When do you actually need a custom Android app?

"We need an app" is one of the most common things I hear from business owners. Sometimes it is exactly right. Often, a fast mobile website would do the job for a fraction of the cost. Here is how I help clients decide.

Start with the job, not the platform

Ask what your customer needs to do, and how often:

• Browse and contact you occasionally? A fast, mobile-friendly website is enough. Nobody installs an app to check opening hours.
• Order or book every week? An app starts to make sense, because saved details and one-tap reordering keep people coming back.
• Use it as a daily work tool? Field staff, delivery riders and shop counters often need an app that works offline and uses the camera, GPS or a barcode scanner.

The three options

A mobile website works on every phone, is found through Google and is the cheapest to build and maintain. It is the right first step for most businesses.

A Progressive Web App (PWA) is a website that can be added to the home screen, load quickly and handle some offline use. It is a good middle ground when you want an app-like feel without Play Store publishing.

A native Android app gives you push notifications, full offline support, access to device hardware and a presence on Google Play. In Bangladesh, where Android has the overwhelming share of phones, an Android-first app reaches almost all of your customers.

Signs you really need an app

• Customers repeat the same action often — ordering, booking, tracking, paying
• You need push notifications to bring people back
• Staff need it to work offline or with poor coverage
• You need the camera, GPS, Bluetooth printers or barcode scanning
• Your competitors' customers already expect an app

Signs a website is enough

• Most visits come from Google searches
• Visitors mainly read, compare and then call or message you
• You have not yet confirmed people will use it regularly

A sensible path

For many clients I build the backend once — a Laravel admin and REST API — and start with a website. When usage proves the demand, the Android app plugs into the same backend, so nothing is wasted. If you are weighing up an app, tell me what your customers or staff need to do and I will recommend the simplest option that works.