It is absolutely true that starting a new business is no big deal but what matters is to maintain it and achieve success. Startup businesses have a lot of concerns and face a situation of mental dilemma in deciding on the best technology. It is important to decide on the right technology that helps the company reach its target audience in an easy way. Nowadays, new startup companies usually need help deciding on a suitable app that can support their business. The question is whether they should go for a web app or a mobile app. Well! The answer to this is the requirements and budget of the company. It is important to have a clear view of the concept of web apps and mobile apps, as this will make it easy for companies to decide on a suitable app for their business.
Closer View of Mobile App and Web App
Mobile applications have made life easy and quick for users, as they can now use an application on their mobile phones. Smartphones are now an integral part of human life and therefore using a mobile app on their phone is easy for them. All that is required is to download a mobile app on the phone. On the other hand, a web app runs on a web browser that is a self-supporting software. There is no need for downloading or installing a web app on the computer system of the user.
Pros and Cons of Web App
It is important to know about the advantages and disadvantages of using a web app. Some of the advantages of a web app are:
Easily updated: Fixing a problem on web app pages is not a time-consuming job but in the case of mobile app fixing a small problem is a tedious and time-consuming job.
Accessible: Web app has the advantage of being accessed on any device connected to the internet. This makes it easy for the user to quickly go through the content. Also, a web app does not require any storage space, as it is not to be downloaded.
Affordable: Every company has a budget and looks for an affordable app. A web app is affordable as compared to mobile apps. In the case of a mobile app, the development team takes a lot of time to design, program and make the pages functional on mobile apps which makes the app to be costly.
No developer fees: There is a 30% revenue cut and startups usually have a restricted budget for which they must choose a web app to avoid these unnecessary charges.
Searchability: The web app is more suitable for searches as compared to the mobile app, as users look for relevant content over Google rather than exploring an app store. Research shows that there are approximately 39.2 billion searches made by users on Google every week while the app store searches every week are around 500 million.
*The advantages of a web app discussed above give a clear view as to why this app is better than a mobile app. However, we cannot overlook the drawbacks of a web app-
The web app does not work in an offline mode and has limited advanced features and functionalities as compared to the mobile app. The speed of a web app is slower than a mobile app and it might not engage the users to a great extent. Also, a web app has fewer monetization options.
Pros and Cons of Mobile App
After knowing about the pros and cons of a web app it is time to know about the pros and cons of a mobile app as well. Some of the advantages of mobile apps are:
Fast: Mobile apps are faster than web apps and this is the reason why users can access information more quickly via mobile apps.
Convenient: Running a mobile app is convenient for the users as compared to the web app and this is a reason why they spend a lot of time on mobile apps.
Safety and security: While using smartphones users look for complete safety and security of the information or data that they share. Mobile apps provide better security to the users.
Personalized: A mobile app is user-specific and can give personalized and customized data but a web app cannot.
Offline and online: Mobile app is functional both online and offline, as some of the apps can work without any internet connection. Web apps do need an internet connection.
*After going through the advantages of a mobile app it is important to know about its disadvantages as well. The development of mobile apps takes a lot of time and it is a complex process. Also, it requires regular support and maintenance and users also need to download, update and install new versions from time to time.
Still Confused between Web App and Mobile App?
Well! If you are still facing confusion about making a choice between a web app or a mobile app for your startup business then you must focus on these factors-
User motivation: Your mobile app must be so attractive that the user feels motivated to download it. There shall be an advantage for the user to download your mobile app.
Phone features: You need to know whether there is a requirement for native features of a phone like a camera, mic, speaker and others. Also, will the current location of the device be stored? Knowing these features will help startups with native mobile apps.
Personalized user experience: Is there a requirement for personalization? It can be done with a mixing of mobile apps. Functions can be customized as per the requirements of the users for better results.
Market research: You need to conduct good market research to know your users and understand their requirements. This will help you to provide them with the right solution.
Costing: Budget is a major constraint for startups and going for a mobile app can be expensive for the startups as compared to the web app. Investing more time and money in a mobile app for a startup is not a wise decision rather going for a friendly web app that is affordable and less consuming is the right decision.
Final Say!
By now the concept of web and mobile apps must be obvious in your mind. A web app for a startup is a better option, as it is affordable and can reach a wider range of audience. Mobile apps offer better monetization and user experience, but cost is an important factor. The final decision is of the company and its target according to which it can be decided whether a web app is more suitable or a mobile app. If you're considering mobile app development, partnering with the right mobile app development company can make all the difference in your project's success.
