Web App vs Mobile App: Which One is Best for Your Business?

Creating an application is the next step after your business has gained leverage online. When your customer buys from you once a year or you are a governmental organization, a web page would normally be enough. However, when frequent client engagement is demanded, the necessity for an app occurs organically. 

There are two ways of engaging with a customer with the assistance of current technology: either by means of a Web App or through a Mobile Application.

It’s a known indisputable fact that mobile applications have helped many companies increase their sales dramatically. Yet, in some cases, mobile applications aren’t needed, and businesses are absolutely thriving with progressive web apps. Some companies have both web apps and mobile apps ready for their users. In the end, the selection of technology is about meeting customer expectations and staying in your lane.

There’s no secret that the most important distinction between web apps and mobile applications lies in their development costs. So as to work out which of the present technologies is going to become the best investment for your specific business needs, we would look deep into the purposes these applications serve.

Web Application vs Mobile Application

Pros and Cons of Web Apps

+ A Progressive Web Application, or a Web App, is a website adapted for mobile. This is often one of the foremost progressive technologies nowadays. It imitates a mobile application and is viewable in most browsers on desktops and mobile phones. It costs less to build a web app than a website.

– An existent web app signifies that a corporation has already gained trust among its audience. However, there’s no requirement for constant involvement with an app. Maximum retention and time spent in the application have zero effect on a webpage and brand awareness. 

Pros and Cons of Mobile Apps

+ A mobile application or sometimes it’s called Native Application is a great marketing and sales tool for a variety of consumer-based companies. It involves constant engagement with the product through continuous interactions. Mobile apps collect as much information as possible, studying habits and analyzing user behavior and patterns. 

– A mobile app is a more expensive technology as compared to a web app or a website. Its budget is mostly dictated by the availability and price of skilled mobile developers for Android and iOS. While Hybrid applications are also available as a part of the cross-platform solutions, their updates are less frequent.

Web Apps vs Mobile Apps from a User’s Perspective

Both web apps and mobile apps signify the trust level users have for the company. The main difference between them is the quantity and frequency of interactions. Native Apps also offer a more robust personalization. The communication is customized to users, supporting their interests, location, behavior, and more.

People download mobile applications after they use web apps on a regular basis. They do that once they get acquainted with a company’s website and social media. If they like how the application is made, they will stick with it. However, many users prefer PWAs, since they are faster and don’t require memory on their devices. Plus it only takes a few lines of code to make usability amendments in a PWA.

– Volha Marskaya, Sales Specialist

Mobile App vs Web App from a Business Standpoint

The common practice for a lot of companies is in building a website, a PWA, and a mobile application as they expand. The latter is a logical step toward broader market outreach. It is a method of business growth and it drives sales. 

There are, however, ways in which it can be cost-effective to work out a novel approach for specific user engagement while also saving on development and maintenance with no effect on sales. 

There are general recommendations for many B2Bs to own a branded application. At the same time eCommerce has shown relevant proof for PWAs, which are made to more easily compare goods in a browser.

What are the main criteria that allow the choice between PWA and Mobile Apps?

When choosing between web and mobile applications, it all depends on the goals and technical requirements for the interaction with the API, like accessing user location.

A website adapted for mobile would be sufficient when its purpose is solely the acquaintance and PR of the product with no requirement of further interaction with a client. Speaking of a short-term interaction once a week or a month, a web app would be enough. When one or two basic functions are solved, a mobile application is not needed.

– Eduard Beleninik, Lead of Mobile Development Unit

World Statistics. PWA and Mobile Applications in the Long Run

Mobile applications’ downloads have increased in recent years to 218 billion. According to Statista, in 2023 mobile apps will generate more than 935 billion U.S. dollars in revenues through paid downloads and in-app advertising. And word-of-mouth is a very strong factor when deciding what applications to download. Finance, travel, and shopping apps are among those that mobile users in the United States spend the most time on.

A study has shown that PWAs have 36% higher conversion rates than native apps. The average conversion rate for progressive web apps is higher because mobile traffic and consumer time on mobile is much higher than on the desktop. Many businesses report increased revenue thanks to mobile traffic. For example, the Starbucks PWA has doubled daily active users. And orders on the desktop are nearly the same rate as mobile.

The number of origins with PWAs has grown 170% in 2020. According to the Chrome team, there are tens of millions of installations of WebAPK only on Chrome for Android. However, PWAs are less accessible for Safari and iOS users because of Apple’s policy on a more private web, and more strictly regulated App Store. Following Apple, Mozilla claims deprioritizing progressive web applications soon.

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