How to Convert Your Website Into a Great Mobile App?

If you are thinking to convert your website into a mobile app, you have landed at the right place.

Users find browsing websites cumbersome. The usage of desktops for the same has already dwindled. Mobile devices account for a majority of the web traffic now. It could be through the mobile website or a mobile app, but the latter overtakes the former nowadays. In fact, if given a choice today, most users would also prefer using a mobile application than a web one. The level of convenience that an app offers can’t be provided through a website. It’s quite understandable, right? All that a user needs to do is tap on the app icon, and they will be right there inside the app, whereas in the case of a website, they would have to open the browser, enter the website URL, and wait for the website to load. A mobile application eliminates that few seconds delay.

The new generation of users desires convenience and no delay whatsoever. The demand for mobile apps has thus surged and this is why most businesses are looking to build a mobile app for their brand. If you are looking for the same or want to develop a mobile app for your existing website, keep reading this blog post till the end where we would discuss why you would need a mobile app, which platform you should build your mobile app for (Android or iOS), and eventually how to convert a website into a user-friendly mobile app.

The Need for a Mobile App- Why You Should Build One?

A mobile app brings a myriad of benefits to customers as well as businesses. Here are a few reasons you might consider switching to a mobile app from a website.

1. Convenience

Convenience or ease of access is the major perk associated with a mobile app. Opening and engaging with an application is much easier than opening a website on the browser. The former is a one-step process that takes only a fraction of seconds to open whereas entering a website is usually a 2-3 step process and comparatively time-taking.

The thing that a mobile application is easily accessible is also the reason why users across the world spend more time on apps than websites. As per a report, US adults spend approximately 3 hours 40 minutes browsing mobile apps in comparison to only 40 minutes of browsing websites.

Of course, persuading users to download your application is going to be a challenge. Here are a few ways to capture more mobile app downloads.

2. Push Notifications

‘Push notifications’ is arguably the biggest advantage of having a mobile app. Yes, there are browser or web push notifications too for websites but they don’t get as much open and click-through rate as app push notifications. Moreover, for a brand to send web push notifications, users need to opt-in or subscribe to receive notification alerts. With mobile app push notifications, this setting is set to default, which means users would start getting notifications as soon as they install the mobile application on their device. That being said, you can proactively reach out to your users even if they aren’t present on your app, and notify them about anything related to your brand/business or other important updates like order confirmation, cart abandonment, etc.

Long story short, there’s better communication between the brand and the customers, and it’s a perfect way to call back users to the application.

3. A mobile app caters to multiple screen sizes

Another reason why you should think of creating a mobile app for your brand’s website is that a mobile app is compatible across devices with varying screen sizes, which means it would fit on almost all mobile devices irrespective of their screen size. Apps are developed and designed this way that they work seamlessly on all devices.

However, the same cannot be said for websites. All websites aren’t optimized for mobile devices. If a website looks well structured on the desktop, it doesn’t necessarily mean that it would look the same on a mobile device or on every mobile device. It may happen that elements overlap or get unaligned, which can hamper the user experience.

Though nowadays, websites too are made mobile-friendly, an app takes user-friendliness to a whole new level.

Where should you build your mobile app? (Android or iOS?)

If you have decided to create a mobile app for your website, the first dilemma that you would face is whether to build it for Android or iOS. You may want to build it for both platforms but this can be a timely and costly affair. So, it would be better to pick one OS first and then cater to the audience of the other. Android and iOS apps are created differently. They both have their own programming languages and tech-stack, so decide carefully for which platform you would like to create your mobile app first. Here’s our detailed guide on Android or iOS for your better understanding.

Converting a Website into a Mobile App

When we talk about a mobile app, our subconscious mind automatically thinks of a native app. This is the most traditional form of an app that we have on our smartphones. However, there are other options as well such as a Progressive Web App or a PWA, and a hybrid app. But these are websites only that are given an app-like form. They have the look and feel of a native app, but run like a website only in the background; it just doesn’t get displayed to the user on the front end.

Considering you have decided to build a fresh new native app or build one in accordance with your existing website, make sure to follow the below-mentioned steps.

1. Prepare your features-list

The first and foremost thing to do in the process to convert your website into an app is to consider what features are you looking to include in your mobile application. Having an idea of the features list beforehand not only streamlines the development process but also gives you a fair idea of the budget it will consume.

You can have n number of features in your app, and you may want to make it feature-rich by including as many features as possible. However, it can add complexity to the app development process, exceed your budget, and delay the project completion deadline. Start by integrating the primary features, and introduce more in future updates rather than making the app featureful from the very beginning. This way, you can create an app that matches your initial objectives and is useful to your target audience at the same time.

2. Hire an app development team

You have three options though. First, you can code it yourself if you are a developer and are aware of the know-how of app development. However, if the app possesses high complexity, it would be ideal to hire a team of developers. This again leaves you with two choices- you can either hire freelance developers if you are on a tight budget and the application too is small. If the application is quite complex and would require lots of analysis, research, brainstorming, design, and coding, hiring an app development company should be the first choice. Most businesses often look to outsource app development services as they seem far more secure and reliable. Moreover, they possess the skills and experience to tackle any kind of challenge or complexity and remain updated with the latest trends and technologies to deliver top-notch work.

3. Using an App Builder

A mobile app builder can also be considered if you want to convert your website into a mobile app, however, this option is suited for entry-level websites only. With the help of an app builder, you can create a mobile app without having any coding experience. It consists of drag and drop functionalities that allow you to build an app effectively. Again, if you are looking to build a high-scale application, an app builder won’t be suitable, and you would require to outsource this work to an app development agency.

Related: What is Low Code Development?

Final Word

Building a mobile app for your business website paves the way for increased traffic, more customers/clients, more revenue, and more. On the other hand, your regular website users would be glad too to have an app on their smartphone that takes them to your brand within a single tap rather than having to open their browser every time for the same.
If you are unsure of whether it would be a good idea to invest in building an app, you can consider building an MVP first, and then go on for full-fledged development later.

At Dew, we have built scads of apps over the years for our clients across the globe. With over 11 years of experience, we cater to different industries and build apps of different types and sizes. Get in touch with our expert developers and they will be able to help you with the best possible solution as per your requirements and budget.