How to Convert Your Website Into an App [+ 5 Brands That Did It]

Are you looking to convert your website into a mobile app? With millions of mobile applications available to download already, you’d be far from the first.

无论您认为这是好坏的，智能手机都改变了世界。现在，我们可以从屏幕上访问信息，并且您需要了解的有关品牌的所有信息都可以在瞬间找到。消费者不再需要台式计算机来探索您的网站，因为over half of all visits to websites in 2021 came from mobile devices。

If your company has a website but wants to create a more user-friendly mobile experience, you can convert your site into an Android or iOS app that brings a mobile-optimized interface to your customers. This is particularly beneficial if your website isn't the most responsive on phones or tablets, as you can create an app alternative for mobile users.

In this post, we'll discuss:

• why your business might need a mobile app
• whether your app should be iOS or Android (or both)
• variables to consider when creating a mobile app
• how to convert a website into a mobile app
• examples of quality mobile apps adapted from websites

That's a lot to cover, so let's get started

Why do you need a mobile app?

移动应用程序为客户和企业带来许多好处 - 这就是为什么nearly a third of small businesses already have one。以下是您可能想将网站转换为移动应用程序的一些原因。

Ease of Access

Once a user installs an app, it’s much easier to open and engage with that application than it is to open a website in a separate browser application. Fewer barriers between the user and your content is always a good thing.

According to recent research,mobile users spend 83% of their time in appscompared to 17 in web browsers — we suspect this is due in large part to the convenience of having an application right on the home screen.

当然，首先要让用户掌握您的应用程序存在挑战 - 请参阅我们的guide to converting mobile traffic to app downloads为此提供帮助。

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Search Engine Optimization

诸如Google之类的搜索引擎旨在根据您的搜索提供最相关的结果。有道理的是，随着越来越多的人使用移动设备浏览互联网，您的网站将在搜索中排名更高。

For example, if someone searches for your brand or products on their phone, they'll have a better chance of getting the information they're looking for if your company offers a mobile app.

Keeping in mind that Google will want to provide the best answer possible, it will display your app as an "app pack" when someone searches for your brand on a mobile device (depicted below). Google will see that the user is operating on mobile and will want to show results that are best suited for that interface.

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Mobile-Friendly Interface

It's pretty disheartening to see that your favorite brand or product has an awesome website on desktop — but when you load it on your phone or tablet, the mobile version pales in comparison.

作为营销人员，网站所有者和/或Web开发人员, your job is to create an experience that users will enjoy, but what if your site isn't geared for mobile? Should you tear it down and start from scratch,重新设计网站, or try to patch the flaws potentially leading to more issues in the future?

One option is to create a mobile app for your website instead. This way, you keep your desktop version the same while offering a mobile variant that's more user-friendly.

推送通知

One of the biggest advantages of mobile apps is the ability to send push notifications to users. You can proactively notify customers about sales, personal offers, new posts, and more without them clicking on and opening your app.

When push notifications are enabled, your alerts appear on the user's locked or home screen so they can see your messages as soon as they check their phone.

Integrations

Another perk of converting your website into a mobile app is that mobile apps have more access to different features on your phone than a web browser does.

例如，您可以将应用程序与电话联系人，浏览器数据，相机功能和其他智能手机功能（例如GPS）集成在一起，以使您的用户体验更加愉快和沉浸式。

Multi-Touch Feature

Multi-touch is a feature only available for iOS or Android apps. There are various gestures like swiping, pinching, and more that you can use to interact with an app. As a result, users get a more personalized, engaging, and habitual experience versus what they would get with a desktop browser.

Offline Mode

Depending on their location, some users may have weak or no internet connection. While a website always requires a connection to the internet, mobile apps can work offline, so they're always available.

You can also integrate several offline features within your app. For example, it's possible to use Google Docs without an internet connection as changes are saved on the device and are moved to the cloud when the user is back online.

Ready to get started with your mobile app? First, we need to decide if your app will be offered on Android, iOS, or both.

我的移动应用程序应该是Android或iOS吗？

Since Android and iOS apps use different code variations, you may have to decide whether or not to design your app for Android or iOS users. In an ideal world, you'd probably want to offer your app to both types of users, however, you may have to make a tough decision if you don't have the bandwidth or resources to build two unique apps.

对于初学者来说，Android的用户群确实比iOS更大。在2021年，Android OS market share was 84% whereas the iOS market share was just less than 16%。Globally, many more people are using Android devices than iOS.

