Cheap Mobile Web Apps

If you’re planning to establish a mobile presence for your business or brand, one of the first considerations that will likely come to mind is whether you want to create a mobile app for users to download or a mobile website. Mobile websites and apps can look very similar at first-glance, and determining which is most suited to your needs will depend upon a number of factors, including target audiences, available budget and required features.

 

What’s the Difference Between an App and a Mobile Web App

Apps are actual applications that are downloaded and installed on your mobile device, rather than being displayed within an internet browser. Users visit device-specific portals such as Apple’s App Store in order to find and download apps for a given device. The app may pull content and data from the Internet, in similar fashion to a website, or it may download the content so that it can be accessed without an Internet connection.

A mobile web app on the other hand is similar to any other website in that it consists of internet pages that are linked together and accessed within an internet browser. The obvious characteristic that distinguishes a mobile web app from a standard website is the fact that it is designed specifically for the smaller handheld display and touch-screen interface of a smartphone or tablet.

Unlike normal mobile websites, mobile web apps also look and feel like any other app in that they incorporate animations and fancy page transitions to make the navigation more seamless. For example, when you click a link in a normal website, the current page disappears leaving you with a blank screen until the new one has completed loading. Whereas, a mobile web app will slide the current page out of view as it slides in the new page instantly just like a normal app would.

Native apps can end up with high costs that can grow significantly depending on the required functionality and its host devices. Generally speaking, a mobile web app is much cheaper than a native app and does not accumulate extra costs as it is native to all devices and browsers.

 

Which is Better – an App or a Mobile Web App?

When it comes to deciding whether to build a native app or a mobile web app, the most appropriate choice really depends on your end goals. For example, if you want to develop an interactive game, an app is would be your best option. But if your goal is to offer mobile-friendly content to the widest possible audience then a mobile web app is usually the way to go.

In some cases you may decide you need both a mobile web app and a native app, but it rarely makes sense to build an app without already having a mobile web app in place.

Generally, a mobile web app should be considered your first step in developing a mobile presence, whereas a native app is useful a very specific purpose that cannot be effectively accomplished via a web browser. For more information on the differences between native app, mobile websites and mobile web apps, feel free to contact us with any queries you may have.

 

So if you want to expand to mobile but don’t have the budget for an app? Mobile Web Apps are the way to go! Contact us today to get a quote for your very own mobile web app.