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Start with a Website, Not a Mobile App

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Re: Start with a Website, Not a Mobile App

#221

Post by hahabrew »

casper345 wrote: post #111

80% of apps are uninstalled in the first 10min (especially if they ask for information or creating an account). Once uninstalled very unlikely they will ever install again. In my dev shop, I always advise clients to look into website MVP over apps unless IT IS CRITICAL to the functionality. Websites can always bring back ppl who were initially uninterested. Faster development/instant updates. Better tracking and UX a…

Tech abuse, gets karma this way. If apps behave like virus or meta-trojans all the time, it doesnt go unnoticed no matter how stealthy. even android itself was bent in this direction, thats not to slag android tho, i think bluestacks is great. for example> https://www.bluestacks.com/ and this too https://bluestacks-app-player.en.uptodown.com/windows surprising that so many people are not willing to recognize tech abuse when it happens, even more so is how people actually defend tech abuse as a sustainable practice. the compromises that android, and apps have been subjected to are close to rendering mobile platform nothing more than an advertizing/marketing portal

Re: Start with a Website, Not a Mobile App

#222

Post by jwr »

The most important factor is the cost. Developing and maintaining a mobile app is expensive, and often there is no justification for spending that money, especially given that most users expect apps to be free.

Re: Start with a Website, Not a Mobile App

#223

Post by mobjack »

wvenable wrote: post #33
verbify wrote: post #29

That's my feelings, although I've seen so many successful app-only startups that I feel I'm missing something that these startups grasp. E.g. in the UK Monzo, an app-only bank, won't allow you to access your statements, do transfers, or pretty much do anything to manage your account on the web, and is one of the most popular challenger banks.

Most of the points in the article are for the benefit of the developer (easier updating, lower dev cost, fewer platforms) and not for the benefit of the end user. If the goal is to make a product better for yourself then make a web application. If your goal is to make a product users will like then make mobile applications. The article talks about how users don't install apps but signing up for a website (enter email…

There are users who prefer to use a desktop web application than a mobile app. Many types of task are better on a large screen with a mouse and keyboard.

It depends on the type of app and target audience.

Re: Start with a Website, Not a Mobile App

#224

Post by diminoten »

wvenable wrote: post #174
diminoten wrote: post #78

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It takes longer to get to market with an app, especially if its your first. No contact with users == death.

But you also only get really once chance that with that user. Give them a crappy experience and they'll never come back. A web app is already starting at -100 points.

...in absolutely no way is this true. Where did you learn this?

Who taught you that websites are 100 points worse (on whatever scale, you never say) than mobile apps?

Re: Start with a Website, Not a Mobile App

#225

Post by cschep »

scarface74 wrote: post #80
cschep wrote: post #77

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Using email as a notification service works in this case. The user probably gets a notification for new emails.. at least if they do they chose to. :)

Email delivery has its own set of problems - mostly spam filters. Even when the email does reach the end user, most people get so many emails it’s easy to get lost in the noise.

It does have issues when it comes to getting users to do something they don't want to do, but it is more than good enough to communicate with users about something they actively want to do.

I have no interest in the former.

Re: Start with a Website, Not a Mobile App

#226

Post by jermaustin1 »

ed312 wrote: post #218
enraged_camel wrote: post #159

Earlier quoted context omitted.

For me: Personal Capital (finance), WhatsApp, Slack, Overcast (podcasts), Kindle, Dark Sky (hyper accurate weather app), Google Authenticator, Lyft, RENPHO (my smart scale’s app), 1Password Everything else is very situational and totally optional.

off topic of the thread: do you have a strong opinion of Dark Sky vs Weather Underground?

I have found Dark Sky is great in populated areas (NYC, Denver, Houston), but Wunderground seems to do better outside of the metros (Lower Hudson River Valley, Catskills, Adirondacks -- you can probably tell where I live and work, now).

Re: Start with a Website, Not a Mobile App

#227

Post by imhoguy »

rixrax wrote: post #216
wvenable wrote: post #169

Earlier quoted context omitted.

How many websites ever get passed the signup stage? I often will leave as soon as I'm tasked with creating an account and I'm not likely to come back.

What is especially frustrating that many sites don’t allow Mailinator and other similar ‘one-time’ email systems to be used for registering an account. No way I am going to give you my email address up front before seeing the product. Now the solution is of course to have a separate gmail account to register. Most sites still allow user+site@gmail.com address syntax so that I can sometimes see who are leaking where.…

There is a lot of temporary email services constantly popping into the Internet every month. Some of them are open-sourced so one can make own quick disposable email or forwarding service with cheap domain. "Resistance Is Futile" - no way any exclusion list can keep up to cover them.

Re: Start with a Website, Not a Mobile App

#228

Post by rsanheim »

verbify wrote: post #29

That's my feelings, although I've seen so many successful app-only startups that I feel I'm missing something that these startups grasp. E.g. in the UK Monzo, an app-only bank, won't allow you to access your statements, do transfers, or pretty much do anything to manage your account on the web, and is one of the most popular challenger banks.

> successful app-only startups

survivor-ship bias. You don't see the thousands of app only startups that fail every year.

Re: Start with a Website, Not a Mobile App

#229

Post by oftenwrong »

naravara wrote: post #188
endorphone wrote: post #34

Earlier quoted context omitted.

We've been hearing the same pitch for literally years. Heck, I've made some of them myself: "This is it, people! Native apps have been rendered unnecessary!" No PWA competes with a native experience. Not performance wise, not usability wise, and ultimately for the developer not even development wise. It may still make a lot of sense, and there are a lot of arguments for web apps, but the enthusiasm in this discussion…

>No PWA competes with a native experience. Not performance wise, not usability wise, and ultimately for the developer not even development wise. How much of a usability advantage does an app for, say, IMDB offer that the regular website doesn't? Or the loyalty card apps that a lot of grocery stores and coffee shops use now? A lot of apps on the market are functionally just wrappers put around a poorly optimized websi…

Companies saddle their mobile web experience with excessive animations, gobs of dynamic elements, screen-hogging navigation bars/sharing buttons/overlays, poorly-implemented infinite scrolling, etc, etc... and then they conclude that mobile web sites are bad and native apps are good.

People have forgotten that you can build a website that isn't a user-hostile SPA train-wreck.

Re: Start with a Website, Not a Mobile App

#230

Post by interfixus »

enraged_camel wrote: post #159
jermaustin1 wrote: post #147

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I like this concept. Using the smart phone more like a PDA than a tiny laptop. What are your 10 core apps if you don't mind sharing?

For me: Personal Capital (finance), WhatsApp, Slack, Overcast (podcasts), Kindle, Dark Sky (hyper accurate weather app), Google Authenticator, Lyft, RENPHO (my smart scale’s app), 1Password Everything else is very situational and totally optional.

Fascinating - not one single overlap. Mine:

Firefox, K-9, Signal, KeepassAndroid, Syncthing, FBReader, Fast Notepad, OsmAnd+, Revolut, OpenVPN.

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