Ecommerce Website vs App: What Your Store Needs First

Ecommerce website vs app: the short answer

Most stores should start with a website and add an app only when customers give a reason to. This guide sets out what each one does, what an app adds and how to tell when you are ready.

For most online stores, a website comes first. It can be found through search, opened from any link and used without an install. An app suits stores whose customers buy often and would use push notifications, saved logins or phone features. You can launch the website now and build an app later on the same product and order data.

The ecommerce website vs app decision depends on who you are trying to reach. A website reaches people who do not know you yet. An app serves people who already buy from you and want it to be quicker.

New customers arrive through a search result, an advert, a WhatsApp message or a social media post. Every one of those opens a browser. To reach a shopping app, a stranger has to search an app store, choose your app, wait for it to install and then create an account, which is a lot to ask of someone who has not yet bought from you. So the website does the finding and the first sale. The app, if you build one, works on repeat buyers.

What a website does that an app does not

• Product pages can appear in search results and can be shared as links. That is how most new customers find a store.
• One build works on every phone, tablet and computer.
• Customers need no install and no storage space.
• You can change a price, a page or an offer and see it live at once. An app change may need a new version, a store review and customers updating.
• It is the destination for ads, email links and search traffic.

The ecommerce solutions page describes the store websites Liftup builds.

What an app adds that a website does not

An app earns its cost where the phone itself matters or where customers come back often.

• Push notifications on the lock screen, such as order updates, restock alerts and offers, for customers who agreed to receive them.
• A home-screen icon that keeps the store one tap away.
• Fingerprint or face recognition login, so customers log in and check out faster.
• Camera and sensor features, such as scanning a barcode, searching by photo or previewing a product in augmented reality.
• Some content that stays available with a weak connection, if the app is designed to store it.
• A loyalty card, points and order history kept in one place.

None of this helps if customers rarely return. Each item is also a feature to build, test on many phones and maintain. The mobile app development page describes the app work Liftup does.

Can a website work like an app on a phone?

Partly. A site built to respond to screen size already feels like a phone page. A progressive web app goes further: customers can add it to the home screen, it opens full screen, and it can keep recently viewed pages available without a connection. Support for features such as push notifications differs between browsers and phone models and changes over time, so check what your customers' phones support before you depend on it.

A progressive web app costs less to build than two native apps and keeps one set of code. It does not give you a listing in an app store in the usual way, and it cannot use every phone feature. The wider difference between native apps and browser-based apps is covered in native app vs web app: what to build first.

Do customers prefer shopping apps?

Some do, and it depends on what you sell. A customer who orders groceries every week, refills the same products or manages a subscription has a reason to keep your app. A customer who buys furniture or jewellery now and then has no reason to install one for a single purchase.

Rather than looking for a general answer, check your own store. These are the signs that an app may pay off:

• A large share of orders come from returning customers.
• Most visits and orders already happen on phones.
• Customers ask for an app, or ask you to remind them when to reorder.
• You already message customers by email or WhatsApp and they respond.
• Your products are bought on a regular cycle.

If none of these is true, an app is a cost without a clear return.

Ecommerce website vs app at a glance

Costs that people forget with an app

The cost of an app is more than the first build. These items come later and are easy to miss when comparing quotes.

• Developer accounts with the app stores, which have to be kept active and registered to a person or company.
• Review and policy rules. Each store reviews updates and can reject them, and its rules change.
• Updates for new phone and operating-system versions, which you need even if you add no features.
• Testing across many phone models and screen sizes.
• Support for customers who have app-specific problems.
• The website itself. The app does not replace it.

The ongoing side is covered in how much it costs to maintain a mobile app.

Can I start with a website and add an app later?

Yes, and it is the usual order. The website brings in customers and shows you who comes back, which is the evidence you need to justify an app.

You can make the later step easier by asking your developer to do these things now:

• Keep products, prices, stock, carts, customer accounts and orders in a back end that an app can also read, usually through an API. The app then reuses the data instead of duplicating it.
• Keep product data clean, with consistent categories, sizes, images and descriptions.
• Collect email addresses and phone numbers with permission, so you can invite customers to the app.
• Record how customers use the site on mobile, so you know which screens an app should improve.

Build the app when returning customers, mobile use and requests for phone features point the same way, and not before.

A simple way to decide

1. How often does one customer buy from you? If it is rarely, a website is enough.
2. How do new customers find you? If it is search, ads or social media, the website is essential.
3. Does any feature need the phone itself, such as the camera or notifications? If so, price that feature on its own and check whether a progressive web app covers it.
4. Can you maintain a second product after launch? Name who will handle store accounts, updates and support.
5. Can the website already take orders reliably? If not, finish that first.

If the answers point to a website first, build that and measure how customers use it for a while before you revisit the app.

Questions and answers

Should I build a website or an app for my online store?

Build the website first for most stores. It can be found through search, opened from any link and used without an install. Consider an app later if your customers buy often and would use notifications, saved logins or phone features.

Can a website work like an app on a phone?

Partly. A responsive site already works well on phones, and a progressive web app can be added to the home screen and open full screen. Some phone features and notification support vary by browser and device, so check before relying on them.

Do customers prefer shopping apps?

It depends on how often they buy. Customers who reorder weekly or monthly have a reason to install an app. Customers who buy occasionally usually do not. Your own data on returning customers and mobile orders is a better guide than a general claim.

What does a shopping app add that a website does not?

Push notifications, a home-screen icon, quick login with fingerprint or face recognition, and access to the camera and other phone features. It can also hold a loyalty card and order history in one place. Each feature has to be built and maintained.

Can I start with a website and add an app later?

Yes, and this is the usual order. Ask your developer to keep products, orders and customer accounts in a back end that an app can also use. Then the app can reuse your data instead of starting again.

Does an app replace my website?

No. New customers still find you through search, ads and shared links, and those lead to a website. An app adds to the website for customers who already buy from you.