A web app runs in the browser, is available instantly via a link or QR code, is found on Google and can be put on the home screen. An app from the store is worth it if customers use it very often or you need functions only it offers. For most businesses the web app is the better start.
“We need an app.” I hear this sentence often, from restaurants to trades businesses. Behind it there is usually a concrete wish: customers should order or book more easily, regulars should come back, or the team wants to stop the paperwork. Whether that really needs an app from the App Store is a completely different question.
In this article I explain the differences between an app, a web app and a website in simple terms and give you a decision guide to judge for yourself what suits your business.
The three options at a glance
Website
A website shows who you are and what you offer, and is found via Google. It runs in the browser on any device. For information, trust and enquiries it is the foundation every business needs.
Web app
A web app also runs in the browser but can do much more than a website: customers log in, book appointments, see their orders, staff enter working hours. On a phone you can put it on the home screen like an app, and it then opens in its own window without an address bar. Experts call this a PWA (Progressive Web App). Notifications to the phone are also possible, though on the iPhone only once the web app is on the home screen.
App from the App Store
A classic app is built for iPhone and Android and distributed through the App Store and Google Play. It has full access to the device, for example Bluetooth, background functions or the wallet, and feels especially established thanks to its App Store listing. In return, every customer first has to search for it, download it and install it.
The comparison in five questions
| Question | Web app | App from the store |
|---|---|---|
| How does the customer get it? | Tap a link or QR code, instantly there | Open the App Store, search, install |
| Is it found on Google? | Yes, the content can appear in search | No, only the store listing |
| How much effort is it? | One version for all devices | Usually more effort, plus review by Apple and Google |
| How do updates arrive? | Instantly for everyone, no approval needed | Via the store, often with a wait for review |
| How close is it to the device? | Camera, location, notifications | Full access, also in the background |
When a web app is the better choice
- Your customers use the service only occasionally, for example booking an appointment once a month. Hardly anyone downloads an app for that.
- New customers should be able to use it without hurdles, for example via a QR code on the table or in the workshop.
- You want to digitise internal processes, such as jobs, timesheets or checklists for your team.
- You want to start small, launch quickly and expand later.
When an app from the store is worth it
- Your customers use the service very often, for example daily or several times a week.
- You need functions that only a real app can do, for example Bluetooth devices, background location or cards in the wallet.
- The listing in the App Store matters for your brand, for example with a loyalty programme with many regulars.
My rule of thumb: If you cannot say exactly why it has to be an app from the store, start with a web app. A well-built web app can still be converted into a store app later.
Three examples from practice
Restaurant: Menu, table reservation and takeaway ordering work very well as a web app via a QR code on the table. Guests do not have to install anything.
Trades business: A web app for the staff with the day's jobs, photos from the site and digital timesheets. It runs on any company phone, whether iPhone or Android.
Gym with many regulars: An app from the store can make sense here, because members open it several times a week to book classes and show their membership card.
What you should always watch out for
- Data protection: Store only what you really need and decide when data gets deleted.
- Accessibility: If you offer consumers things like bookings or orders online, you may fall under the German Accessibility Strengthening Act (BFSG). What that means is in my article on the BFSG.
- Operation and maintenance: An app is never completely finished. Plan updates and support from the start.
- Integrations: Clarify whether a calendar, till system or inventory system should be connected.
Conclusion
For most small and medium-sized businesses a web app is the faster and more flexible way. It reaches customers without a detour via the store, is found on Google and runs on any device. An app from the store is worth it if your customers use it very often or you need functions only it offers.
If you have an idea and are not sure which route fits, we can talk about it in a free initial consultation. What I build for businesses in the area of apps and web apps is on my services page.
Stefanos Svarnas, Knusperholz in Ludwigsburg. I build websites and make sure businesses get found on Google. Personally, without agency detours.
