Who's your target audience?
According to a recent study, about 58% of millennials make purchases on apps more often than on the web. So if you’re targeting millennials or younger generations, an app is a smart choice.
What's your budget?
If you only have a limited budget, it makes sense to start with a website rather than an app. Apps require a high level of research, design, architecture, and programming, and need to be adjusted for each platform (Android, iOS), whereas websites usually require research and design, but not much programming.
Because of this, apps typically cost more than websites. Of course, it’s tough to know how much your app will cost, since every app requires different services and features. But according to research by Clutch, developing an app costs around $171,000 on average.
Does your product rely on native phone features and/or GPS?
Are you building a product that needs to access a consumer’s location or asks the user to upload a photo? If your product relies on GPS, a camera, a gyroscope, or sensors, then an app is your best bet.
Some good examples of apps that use GPS are Google Maps and Uber. Of course, you can still achieve many of these things with a website, but it will be much harder, and the experience won’t be as seamless for your users.
How many times a day will consumers use your product?
If you anticipate users checking in to your product multiple times a day, an app makes the most logical sense. For example, will consumers use your product to take notes, create and mark off a to-do list, access social media, play games, track something, obtain transportation, or find their way around?
In these kinds of situations, users don’t want to type in a URL, wait for a website to load, and navigate to the right page. They want something they can access immediately from their phone.
Then again, if your product is work or office-related, like a project management tool or scheduling software, it might make more sense to use a website, even though users will likely be accessing it multiple times a day.
Does speed matter?
Modern consumers want instant entertainment, immediate access to information, and real-time updates. Most people aren’t prepared to wait even five minutes for a game, film, or book to load on their device.
In general, mobile apps are faster than websites. This is because mobile apps store user data locally on the device. By contrast, websites download user data from the server. So if you want your consumers to have a seamless, fast-paced experience, choose an app.
Will consumers use your product offline?
If consumers will be using your product at the gym, on their daily commute, while engaging in outdoor activities, or in another location without an internet connection, you probably want an app rather than a website.
Some examples of apps that users often access offline are Google Maps, translator or dictionary apps, and Tripadvisor or Yelp.