With that in mind, it's also important to consider where your users are located. While Android is more popular worldwide, iOS is more popular in the U.S. and Japan — see the chart below.

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Both operating systems have relatively the same functionality and you can host your app on both platforms if you choose. Other than the number of users that each system has, the main difference between the two is the coding format. Android uses APK files while iOS uses .ipa which is an iOS-specific file.

如果你决定Android和主机应用程序iOS, you can, but you'll just need to code two separate apps — even if they offer the same exact features.

Another difference between Android and iOS is the approval guidelines.Apple's guidelines非常严格 - 它倾向于仅发布使用iOS独特功能的引人入胜的应用程序。根据苹果公司的说法，“在iOS应用程序中提供的网站，未针对iOS格式化的Web内容，并且网络交互有限并不是质量应用程序。”因此，对于被Apple的App Store拒绝iOS应用程序的网站更为常见。

Apple also pays attention to the user interface (inappropriate UI is the most frequent rejection reason). It offers "Human Interface Guidelines“ 和 ”UI Design Dos and Don'ts" for designers and developers to follow. If Apple feels your app's interface is substandard, it will reject it from the App Store.

Now that we're ready to begin app development, let's review some important factors before getting started.

Variables to Consider When Converting Websites to Mobile Apps

There are a bunch of tools that help convert websites into mobile apps (iOS or Android). However, such services can't guarantee a great user experience. That's why it's better to develop a native app from scratch rather than converting your site using a third-party tool.

With that in mind, it's important to note that app development requires preparation and time. If you haven't designed an app, you might not know what it takes to build one from scratch. Here are a few variables you should consider before developing your app:

Development Cost

Apps are different from websites in the sense that you can't use a low-cost builder tool like acontent management systemto make them. You'll likely need a developer or development team in your ring.

Native app development can cost a lot. However, it's better to invest some money at the start of the process and get a good result right away, rather than paying a service over and over again to create the interface you're looking for.

We'll talk more about pricing in the next section, but when you're paying thousands of dollars to build an app, you'll want to get an idea of the total cost of the project before committing to app development.

屏幕尺寸

The mobile market is full of unique devices, including multiple types of smartphones and tablets. So, when creating a UI/UX design, you should consider different screen sizes and ensure that all images, charts, and buttons look great on various devices.

Pro Tip:to avoid problems, you should cooperate with an experienced and skilled UI/UX designer.

Search Presence

通常，人们会搜索您的网站，而不是搜索您的移动应用程序。虽然Google将通过在搜索结果中添加“应用程序包”来提供帮助，但您还可以在网站上添加弹出窗口，以告诉用户有关移动应用程序。这将鼓励人们下载您的应用程序，尤其是如果您的网站对移动设备不响应​​。

在涵盖所有基础的情况下，让我们将计划付诸实践，并讨论如何将网站转换为移动应用程序。

How to Convert a Website into Mobile App

1. Determine if you need a mobile app.

如果你有这么远,很有可能你移动towards app development. However, we should note that not every website requires a mobile app. If your website is already mobile-friendly, you may not need an app to improve your customer experience. In that case, a mobile app just may be extra work that might not pay off if more users simply prefer your website.

Here are some questions you can ask yourself to see if a mobile app makes sense for your business. The more "no's" you have, the more likely it is your company would benefit from having a mobile app.

• Is my website mobile responsive?
• Can I easily make my website mobile-friendly?
• Can my website do everything that my app does?
• Are most customers visiting my site on a desktop browser?
• 我的网站在搜索引擎上排名良好吗？
• Do my competitors offer a mobile app?

2.创建应用程序所需功能的列表。

Before you dive headfirst into app development, it's important to consider what features you'll include on your mobile app. Not only does this give you an idea of what you'll need to build, but it will help you calculate costs and stay within budget.

After all, it's easy to get carried away thinking about all the possible functions your app can perform. However, by coming up with a vetted list of features, you'll create an attainable vision for your app and ensure every one of its features is useful to your target audience — rather than just being a flashy extra.

3.雇用一个开发团队。

要开发高质量的应用程序，您需要与合格且经验丰富的开发团队合作。如今，有两种选择 - 雇用内部团队或与可靠的供应商合作。

两种变体都有利弊。例如，内部团队往往更昂贵。您需要支付诸如租金，硬件，软件，税收，假期等的费用。bob电竞官方下载但是，内部开发使您可以完全控制开发过程，并创建适合您确切规格的应用程序。

Outsourcing tends to be the cheaper option since you can hire developers from various places and each one will likely have a unique rate. The downside of this is that you can't oversee every aspect of development and you have to trust that you've hired the right people to do the job.

