Image by Shahadat Rahman (license)
Mobile apps have emerged as a competitive alternative to websites. Although websites remain irreplaceable parts of a brand’s digital presence, mobile apps have forced them to change. The appearance of Progressive Web Apps (PWA) shows this change.
Despite this overwhelming popularity of mobile apps, many web developers are still hesitant to up their skills and broaden their focus on mobile app development. What misconceptions do most web developers harbor regarding application development? Well, this is what we are going to explain here.
Mobile apps still represent a small economy compared to the web
Yes, this one seems to have some truths. Still, the global web ecosystem accounts for the vast majority of digital footprints for brands of all sizes and niches. Still, for any business, the branding exercise begins with creating a website for the business. Still, most eCommerce stores rely on websites rather than mobile commerce apps. Still, for companies to keep communication and customer service alive, the main digital medium is the web.
But these findings only represent the truth on the surface. The popularity and dominance of the web has been rapidly eroding to make way for mobile apps. In less than a decade, mobile apps have taken over the digital space that the web has enjoyed for so long. Now, eCommerce customers are increasingly leaning towards the native mobile app of the online store. for a more personalized shopping experience. Businesses are finding mobile apps to be better branding tools. Lastly, the growth rate of the mobile app ecosystem, both in terms of revenue and reach, has already outpaced the web by miles.
The mobile web is a substitute for mobile applications
Many web developers think of the mobile web as a substitute for mobile apps. According to them, if you have optimized your existing website for mobile users in both design and function, then you may not need a standalone app. They ignore the fact that the mobile web does not offer all the key device integration and user experience attributes common to mobile apps. Mobile web may be considered a mobile-specific version of the regular website to help make the website look and feel better for users who access the website on their mobile devices. But very rarely does the mobile web offer a native user experience typical of mobile operating system platforms, including iOS and Android.
The mobile web cannot replace mobile apps, especially given the range of value-added native features they offer. For example, a mobile app running on the Android 10 version will allow for more privacy controls. Similarly, a mobile app running on the latest version of iOS will allow facial recognition for authentication.
Mobile app projects are expensive
This is probably the most common misconception among web developers around the world who think that since building mobile apps is expensive, they are actually out of reach for small businesses. The same thinking is also prevalent among many companies and prevents them from creating their own branded app. But actually, a mobile app can be built on a low budget, as long as you keep the project simple with minimal features and UX attributes.
To help low-budget mobile projects, developers can now also take a Minimum Viable Projects (MVP) approach with basic features, and can also use cross-platform development technologies to maximize code reuse while building two versions of the app. for iOS and Android.
Many people think that mobile app projects are expensive because they lack mobile app development experience, but actually they can hire some mobile app building companies from countries with budding development startups. For example, a small business in the Middle East may consider hiring Irish programmers for their mobile app projects. You can always have a better offer while searching for talents in different parts of the world.
You need to build the app once and for all
Many web developers consider building apps a one-time job. They think that the app should be built with all the UX features and attributes created once and for all. This thinking neglects the iterative development process that most modern application projects follow. In stark contrast to this thinking, a mobile app today is mostly built over time, with the user experience shaped through various value additions that come with subsequent updates.
This iterative development approach is best exemplified by MVP projects that allow you to create a very basic, minimally featured application with a wide scope for changes and more value added by developers based on user feedback. Based on the comments and user experience, the project can incorporate added value. The continuous development approach in the agile development methodology also offers a similar scope of iteration.
Mobile apps don’t fit the needs of content marketing
Many website developers with experience building content-rich websites and blogs find mobile apps better suited for specific practical benefits rather than content marketing. Many think that mobile applications do not fit the needs of content marketing. In fact, mobile apps are mostly seen as solutions to specific problems, while many websites and blogs rely primarily on readers.
There are too many good examples of content-rich mobile apps that are mostly known for blogging and content, and such mobile apps are mostly used by loyal users. In addition to the popular web magazines and news apps, there are a growing number of content-rich mobile apps that have switched from their old web presence to mobile apps.
Conclusion
Although most web developers are coming out of these misconceptions about mobile app development, the rest need to develop that mindset. The future of digital presence depends on how mobile applications and the web evolve and become closer. In this sense, the appearance of Progressive Web Apps (PWA) has already marked a trajectory.
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