Ask David
We are working on launching a new startup. Should we start with a responsive website, a mobile app, or both? Do we eventually need both?
David: I would generally start with a responsive website – unless there is a specific reason your startup needs a mobile app from the beginning.
A good responsive website can give you a strong foundation while you develop your product, attract users, and figure out what your customers actually need. You can always add a mobile app later if it provides a meaningful advantage.
Ultimately, the right choice depends on what you’re building, how people will use it, and whether a mobile app provides something your responsive website can’t.
Responsive Website vs. Mobile App
A responsive website is a website designed to automatically adapt to different screen sizes. The same website can be accessed from a desktop computer, laptop, tablet, or smartphone.
A mobile app is software installed on a smartphone or tablet. Apps can be designed specifically for iOS or Android and can take advantage of various device capabilities.
Both can provide sophisticated functionality. The question is whether your startup actually needs both.
Why Start With a Responsive Website?
For many startups, the website should come first.
A website has several advantages when you’re trying to establish and grow a new product or business.
1. People can find you through search engines
A website gives you a place to build your presence in search engines and attract people who are looking for what you offer.
An app isn’t a replacement for that. Even if you eventually have a mobile app, your website can remain an important way for people to discover your company, alongside your App Store or Google Play listing.
2. There’s nothing to install
Someone can click a link and immediately visit your website.
They don’t have to find your app in an app store, download it, install it, and then open it.
That difference can be particularly important for a startup that is still trying to get people to try its product.
3. A website works across devices
A responsive website can serve people using phones, tablets, laptops, and desktop computers.
That’s especially useful when your users don’t all interact with your product in the same way. Someone might discover your startup on a phone but later use the service from a desktop computer.
4. Sharing is easy
A website has URLs.
You can link directly to a product, article, profile, discussion, listing, signup page, or other section of your site and share that URL through email, social media, search engines, or other websites.
That can make a website particularly useful for growing an online business or community.
5. It’s usually simpler to launch and maintain
Building a responsive website can be less expensive and less complicated than developing and maintaining separate native apps for multiple mobile platforms.
For a startup with limited resources, putting those resources into the core product rather than immediately building multiple applications can make sense.
When Does a Mobile App Make Sense?
There are situations where an app can provide significant advantages.
For example, an app may make sense if your product depends heavily on:
- Push notifications
- Camera or microphone access
- Location features
- Other device hardware
- Frequent repeat use
- Offline functionality
- A highly specialized mobile experience
If people are expected to use your service many times a day, having an app available on their phone can also make the experience more convenient.
A fitness app, messaging service, navigation service, or other mobile-focused product may have a particularly strong reason to offer an app.
But that doesn’t necessarily mean you should skip the website.
Website First, App Later?
For many startups, this can be a practical approach.
Start with a strong responsive website and use it to establish your product, attract users, test your idea, and learn how people actually use your service.
If you later discover that your users would benefit from a dedicated mobile app, you can build one around an established product rather than trying to develop everything at once.
This can also help you avoid spending significant time and money building an app before you know whether people actually want or need it.
Do You Need Both?
Sometimes, yes.
A website and mobile app can serve different purposes.
Your website might be the primary way people discover your company, read information, sign up, browse content, or use your service from a desktop.
Your app can then provide a more convenient experience for users who regularly access the service from their phones.
The two don’t have to be competing versions of the same thing. A website and mobile app can provide different user experiences while working with the same underlying service and data.
For example, they can use the same database, allowing users to access the same accounts and information from either platform.
Real-World Examples: UltimateWB Websites and Mobile Apps
You can find examples of UltimateWB-built websites with complementary mobile apps on our Showcase page.
Some of the sites featured there have separately coded mobile apps that use the UltimateWB software database in their backend. This includes sites such as Me We Too, Friends Match Me, Shout Out Universe, Top X Picks, and Flashcards Club, among others.
These sites cover very different types of online businesses and communities, showing that a responsive website and a mobile app don’t have to be completely separate systems. A separately developed app can provide a dedicated mobile experience while working with the same underlying database.
What Should a Startup Do?
There’s no rule saying that a startup has to launch with a website and an app.
In many cases, a good strategy is:
1. Build a responsive website first.
Make sure it works well on phones as well as larger screens.
2. Get the product in front of users.
See how people actually use it instead of assuming what they will need.
3. Identify limitations of the website experience.
If users would clearly benefit from native mobile features, that’s a reason to consider an app.
4. Build an app when it provides a real advantage.
Don’t build one simply because other startups have one.
Build a Flexible Website Foundation
If you’re starting with a website, it helps to choose a platform that gives you room to grow.
UltimateWB includes a built-in Responsive app in the Styles Manager, so you can create a website that adapts to smartphones, tablets, laptops, and desktop computers without needing a separate mobile version of the website.
UltimateWB also includes a wide range of built-in website tools and features, giving you flexibility to build different types of websites and online applications.
And if you eventually develop a mobile app, your app can work with the same database as your website.
This gives you the flexibility to add a dedicated mobile experience without having to replace your website.
So, Does Your Startup Need Both?
Probably not at the beginning.
For many startups, a responsive website is the logical starting point. It can be easier to launch, easier to share, accessible from virtually any device, and useful for building search visibility and attracting your first users.
A mobile app becomes more compelling when there is a specific reason for it – such as frequent mobile use, push notifications, device integration, offline functionality, or a mobile experience that would be substantially better as an app.
The goal isn’t to have as many platforms as possible.
The goal is to give your users the best experience while putting your development resources where they will have the most impact.
Got a techy/website question? Whether it’s about UltimateWB or another website builder, web hosting, or other aspects of websites, just send in your question in the “Ask David!” form. We will email you when the answer is posted on the UltimateWB “Ask David!” section.