Most small businesses need a good website before they need an app. Some need a web app. Fewer need a mobile app in the App Store. The right choice depends on one question: how often does the same customer come back?
The three options
| Website | Web app | Mobile app | |
|---|---|---|---|
| What it is | Pages about your business | Something people log in to and use | An app installed on the phone |
| Typical cost | $2,000 to $8,000 | $15,000 to $60,000 | $20,000 to $60,000 |
| Time to launch | About 3 weeks | 6 to 10 weeks | 8 to 12 weeks |
| Best when | Customers find you, then call or book | Customers or staff do a task often | Customers come back weekly or daily |
When a website is enough
If people find you on Google, look at your work, and then call or book, a website does the job. Add online booking or a quote form and most customers never need anything more. Plumbers, dentists, restaurants, salons and law firms are usually here.
When you need a web app
A web app makes sense when people need to log in and do something: see their projects, pay invoices, track jobs, book recurring appointments, or when your own staff needs a tool to run the day. It runs in the browser on any device, so there is nothing to install and no store review.
When a mobile app is worth it
A mobile app earns its cost when customers use it often: ordering every week, checking in at the gym, tracking a delivery, or using it as a product in its own right. It can send push notifications, works offline and sits on their home screen.
If customers would open it once a month, they probably will not install it, and a website or web app is the better spend.
A simple way to decide
- Customers find you once and call: start with a website.
- Customers or staff repeat a task often: build a web app.
- Customers come back weekly and would like it on their phone: build a mobile app, ideally after the web version proves itself.
Not sure which you are? Our plan builder asks a few questions and suggests a plan with a typical price. For the costs in more detail, see How much does it cost to build an app? and How much does a website cost?.
Common questions
Do small businesses need an app?
Most do not need one at first. A fast website with booking covers what most local customers want. An app makes sense when customers come back weekly.
What is the difference between a web app and a website?
A website tells people about your business. A web app lets them log in and do something, like book, pay, track an order or manage an account.
Can I start with a website and add an app later?
Yes, and that is usually the smart order. Many of the parts you build for a web app can be reused by a mobile app later.
Get a plan and a typical price
Answer a few quick questions and see what we would build for you, what it typically costs and how long it takes. About two minutes, no account.