As the mobile phone market has grown tremendously in the last few decades, the app market has rocketed up alongside them. This has motivated many startups to enter the market. While some of these startups have risen to the top, many more have barely sustained themselves or left the market altogether. In this post, we will cover what characteristics of an idea make an app the best choice, and which will do better starting as a website.
Where apps excel:
- There are marketing avenues specifically for apps, such as advertising in the app store. This can provide better ways to target customers, but can also take longer and cost more money to determine which avenues work best for a particular app.
- Apps are optimal for when the average user will use the service multiple times a day.
- They have easier access to phone features, such as the camera, sensors, and notifications. However, many of these features, besides notifications, can be accessed by mobile sites with HTML5.
- Apps tend to be faster than websites since frequently access data can be stored on the device.
- Easier to make usable offline.
Where websites excel:
- Cost per user acquisition is lower on average for websites.
- Space on mobile devices is in demand. If an app isn’t used frequently, users will often delete it. Websites don’t require downloading and can be easily bookmarked and returned to for less frequent usage.
- It is hard to retain users for apps. 77% of daily active users are lost by their third day, and 95% by day 90.
- Initial development is cheaper on average for websites, and they also require much less frequent updating and maintenance.
- Websites or hybrid (web-based) apps can handle more frequent content updates better than apps, which require more significant updates to go through the app store.
Overall, when you are deciding whether or not to transform your idea into an app, these are some good points for you too consider. Try not to have a narrow focus on your idea as an app, always at least consider what potential benefits there are from implementing it in other mediums. That way you can be sure you chose the best way to for your idea to succeed is.