Mobile app or web app? The 5 questions we ask our clients
The five questions we ask brands that come to us with an app idea, and how the answers decide between a mobile app and a web app.
Most meetings that start with "we want to build an app" end up somewhere else within the first half hour. Sometimes an iOS and Android app really is needed. Sometimes a well designed web app does the same job faster and for less. And sometimes what is needed is a WhatsApp assistant or a booking page. To decide, we ask our clients these five questions.
1. How often will people use it?
A tool people open several times a week deserves a place on their home screen. For a service used once or twice a year, asking people to download an app is a hard sell. A web app is often the better choice there.
2. Does it need the phone's features?
If you need notifications, the camera, location, Bluetooth or offline use, a mobile app is the stronger option. Web apps support some of these, but not in the same way on every platform.
3. How do people reach you?
If your users find you through an ad, a search or a link, a page that opens the moment they tap is a big advantage. Going to a store and downloading an app loses users at every step.
4. How fast do you need to launch?
A web app runs on every device from one codebase, and updates go live instantly. Mobile apps go through App Store and Google Play review. For a campaign or a time-limited project, the web is usually faster.
5. Budget and maintenance
The cost of a mobile app does not end with the first version. Operating system updates, store requirements and maintaining two platforms mean new work every year. Maintenance is usually simpler for a web app. Talking about this difference early prevents surprises later.
Sometimes both
On many projects, the best route is to start with a web app and move to a mobile app as usage grows. The idea gets tested with real users, and you see what works before investing in a mobile app.
Our process
Whichever route we take, we start with a working first version you can try quickly. The design follows your brand's visual language, and if video content is needed, our production team makes it. Accounts and data are always kept in your name.
If you have an app idea and want to talk through these five questions, see our AI and mobile page. For our approach on the web side, visit our web design and development page.
Let us talk about this for your project.
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