Mobile App vs Website: Which Should Your Business Build First
Strategy · March 12, 2024
A business should start with the web unless its core scenario requires deep device integration, several uses a day or full offline mode. The decision depends on how users behave and what the product must do in the next year, not on how ambitious an app looks. A progressive web app covers part of the gap between the two options.
Key takeaways
- A native app asks users to install something before they see any value; a website is one link away.
- Native apps are justified by deep device integration, high-frequency daily use, proven install behaviour in the category or mandatory offline work.
- A PWA can be installed, send push notifications and cache content for offline use, without app store review.
- When an app is justified, Bang Digital builds cross-platform clients on React Native.
Installation barrier
A native app asks users to decide to download and install something before they experience any value. It also needs separate releases for iOS and Android and passes app store review with every update. A website removes all three steps and is reached through a link or a search result.
Comparison by factor
| Factor | Native mobile app | Website or PWA |
|---|
| Time to market | Longer: two platforms and store review | Shorter: one codebase, release by deployment |
| Distribution | Installation from an app store | A link, instant access |
| Discovery | App store search and paid acquisition | Search engines, social media, referrals |
| Updates | Submission, review, release | Deployment without approval |
| Push notifications | Native | Web Push; on iOS only for web apps added to the Home Screen, since iOS 16.4 |
| Offline work | Full | Limited to content cached by a service worker |
| Device hardware | Full access: camera, GPS, biometrics, AR | Camera and geolocation through browser APIs |
| Maintenance | iOS and Android, operating system changes | One codebase |
Conditions for a native app
A native app is justified when the core experience requires deep device integration, such as camera-heavy workflows, continuous GPS tracking, biometric authentication or AR. It is also justified when users open the product several times a day and are proven to install apps in the category, or when offline work is mandatory. Food delivery, fitness tracking, payments and maps fit these conditions. When an app is justified, Bang Digital builds cross-platform clients on React Native.
Conditions for the web
The web is the right starting point when demand is still being validated, when the product onboards a B2B user base, or when people use it weekly rather than daily. Most B2B tools, marketplaces, booking systems, dashboards and e-commerce platforms are served better by a well-built responsive web product in the first phase.
Progressive web app
A PWA is a web application that can be installed to the home screen, send push notifications and work offline with cached content. It suits B2C services with medium-frequency use: it is faster to build than a native app and needs no app store, while giving a more app-like experience than a plain website.
Decision principle
The format is chosen by where users are, how often they use the product and what the product experience requires. In practice this means validating the product on the web and moving to a native app once usage patterns justify the extra platforms and the install barrier.
Related reading: Custom Website vs Template, What Is a Design System, Services.
FAQ
Should a new business build a mobile app or a website first?
In most cases a website first. It ships without app store review, needs no installation and is discoverable through search. A native app follows once usage patterns justify it.
Can a PWA send push notifications on iPhone?
Yes. Since iOS and iPadOS 16.4, web apps added to the Home Screen can request permission and send notifications through the Web Push standard, according to WebKit.
When is a native mobile app necessary?
When the core experience depends on deep device integration such as camera-heavy workflows, continuous GPS tracking or biometrics, when users open the product several times a day, or when offline work is mandatory.
Sources
- Web Push for Web Apps on iOS and iPadOS, WebKit