Which is Better for a Startup: Web or App Development?

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The race for supremacy is on. Startups are usually short on cash and more often than not they have to make some sacrifices. One of those early compromises is choosing between a web and app development project to undertake. Sadly, there’s no clear winner and there’s definitely no one-size-fits-all answer to this question.

You have to weigh your choices, analyze the effects, and look at how much you have to gain (or lose) if you go with the choice of app development or website development. For instance, think of how it would have been if Instagram launched with a website. It would’ve turned out odd, right? But don’t forget that Facebook began with a website and they did just fine.

Now, there’s probably a web and mobile development company that is just perfect to execute your job and all you need to do is to decide on the product you’ll get first. This post will help you make that decision.

These are some of the considerations before you decide on app development or web development.

Who Do You Plan to Reach Out To?

App development in the USA is such that you are given clear details about what is available to you and you make the decision for yourself. There’s no secret or shadiness. The truth is that a website gives you the opportunity to reach out to more users when you compare it to a mobile application. Why is this? Google Analytics provides an answer.

The search engine traffic for a company providing analytics services in the US is presented below and it was found that just 21% of their website traffic come from mobile devices. The rest is acquired from personal computers, desktops, and tablets.

Even in the mobile system, Android makes up just 8% of all the visits while iOS is the source of 12%. The implication of this is that if you have a market pool of 1 million potential users and you decide to hire a web and mobile development company to create an Android app, only 80,000 people can actually access your product.

Will Your App Need Access to the Phone or PC’s Native Features?

If you plan to create an on-demand solution like Uber or Lyft, or you have the intention of creating a product that will give Snapchat and Instagram a run for their money, what you need is to contact a professional and begin plans for app development. This is because these products require the use of sensors, gyroscopes, cameras, etc., and all these functions work better with a mobile app as opposed to a website.

This doesn’t mean a web app is totally out of the question. For instance, you can make use of the camera of your smartphone via HTML5. You can also use the gyroscope to play games with HTML5 and geolocation API. It gets better; push notifications are available with web apps. Node.JS made these functionalities a reality.

What Services Do You Provide?

Generally, the rule is that people with more complex services end up going for a mobile app because it gives them flexibility with their delivery. When making the decision between web and app development, the most important factor to consider is the user experience. There’s no doubt about the quality of UX that is concomitant with apps, especially when you hire a web and mobile development company that is vast.

Without a mobile app, basic activities such as scrolling, editing, or even reviewing reports will be a pain in the neck. Also, imagine how other forms of data can be represented on a conventional web application. The user might end up dissatisfied, giving your competitor the opportunity to win them over. You don’t want this.

Do You Need Users to Frequently Visit Your Product?

If your app requires people to visit more than five times a day, then it probably makes economic sense for you to create an app. Why? Think of all the apps on your phone and try to identify those you often visit.

Think of Twitter, Instagram, Quora, your productivity app, Uber, your news digest, your workout companion, etc. Now, think of the websites you visit. How often do you check it out? Are you beginning to see a pattern here? Right!

Offline Access to Your Product

This is just as important as any other consideration. You need to have a thorough consideration as to whether or not your product will require constant internet access. With the level of reliance on the internet, it is almost impossible to think of any application that doesn’t make use of the internet today. But if you look closely, you’ll find them.

Think of the dictionary, your to-do list, your music player, even some arcade games. If your service is such that the relevant data can be downloaded and used without the internet, you can consider hiring a web and mobile development company to help you create a mobile application.

Consider Your Budget

This wraps it up. If you do not have a budget exceeding $10,000, getting a mobile app is not so appropriate. This is because the UI/UX of your app, the development, and the backend if done professionally, can cost more than this figure. The cost doesn’t even include bug fixing, updates, and security installations.
Make sure you talk with your co-founders and shareholders regarding the amount you have to spend on web and app development.

Conclusion

As a startup, it’s understandable that there are several limitations that prevent you from getting both web and app development. But this shouldn’t linger for long. Irrespective of the decision you take, you should make it a priority to have both a website and a mobile application. This is because you’ll be losing out on several benefits when you choose one over the other.

The bottom line is to start with a product that meets your needs at this point in time and then make plans to optimize your reach on both ends. When you’re ready to start your project, be sure to contact us and we’ll help you make the best product for your current needs.

Vishal Bhatia
Vishal Bhatia is an international pioneer and expert innovator in the field of outsourced web, software, and mobile application development. In the last decade as the CEO and Co-founder of Dedicated Developers, he has successfully partnered on development projects with over 320 technology companies from 12 different countries to bring their web and mobile application ideas to life. His passionate team at Dedicated Developers is revolutionizing the outsourcing industry by cost-effectively aligning technology strategies focused on fueling business growth.

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