Fortunately, one way to account for this is to create a recurring meeting schedule between you and your developers. This will help keep your project on track and will allow you to make changes during the development process. That way, you aren't handed an app that looks nothing like your original blueprint after waiting for weeks or even months for your developers to build it.

4. Estimate app development costs.

Once you have your feature list and development team ready to go, it's time to start crunching numbers. A good rule of thumb is, the more complex your app is, the more expensive it's going to be to develop. In fact, onestudyfound that a "simple app" costs anywhere between $38,000 and $91,000 to develop.

There are a lot of factors to consider when thinking aboutmobile app development costs。The number of features you want to add, how long it will take to develop the app, who you're working with, etc. All of these elements are in play when it comes to pricing and you should think about them before building your app. If you find yourself over budget, a good place to start is by revisiting your feature list to see which features are essential and which ones you can wait until later to add.

5. Create a user-friendly UX design.

除了应用程序的基本功能外，您的UX设计是构建界面时优先级的最重要因素。毕竟，如果它不像您的网站那样响应，那么开发移动应用程序的意义是什么？

If you can't make your mobile app more mobile-friendly than your website, then you may want to consider investing more in your website's design than building a brand new app.

If you're looking for tips to improve user experience,查看此完整的UX设计指南。

6.测试您的应用程序。

Like with any landing page, social media post, or email campaign, you should test your app before submitting it to the app store. This will allow you to fine-tune your app's features and fix any glitches or flaws before your users discover them.

这不仅可以帮助你留住用户have deleted your app after experiencing these issues, but it will also save your support team time from having to respond to customers who are having problems with your mobile app. Even if you can't fix all of the flaws before pushing it live, at least you'll be aware of potential issues and can prep your service team before they're exposed to these types of inquiries.

7. Submit your app to the App Store.

一旦您的应用程序准备就绪，最后一步是将其提交给App Store。Android的App Store和Apple的App Store都花费大约相同的时间来查看您的提交内容 - 每次总共需要三天才能批准您的应用程序。批准您的应用程序后，应在相应的App Store中下载。

Examples of Apps Converted from Websites

What might a website look like when successfully converted into a mobile app? To give you a better sense of where to take your app’s design here are some notable examples of websites converted into mobile applications.

The New Yorker

Since its inception, the New Yorker has adapted from print to website to mobile application. The desktop version of the website serves news stories, opinion pieces, cartoons, a shop, and more.

看着新约克的移动应用程序版本r’s website, we can see how it adopts the visuals of the website while providing all the same features — even down to the crossword puzzles.

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H&M

Many online stores adapt their desktop websites to the mobile realm with apps. Take H&M, for instance: Its mobile app provides a comparable shopping experience to the website, and allows you to tailor your experience to your preferences.

One cool perk exclusive to the app is its scanning feature: Use your phone’s camera to scan the price tag of an item in-store to see whether the store has more of the item in stock.

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Blue Apron

Blue Apron provides meal kits to give home cooks a helping hand with their ingredients. On the website, members can order their meals and manage their subscriptions. By converting its service into a mobile app, Blue Apron has made it even easier for customers to explore new recipes, save their favorite recipes, and manage their accounts.

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Calendly

Calendly是专业人士的调度应用程序。为了容纳随身携带的用户，该公司为iOS和Android创建了一个移动应用bob全站app程序，以提供其基本功能。用户可以安排会议，审查和修改约会，并在干净的移动界面上进行预订会议。

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Canva

Like Calendly, design company Canva took the strengths of its web application and condensed them into a mobile app version to reach a wider customer base. It allows you to make customized graphics, edit photos, and even edit short videos on your phone.

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优化您的移动应用程序

Web行为正在发生变化，要建立成功的网站，您需要调整内容以匹配人们如何搜索信息。在这种情况下，这意味着构建一个移动应用程序，该应用程序对那些在手机或平板电脑上寻找您的品牌的人友好且足智多谋。

By following the steps outlined above, you can convert your website into an engaging mobile app and create a better on-the-go experience for your customer base.

Editor's note: This post was originally published in April 2021 and has been updated for comprehensiveness.