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Any small business leader who is looking for new ways to grow and connect directly with customers has likely at least considered developing their own mobile app. After all, what business wouldn’t want a chance to secure valuable real estate on a device that sits in virtually every adult American’s pocket?
Having a dedicated app for your business or organization offers tons of positives, including a more direct relationship with your customers, easier access to your products and services, and a terrific platform for branding and company messaging.
But to maximize these positive opportunities, you need an app that is accessible to both Android and Apple iOS users.
So then the next question for business owners is “Where do we get started?”
In this article, we’ll look at the differences between native, cross-platform, and hybrid app development, and then we’ll go over five reasons why native mobile app development is the best fit for most projects.
Let’s get started.
What is native app development?
In short, native app development means designing and building a mobile app to function on a specific device type or platform.
When it comes to mobile app development, clients have a few different options. These options include hybrid, cross-platform, and native app development, and each type comes with its own functionality and user experience benefits or drawbacks.
Let’s take a closer look:
- Hybrid app development utilizes common programming languages (such as JavaScript, CSS, or HTML) that can function within an embedded web browser. In essence, apps that are developed using hybrid development are shells that can display dynamic web content on a variety of devices. This option is commonly used by organizations that need to get an app to market quickly while attempting to reduce development costs.
- Cross-platform app development allows one app to be developed that will function across different platforms or ecosystems, making this an attractive option for many small businesses. Improvements to cross-platform development tools in recent years have made this option more appealing, and we’ll get into the benefits later.
- Native mobile application development is widely recognized for offering customers and your organization the best performance, user experience, and results[1]. While the process of native application development generally requires more time and effort compared to hybrid or cross-platform, the benefits are almost always well worth it.
For iOS devices, like iPhones and iPads, native apps need to be written using platform-specific languages such as Objective-C or Swift[2]. Native iOS apps also need to be developed using Xcode, Apple’s development environment.
For Android devices, native apps are written using Kotlin (a Java programming language) and C++. Kotlin[3] improves in a number of areas where Java was once lacking, allowing apps to have more functionality and yielding a better experience for users.
Although there are numerous reasons to choose native development over hybrid or cross-platform[4], the starting point will come when considering what features your app will have and if it requires device-level functions or authorization. This is because hybrid, web-based applications do not have access to certain functions on some unsupported web browsers.
If your app needs Bluetooth connectivity, for example, a hybrid approach might not be feasible since Bluetooth functionality may not work on some devices based on the web browser they use.
What’s the difference between native app development and cross-platform app development?
While we covered a few of these above, there is a lot more to consider between native and cross-platform app development.
Native apps integrate into a mobile phone’s hardware, allowing for access to Bluetooth, camera functions, contacts, microphones, and new features that may be added in the future. Native apps also work best on applications using sensors for GPS tracking and analyzing different types of movement using accelerometers, as well as mobile device connectivity with smart devices.
Cross-platform development is, first and foremost, a big timesaver. If you have a small software development team or you are outsourcing to an experienced development team, there are certainly cost savings to be had with cross-platform development.
But as we mentioned above, this development approach comes with some drawbacks. Cross-platform apps can often be lacking in speed when compared to native apps. They can also have trouble complying with Google Play and iOS app store guidelines. And there are security concerns[5] as well.
Advantages and disadvantages of native app development
There are several key advantages to developing native Android apps and iOS apps for your business. Here are some of the top benefits:
- Security. While most people don’t think about security very much in a day, when there is a security problem it’s all anyone can talk about, and it does tremendous harm to a business and brand.
- Better performance. Nearly tied for importance with security, the performance of a mobile app is key to giving users a great experience and ensuring that they use the app regularly. It is also critical to driving business and getting you results and data you can use.
- Scalability. The goal of any business is to grow, and you want your technology to be ready when you are. Developing separate Android apps and iOS apps allows you to take advantage of new features or functions in each, and to address changes or requirements much more quickly.
- Stability. Development, maintenance, and updates are all much more stable when developed for their specific platforms. Android and Apple aren’t going anywhere anytime soon, so your system features and APIs will likely be fully functional for a long time.
- Compatibility. Native apps are automatically ready to function on their respective operating systems and devices. This means that there are no concerns over whether or not some functions will work across devices.
As far as disadvantages, there are a handful of things you may want to take into consideration as you consider native app development against other options.
- Development costs. Because of the separate codebases for the different mobile operating systems, there will be more time required to develop two apps. You may even find that you need to hire a separate development team or firm for each specific operating system in order to get the best results.
- No coding crossover. The two different apps will have two different sets of code, which rules out the ability to develop anything jointly. This can also have an impact on development costs and time, although there are certainly firms that can handle both.
- Upgrades. Native apps can require frequent upgrading as each mobile operating system makes changes, or as bugs are identified and need to be fixed.
- User funnel. Native apps require more involvement on the part of your customers. They have to search for and find the app, install it (provided they have the space on their devices), open it, add account information, and so on. Each step of the process can be a barrier to entry that causes you to lose potential users.
Why should businesses use native app development?
Given the downsides, why would a small business ever choose to go with native app development over hybrid app development? In general, native application development offers more benefits than drawbacks[6] for both businesses and their customers.
From a customized user interface that fits your brand to in-app notifications, easier purchases with saved account information, opportunities for app-exclusive deals or offers, and so much more, developing native applications for your company is almost always a win-win.
When should businesses NOT use native app development?
There are a handful of scenarios where native app development may not be the ideal choice for business owners. First and foremost, if you are running a startup that is just getting off the ground, hybrid or cross-platform app development will be both more cost-effective and faster to get going. These considerations are especially important if you have limited funding or if you need to get your new app into the market as quickly as possible.
Similarly, if you are working with limited funding, the lower maintenance required by a cross-platform app can help to keep costs down.
Finally, if you don’t have other areas of your business already running smoothly–like launching your website or getting your accounting set up–then worrying about app development should probably be a lower priority. If your business does not have a robust marketing plan in place, including customer communications and other considerations, an app is unlikely to give you a good return on your investment.
Areas such as product development, CRM, web development, SEO, and content should ideally be in a very strong place, because so many of these efforts will help to inform the branding, content, and direction of your app.
Getting Started with Native Mobile App Development
If your business is well established and looking for a way to more directly reach and engage with customers, then a mobile application is a logical next step. And while it may seem daunting, native mobile app development experts are available to help plan, guide, and create an application that achieves your goals and offers customers a fantastic experience.
Begin your search by finding some of the top-reviewed mobile app development experts right here at UpCity. They are ready to answer any questions you have and help you develop a functional, robust, and brand-strengthening app that users will enjoy.
This article has been updated. It was originally published in April of 2021.
Sources
- Native, Hybrid, or Cross-platform Apps?, Microsoft Power Apps
- Getting Started with iOS App Development, Amazon Web Services
- Kotlin home page, Kotlin
- What’s The Difference Between Web Apps, Native Apps, And Hybrid Apps?, Amazon Web Services
- Are Cross-Platform Apps as Fast and Secure as Native Apps?, Appstronauts
- What Are the Advantages of Native Apps Over Hybrid Apps?, Geeks For Geeks