The Internet has been the primary means of acquiring and communicating with customers for many years. App is often used to communicate with customers. In the early days, ordinary websites were sufficient for this.
These were designed to be displayed on a large PC screen. With the advent of the first smartphones, it quickly became clear that the display on these small end devices, which also use a different format, did not meet the users’ requirements. Therefore, the web designers developed unique versions adapted to this output format. Responsive design is now mainly used for this. This automatically adapts the display of the page to the screen size.
However, another way to interact with smartphone users is to use an app. This is a small program that runs directly on the device. There are countless possible applications for this. For example, they can make games, news, or weather report available on the device in this way. In addition, there are countless business applications.
If you design such an application for online shopping, you can make the shopping process much more manageable. Internal applications are also possible – from controlling an industrial machine to checking stock levels. To benefit from these diverse application possibilities, however, it is essential to align the app development precisely with the desired application. It is necessary to select a suitable technique and pay attention to good performance.
Native Apps, Web Apps, And Hybrid Apps – The Differences
The classic form of the smartphone app is the so-called native app. This program is installed directly on the device and runs within its operating system. However, there are other options. For example, you can use a web app.
This is not installed on the device. You call them up via their Internet address with your browser. There are also so-called hybrid apps. These are installed on the device. However, they do not run directly on the operating system. Instead, they call up the web browser for this purpose. However, you can adapt its form of presentation – for example, by removing the address line.
In this way, the application and the presentation are similar to a native app. Below we present the advantages and disadvantages of the various options.
Native App
The native app offers many advantages. Compared to the other alternatives, it is characterized by excellent performance. In addition, she has full access to all functions of the device. For example, if you want to access the internal data storage, GPS function, or contacts, using a native app is sensible.
However, you must note that this is always intended for a particular operating system. For example, you cannot run an iOS app on an Android device. Therefore, you either limit the user group or develop different versions for the individual operating systems. While the first option reduces the number of users, the second alternative leads to higher development costs.
Web Apps
Web apps run directly in the browser and are entirely independent of the operating system. Therefore, if you develop a web app, you only need one version. You can then run this on any device equipped with a web browser. In addition, well-known web technologies are used for development: HTML, CSS, and JavaScript.
All this leads to the fact that the app development here is quick and easy. That saves costs. The web app can be accessed via its URL without downloading it. On the one hand, this can reduce the inhibition threshold for use. On the other hand, the lack of installation reduces the bond with the user. Web apps have significant disadvantages in performance and access to the device’s functions.
Hybrid Apps
Hybrid apps try to combine the advantages of web apps and native apps. Since hybrid apps also run in the browser, well-known web technologies are used for development, just like web apps. With the help of a suitable framework, these are then adapted so that installation on different operating systems is possible.
This leads to a fast and efficient development process with low costs. However, the app looks almost like a native app to the user. It is installed on the device and accessed via a fixed icon. The browser for the execution is then started. However, it is possible to customize its display. Therefore, the effect is very different than that of a web app. The hybrid app also has access to many features of the device. However, it has apparent deficits in terms of performance compared to a native app. That is why most operators still opt for the native app.
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