Should my business have an app, or is a website enough?

Once your business is going well, an app can feel like the natural next step. Your customers have apps for everything, so why not you?

Sometimes an app is the right call. But for many businesses, a website that works well on phones does the job with far less ongoing work. Here's how to tell which one you need.

The short answer

Start with a website that works well on phones. An app makes sense when customers come back often and you need things that are hard to do on the web, like working offline, running in the background or working closely with the phone itself.

What's the difference?

• A website opens in a browser, from a link or a search. It works on any phone, tablet or computer, with nothing to install.
• An app is downloaded from the App Store or Google Play and opens from its own icon on the home screen.

There's also a middle ground: a web app, which handles real work like bookings or payments right in the browser. Most of what follows about websites applies to web apps too.

App vs website: pros and cons

MDN, the main reference for web developers, sums up the strengths of each.

A website is better for:

• Reaching everyone. One site works across phones, tablets and computers.
• Being found. Websites show up in search engines and can be shared with a link.
• Getting started. There's no app store account to set up and no store review before customers can see it.

An app is better for:

• Staying in sight. It gets its own icon on your customer's phone.
• Working offline and in the background. For example, receiving a message and showing a notification while the app is closed.
• Using the phone. Closer access to features like the camera and GPS, and to other apps on the phone.
• Being in the app stores, where people already go looking for apps.

When does an app make sense?

Ask yourself four questions:

1. Will customers use it often? An app earns its place on someone's phone when they come back again and again, like booking a regular class or reordering the same thing.
2. Does it need to work without the internet? A typical website needs a connection. Apps can keep working offline.
3. Does it need the phone in ways a website can't manage? Like running in the background or working closely with other apps.
4. Will customers actually download it? Every app asks people to visit a store, install it and make room for it. If they'd only use it once, they'll probably use your website instead.

If most of your answers are no, a website is very likely enough.

What an app adds to your workload

An app is a bigger commitment than it first looks:

• Two apps, not one. Your customers use both iPhone and Android, so you'll usually need to publish in both stores.
• Every update is reviewed. Apple reviews all apps and app updates, typically within a day or two. Google Play says reviews can take up to seven days, or longer in exceptional cases. A change to a website can go live straight away.
• It needs updating even when nothing changes. Apple and Google regularly require apps to be rebuilt for newer versions of iOS and Android. On Google Play, apps that fall too far behind stop being available to new users on newer phones.

None of this is a reason to avoid an app. It just means an app comes with ongoing work, and that should be part of the decision.

Is there something in between?

Yes. A progressive web app is a website that can be installed like an app. It runs on phones, tablets and computers from a single codebase, and once installed, it opens from the home screen and can keep working offline.

There are limits. On iPhone, for example, customers have to add it to their home screen before it can send them notifications. But for many businesses, it's a good way to get app-like features without building two separate apps.

Our honest take

Start with a website that works well on phones. It's quicker to launch, easier to change, and it's what people find when they search for you.

Build an app when you have a clear reason: customers who come back often, and something your website can't do well. Until then, a good website is the safer place to start.

Planning a website first? See what affects the cost of a small business website and how fast it should load.