Mobile App or Web App or Both?

Question

I am in the planning and design stage of an idea.

Think of foursquare or quora as the product, I know they are completely different but the dynamics are similar. Crowd-sourced social applications that require user input and engagement.

Given this, should the "product" be a mobile app, website, or both? Are most ideas successful as websites first, with mobile applications as an afterthought? Is the mobile app just a companion or is it the whole experience?

Most importantly, how can I make this decision prior to development? Is there some sort of litmus test to determine which of the 3 options will work?

Any tips, advice, or guidance is much appreciated.

Answer 1

Creating a great mobile app is hard. Now, do it twice, to support Android and iOS. But wait, are you going to support Blackberry? What about once you get outside the US? What about Windows Phone?

With a native app, you do get some advantages. You in general can create a richer experience, have stronger off-line support (if appropriate), widgets, etc. But that flexibility comes with a cost, a significant one, and one you'll pay over and over again. If you can create a purely web version of your product, you're going to have a much easier time supporting a wider range of handsets out of the gate, and nothing precludes you from building native apps down the road. Start out with the app as your primary access method, and you're really creating a lot of up-front work for yourself. Start with the web as plan A and supplement with apps, unless there is a great reason to do otherwise.