Mobile web apps or app store apps: what a small business actually needs
"Should we have an app?" is one of the questions we hear most. For most small businesses the honest answer is this: you need something that behaves like an app, which isn't the same as something that lives in an app store.
What a mobile web app is
A mobile web app, often called a progressive web app or PWA, is a website built to work like an app. It opens from a link or a QR code. Customers can add it to their home screen with its own icon. It can keep working on a patchy signal, and on current iPhones and Android phones it can send notifications once the customer says yes.
Where web apps win
- No download friction. A QR code on the counter goes straight to the app. Nobody has to find it in a store, wait for it to install and create an account first.
- One build for every phone. You're not paying for separate iPhone and Android versions.
- Instant updates. Change a price or add a feature and everyone has it immediately, with no review queue.
- Found on Google. Your app is also your website, so it can rank in search.
Where native apps still make sense
Some things are still better in an app store app: heavy use of device hardware such as advanced Bluetooth or constant background location, graphics-intensive games, or a large existing audience that expects to find you in the store. If that's you, a native app may be worth the extra cost and upkeep.
Three questions to ask first
- Will customers use it at least once a month? If not, a fast mobile website may be all you need.
- Does it need a feature only a native app can deliver?
- Can you budget to maintain two apps and two store listings, year after year?
For bookings, loyalty cards, ordering and member areas, a mobile web app usually wins on cost, speed to launch and ease of use. That thinking is behind Bizzy Apps Pro, and it's how we approach every app brief.