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It’s cheaper to build multiple native applications than one responsive web app

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Re: It’s cheaper to build multiple native applications than one responsive web app

#201

Post by st3v3r »

harryf wrote: post #188
asimuvPR wrote: post #25

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It does make a couple of interesting points: 1. The cost of building an app can be calculated in the back of a napkin. The cost of a web app that works consistently across devices? Not so much. 2. The cost of building backend services has been commoditised to a degree. Front end web development? Its downright hard finding someone that can do good front end web work. 3. The reality that big companies (silos) will push…

> The cost of a web app that works consistently across devices? To me the problem is right here: why must every web app work on all devices? And why, if you build an iOS app do you have to build one for Android too? If you're a small business, getting your first 50k, 100k, 200k customers is what matters. You can do this more effectively at lower cost by focusing on just one platform / browser / environment.

"To me the problem is right here: why must every web app work on all devices?"

Because users want them to. If your web app doesn't work on their device, they're going to leave and use something else. The days of people being tied to their laptops is over.

"And why, if you build an iOS app do you have to build one for Android too?"

You don't have to, but if you want success, it's probably best to try and reach as many people as possible. And there are more Android users than iOS users.

Re: It’s cheaper to build multiple native applications than one responsive web app

#202

Post by icebraining »

equalarrow wrote: post #172
tracker1 wrote: post #156

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Circumventing the App Store on iOS is problematic at best...

Not really. It's called the Enterprise Program. While this is for 'enterprise', you can also use it - and Apple allows this - to distribute _outside the App Store_. A few years ago I built a nice sms delivery system for installing an app I was working on. Text anything to our number (we had multiple numbers thru twilio based on market). App replies back with a download link. Install. It worked perfect and we could ac…

As far as I know, that's against the program's ToS, and your certificate can be revoked at any time.

Re: It’s cheaper to build multiple native applications than one responsive web app

#203

Post by jtmarmon »

It might be true that it's a pain in the ass to write a responsive web app, but that doesn't mean it's not worth it. Users are unlikely to download a mobile app just because you say so.

Of course YMMV. If you have control over what the user does like some kind of internal enterprise app then go for it.

Re: It’s cheaper to build multiple native applications than one responsive web app

#204

Post by asimuvPR »

harryf wrote: post #188
asimuvPR wrote: post #25

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It does make a couple of interesting points: 1. The cost of building an app can be calculated in the back of a napkin. The cost of a web app that works consistently across devices? Not so much. 2. The cost of building backend services has been commoditised to a degree. Front end web development? Its downright hard finding someone that can do good front end web work. 3. The reality that big companies (silos) will push…

> The cost of a web app that works consistently across devices? To me the problem is right here: why must every web app work on all devices? And why, if you build an iOS app do you have to build one for Android too? If you're a small business, getting your first 50k, 100k, 200k customers is what matters. You can do this more effectively at lower cost by focusing on just one platform / browser / environment.

I wish it were that easy. Sometimes you need to be in every platform to be considered by your market. Its simply sucks.

Re: It’s cheaper to build multiple native applications than one responsive web app

#205

Post by asimuvPR »

tracker1 wrote: post #155
asimuvPR wrote: post #25

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It does make a couple of interesting points: 1. The cost of building an app can be calculated in the back of a napkin. The cost of a web app that works consistently across devices? Not so much. 2. The cost of building backend services has been commoditised to a degree. Front end web development? Its downright hard finding someone that can do good front end web work. 3. The reality that big companies (silos) will push…

To your second point... many companies are only paying lip service to finding someone good... I price myself out of the majority of jobs I'm approached about, and consider myself in the top few percent on front end web development (JS in general).

What do you mean by lip service? :)

Re: It’s cheaper to build multiple native applications than one responsive web app

#207

Post by st3v3r »

paulddraper wrote: post #132
hanginghyena wrote: post #21

Seems like you're deferring one dragon for another. Deliver the project got easier; "Control the customer" got significantly harder. You've now got someone's app store in the middle of your customer relationships and are exposed to approval drama, various forms of revenue squeeze, and other meddling from the platform owner. What happens if the folks running the platform decide to launch their own offering? Speaking a…

Apps don't have to be downloaded from stores, thought that certainly does make things nice.

In practice, they do. On iOS, you can only go through the App Store. On Android, while you can sideload, the vast majority of users are going to expect to get your app from the Google Play Store, and not bother to check anywhere else.

Re: It’s cheaper to build multiple native applications than one responsive web app

#208

Post by bradscarleton »

Responsive web apps are difficult to build, however settling for native Android and iOS is not sufficient for comparison since he's leaving out the desktop (so he should probably include Windows and OSX for some level of parity for what a responsive web app can do).

The real underlying problem is the state of the mobile web browser, which neither Apple nor Google have much incentive to improve due to their revenue generating app stores. That's not to say that there wouldn't still be some major differences between native apps and mobile web (especially in the discovery / delivery department), but if you had better feature parity between these platforms I think rants like this guys would be fewer and farther between.

tl;dr: He picked the wrong technology platform for his product, therefore since it didn't work for his use case, it must be fundamentally broken.

Re: It’s cheaper to build multiple native applications than one responsive web app

#209

Post by TeMPOraL »

potatolicious wrote: post #59
tmaly wrote: post #2

I can totally relate to some of this. If you take a look at Meeker's 2016 Internet trends report that came out last week, you will see that 3 apps dominate 80% of the usage on phones. I decided when I started my food side project a year back, that I was not going to do a native app. I have been trying to make the front end look better, but I did not want to use very heavy frameworks, so I settled on using the SASS mi…

I don't really see how user time-share is relevant unless your goal is to start a social network/messaging system. 80% of user time is spent in those 3 apps, that doesn't preclude very profitable apps from being developed. After all, people spend 16+ hours a day at home/work, but there are still plenty of reasons to open restaurants. Unless you profit directly from time-spent-in-app this doesn't seem like a consequen…

Totally agree. The most money I've ever spent is on Tasker and AutoApps family of Tasker plugins, and I rarely even open them - they're the ultimate background apps, but they work, they work well, and they're very much worth the money I paid.

Re: It’s cheaper to build multiple native applications than one responsive web app

#210

Post by return0 »

Good luck having the users download your app. I use everything from the browser, including gmail and twitter (both load faster and don't bother me with notifications). However I hate how they prompt me to download the native apps every fucking time (obligatory). I actually wonder, what are the action rates for those app install prompts?

If you don't play games there is barely a reason to download an app ever.

And really how bad or difficult is the mobile web? Use bootstrap and you have a pretty fine experience. I think we are focusing too much on slick experience instead of offering something useful.

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