When we talk about apps that are the top grossing and most popular apps in the world, what do they all have in common? They are all developed as Native apps. Too often, what could have been a highly successful app is built using React development. The consequence; it does not deliver the UX expected. The result: poor user ratings and irreparable reputation damage. Too often a business is not aware of the pitfalls that await them if they follow a particular development path unsuited to their needs. They didn’t prototype their idea with a design sprint before development. To help you avoid these traps here are some guidelines for when to go Native:
Risk vs. Reward:
Development costs time and money. Before beginning your development journey be sure you don’t miss any of these steps when beginning your product development roadmap:
- Ignoring backend development/infrastructure needs for future success.
- Misunderstanding the value proposition between apps and websites.
- Failing to consider the cross-department involvement required for delivery and ongoing success with your product.
- An insufficient marketing budget to promote and educate customers about your app.
- Contingencies to meet customer demands after the initial launch with updates and bug fixes.
Some considerations must be made about whether you choose between React or Native development and there is no one answer as to what you need. The formula for successfully choosing your development involves having a comprehensive list of the mistakes you must avoid first. If you ignore your backend development and infrastructure needs this will be a fatal error. Many companies don’t account for the cost of maintaining an app after it has been released.
Understand Your Value Proposition:
Ideally, there should be a budget set aside for up to a year’s worth of costs associated with maintaining and improving your product. The consequences of not updating and maintaining your app will result in your product receiving negative reviews. This is a consequence of the rapidly increasing number of devices and the need for frequent upgrades. Many companies fail to see their app as an extension of their brand, and consider it an afterthought, as there is a misunderstanding between the different value proposition an app has over a website.
An app should offer a more responsive, well designed and user-friendly experience than a website. It should not be considered as an extension of the site. Businesses should view their app as an independent and standalone representation of their brand and its core values. If you opt for Native development of your app, it will offer a great user experience, enhanced performance, and because native apps are optimised for each device, you can provide your users with a more personalised experience. Native app development will result in higher conversion rates and will ultimately boost customer loyalty.
React vs Native; Which Is Correct For Me?:
There are four key questions we should ask at this point:
- How important is the performance of your app?
- Does your app need to include any device-specific features?
- Do you want your app to support multiple platforms and devices?
- What is your mobile app development budget?
If your app is straightforward and small, you probably won’t need a native app. The principles for choosing to React based development should come from the following considerations. Does your app need to be fast? Does your app have device specific needs? Do you have a large budget? Then React development is not going to be your go-to choice.
React based development is more suited for those who do not have a large budget, need to get to the market quickly and have limited scope in terms of function and features. If you are seeking an easily maintainable solution with a solid user experience for a large user base, then your only choice is to go Native.
User Experience Is Key:
Native apps outperform React and Hybrid based apps because they are developed to access the inbuilt capabilities of the user’s device (GPS, camera) and are usable offline, React apps have access to all that, but through another layer the company maintaining React needs to implement the feature to support those “hardware” capabilities so for example, if there’s a new iOS update, there’s a good chance your React app will break, or many bugs will pop-up. The same goes to, if there is a new feature, let’s say NFC reading, with native, you have instant access to it from the standard iOS SDK, with React, you have to wait for them to implement the support in React, then you can use it.
Whenever a business plans to build a mobile app, we usually recommend native app development. Native apps have the best performance when compared with React or Hybrid apps. Native apps are more secure for the user’s data as there is no reliance on third parties. Native apps are more interactive and responsive than Hybrid or React based apps allowing for a much more aesthetically pleasing user experience.
Native apps allow developers to access the full feature set of devices producing a reliable, optimised experience for the user every time regardless of device. Native app development also tends to have fewer bugs during the development period, which is a massive advantage. If you wish to boost user engagement, you need to consider your apps maintenance, upgrades, and continuous delivery which will be much more convenient in a Native app.
Conclusion:
When we balance these considerations, we are left with the conclusion that there is no one answer to choosing a development style as it is entirely needs-based. If you make the right considerations at the start of your development roadmap, then you will know what development suits your product. If you intend on creating a product that users will love using and will continue to engage with Native app development is the best choice for your product.
Here at Equaleyes, we are specialists in Native development. We are extremely proud to have contributed to the success of many highly successful apps and guarantee exceptional quality. If you are seeking Native development why not drop us an email or a call?