlier, the mobile application market is oversaturated. Thus, to stand out
among competitors, you will need to spend a considerable amount of money. According to our estimates, the cost of promotion equals the cost of development. Moreover, you should go with a
first-class, high-quality app. Otherwise, you will spend the budget for nothing. The recommended amount for development is
from $10,000.
2. Geolocation
You need to get information about
the location of the user. If you can't do without this function, then you need to start development with a mobile application. For example,
Foursquare makes it possible to
check in at a particular location based on the user's location.
3. Update information in real time
If in your project the information should be
sent in real time and this is the main function, then you should start with the app. Take for example messenger Whatsapp or Telegram. People want to receive immediate
notification from friends and relatives, and not to go to the account through the browser every time.
4.Check Competitors
Competitors are a good indicator of what direction to move. If they use
only a mobile application, then it really is necessary to start developing programs for smartphones. For example,
restaurants and construction companies do not have mobile apps.
Summary
Develop a
website is much easier and cheaper than a mobile application. You can find out
how much a website can cost from our last article. To promote the web project is still much easier. Moreover, modern technologies allow creating
SPA applications that are a website but behave like an application. Another advantage of a website is versatility. It is available for desktop and mobile devices. If a site is developed based on
API channels, it will have a good scalable. You can use the ready-made back-end for designing mobile applications.
This will save time and money. But in some cases, it is necessary to start developing a mobile application. And this is more an exception than the rule.
Since Google Play and the App Store are billions of applications, you will need a lot of effort and money to get the trust of users.
I hope this article was useful. If you have any questions, I will be happy to answer them.