App or website: which to choose, and how to have both

Website or app: almost every client asks us. The short answer: they don’t do the same job. The good news: with a web app, you get both for €19 a month.

A website is there to be found. Someone types “pizzeria Bristol” or “yoga class Leeds”, and they land on you. An app is there to be kept. Your icon stays on the home screen, and you come back into your customer’s day with a notification.

Here I explain what each one does best, and how a single Maymoune app covers both needs.

What a website does best

• Being found on Google: it’s the front door for new customers.
• Opening with nothing to install: one link, and the page shows up.
• Being shared everywhere: in an email, a message, a post, a business card.

Its limit: it waits for people to visit. A visitor who leaves only comes back if they think of you.

What an app does best

• Staying in sight: your icon on the home screen, next to everyday apps.
• Reaching out: a notification lands on the screen, without waiting for the customer to visit.
• Being quick: order, book, listen or watch in two taps.
• Recognizing your members: a login, a profile, members-only content.

Its limit, for a classic app: it’s downloaded from a store, and it doesn’t show up in Google results.

The web app: a website and an app at once

Every Maymoune app first exists as a web version. It opens in the browser with a simple link, like a website, on a computer as well as on a phone. And it installs on the home screen in seconds, with your icon and your notifications, like an app.

You update once, and everyone sees the new version: those who use the browser as well as those who installed the app.

Found on Google, with your own domain name

Your web app can be indexed by search engines. In the back office, a switch allows indexing, and you fill in the title, description and keywords shown on Google.

Advanced settings are there too: sitemap, URL rewriting, robots.txt file, Schema.org data. And your app can show up at your own address, for example app.your-name.com, with its security certificate.

Already have a website? Keep it

No need to choose. Your website stays your shop window on Google, and the app becomes the link with your regular customers. If your site runs on WordPress, its posts show up in the app with no retyping. See the article on automatic content.

Add an “Install our app” button to your website, and a QR code in store. The guide is in the article on the QR code.

What to choose for your situation

• You have neither a website nor an app: the web app does both, from day one.
• You have a website that works: keep it, and add the app to bring customers back.
• You want to be on the App Store and Google Play: the Ultra plan adds the iPhone and Android apps, with the same single update.

The difference between a web app and store apps is covered in the article web app or iPhone and Android app.

How much it costs

At Maymoune, SEO, the custom domain and notifications are included in all three plans:

• Starter, €19 a month: your web app, installed from a link or a QR code.
• Ultra, €59 a month: the same, plus the iPhone, iPad and Android app on the stores.
• Ultra lifetime, €2,999: a one-time payment, with publishing on the App Store and Google Play included.

My advice: launch the web app, polish its title and description for Google, and send the link to your customers this week. Plan details are on the pricing page.

To go further: writing messages is covered in the article on push notifications, and private content in the one on the members area. Other questions are answered in the FAQ.

Frequently asked questions

Do I need a website or an app?

They don’t do the same job: a website is there to be found, an app to be kept. The Maymoune web app does both: it opens with a link and installs on the home screen.

Is the web app visible on Google?

Yes. You allow indexing in the back office and fill in the title, description and keywords.

Can I use my own domain name?

Yes. The app can show up at your own address, with its security certificate.

Should I drop my current website?

No. Keep your website, and add the app for your regular customers. A WordPress site can even feed the app automatically.

How much does an app that also works as a website cost?

€19 a month for the web app, €59 a month with the iPhone and Android apps, or €2,999 once and for all. Details are on the pricing page.