What are the Different Types of Mobile Apps?

Businesses need their presence to be known on the internet not just through the website and social media but also through mobile apps. This is a great way to expand your market reach to online consumers. Technology is constantly evolving and businesses should not be left behind. Investing in a good digital marketing strategy and developing a dedicated mobile app for your brand are the steps you need to take to further your business.

If you have your social media presence and website in check the next step you want to take is creating a mobile app for your business that will help your customers shop more conveniently and avail of your exclusive offers for mobile users. But what type of mobile app should you have developed for your brand?

There are three types of mobile apps that you can develop for your business. First is the Native app, which is created for one specific operating system or platform, second is Web apps which can work on any device or operating system because it is delivered using mobile browsers, last is the Hybrid apps which is a combination of both native app and web app that provides easy access through a downloadable app from the app store. Read on to know more about the advantages and disadvantages of each and figure out what will work best for your brand.

1.  Native Apps 

If you have a smaller budget to develop your mobile app for your business you might want to start with Native apps. This is the type of app that is built specifically for a certain mobile operating system. You can only choose one platform or device in which you will develop your app. For example, you can only use your app on android devices and not on iOS. You might miss out on other customers who might be using other platforms or operating systems so you should do thorough research on what operating system your potential customers might be in.

The advantage of having a Native app as your starting mobile app for your business is native apps are faster and more reliable because of the singular focus on the system. With only one operating system to develop you can improve and perfect your customer experience and design for your mobile app. You can also master the incorporation of the natural mobile applications in your chosen operating system.

The disadvantage for native apps is you will have a smaller scope since you are only operating on one system, and if ever you want to expand in the future you will have to create a new app from scratch that will work on other operating systems since your native app’s codes cannot be reused on another platform. This could be costly in the long run for expansion.

2.  Web Apps

Web apps are apps that do not standalone, unlike other apps that are downloaded and installed on your phone. Web apps are accessed using the web browser on your phone. They are responsive meaning they adapt the interface design depending on the device you are using. It is much lighter compared to downloadable apps when you install a web app since it only installs a bookmark on your mobile browser.

The advantage to web apps is they are much versatile because it automatically adapts depending on the device used by your customers. Development is also faster and easier because there is no operating system to adapt to. The only downside to this is your app will be dependent on the capacity of mobile browsers which may vary depending on the mobile browser’s features. Also since it relies on the web browser your users will need to be connected constantly to the internet to access your app.

3.  Hybrid Apps

Hybrid apps are apps that look like native apps and can have their app icon and downloadable through app stores like Google Playstore and Apple App Store. Hybrid apps are faster and more responsive. Creating a hybrid app is quicker and economical because you can have an app that operates on several operating systems with one development. It is an ideal type of app for users who do not always connect to the internet because hybrid apps will still provide a consistent experience and design despite the lack of reliable connectivity.

The only downside to this is that your users will need to download and install your app on their phones and might take up storage and speed is not optimum since they are downloading the whole app on their device.

Let us help you choose

Fast Development

 If you need an app made as soon as possible then a web app is the right choice for you. A web app is the fastest to develop and you can launch it in the quickest amount of time possible. It is also easier to test since you just have to launch it on your mobile browser than trying to adapt to different operating systems. You can get through the process much quicker starting with development, launching a prototype, having people beta test your web app, and making adjustments before your official launch.

Limited Budget

 Start-up businesses and small businesses might not have a big budget to go digital and develop their mobile apps early in the business. No worries because you can still create an app that is suitable for your budget. Both the web app and hybrid app can let you create a mobile app that is suitable for any budget. You can test out on a smaller version of your mobile app and when you have ample budget to go full then you can easily develop your mobile app into a bigger and fuller version.

Stability

 If stability and the performance of your mobile app is your utmost concern, then a native app is what you are looking for. The native app will give you speed, reliability, stability, and you will be able to customize the features you think are necessary for your business.

Choose the type of mobile app you will create based on your available resources and your business goals. You can always choose to build a smaller version of your app and expand in the future.