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The Best Solutions for Converting a Website into an Android Application

Vivek Sharma Vivek Sharma April 23, 2020
The Best Solutions for Converting a Website into an Android Application

Today, the right digital presence is no more about just having a website. With the world turning mobile-first, people now prefer to browse the internet on their mobile phones more than on computers and laptops. This has led businesses to take their products and services mobile to acquire more customers.

Why Convert Your Website into an Android Mobile App

  • For broader reach- The number of Android users is way higher than iOS users. By converting your website into an Android app, you will be able to tap into a large section of society, unlike other platforms whose market share is not that high. By transforming your website into a mobile app, you will widen your reach significantly and expand your business far and wide.
  • Easy deployment- Another good reason to convert your website into an Android app is that deploying and launching Android apps is easy and quick- it hardly takes a day or two. On the other hand, the process of using Apple apps is hugely time-consuming and complicated.
  • To be reliable across different screen sizes-Your website won't be easy to optimize for various smartphones. That's because screen sizes greatly vary. This might result in difficulties for your users to access your website from their smartphones. An Android mobile app would be able to solve this problem. Are you considering mobile app development? Ensure to include only the most essential features in your app's early version.
  • For more straightforward navigation- It is no secret that websites are quite tricky to navigate. Consider converting your website into a dedicated Android app to allow your users to easily navigate your products and services that might be difficult on the site.
  • For extended functionality- Websites offer limited features and functionalities to users. By turning your website into a mobile app, you will be able to integrate several features that aren’t possible to offer via desktop websites. Sending push notifications to users with important deals and updates is possible through mobile apps.
  • For ease of receiving payments- Your dedicated business app will allow you to accept payments from customers through direct and safe gateways. You can integrate as many payment options into your app as you want to offer greater flexibility to your app users.
  • To take your customer support to another level- With your dedicated mobile app, you can have a dedicated section to offer 24X7 support to your customers. Integrating chatbots into apps is a great way to provide round-the-clock assistance to your customers with minimum required staff.

Important Considerations

If you are looking for ways to convert your website into an Android app to expand your reach, you must first be aware of some of the essential considerations to take into account before doing so. Take a look at them here:

  • The cost of development- Just like you have invested money into developing a website, you will also need to spend money on improving your mobile app. Although you will undoubtedly rank higher on Google with your mobile app, the cost of producing it would be worth considering.
  • The screen size- Screen size is a vital consideration for your mobile app. Converting a website into a mobile app with a similar design can often become very challenging because of the difference in screen sizes.
  • Searchability factor- It is also essential to consider the fact that your native app won’t be as searchable as your website.
  • Essential features that matter to you- It is necessary to create a list of features that you want in your mobile app. This will give you a clear idea and a roadmap for the tasks and objectives to be achieved.

Best Methods to Convert Your Website Into a Mobile App

Now without further ado, let’s uncover some of the best ways for you to convert your website into an Android app:

  1. Using Android Studio

First things first, download Android Studio. But, before doing so, make sure your platform meets the required criteria. Once you’ve installed and configured the latest version of Android Studio, create a project for your first mobile app. Whoa! You’re now ready to build your mobile application.

On the welcome page of Android Studio, click "Start a new Android Studio project." You'll see a "Create New Project" dialogue box appear. Click Next. Now, choose a template for your Android app’s main activity, and again click Next. Now customize the event and click Finish. You'll soon be taken to the project workspace.

This project window that will now appear in front of you will be divided into two branches viz—app and Gradle Scripts.

Now, add a webView to your main activity. This step is all coding. The next step involves adding a launching activity to the app, which is no less complicated. Overwhelmed already? A leading mobile app development service could help you convert your website into a beautiful mobile app and handle all the technicalities that go into the process.

Here you go! Congratulations! Your Android app has been created using Android Studio.

  1. Using online tools

If you're finding non-technical ways of converting your website into a mobile app without any kind of coding, several tools will allow you to do just that. If you've been losing out great opportunities for your business because of the absence of a dedicated app, you don't need to wait to find a developer to do so.

Some of the online platforms or tools to help you convert your website into a user-friendly and functional mobile app include Appypie, GoNative, and AppsGyser, among others. Either of these tools will allow you to save your website into a beautiful mobile app in just a few simple steps within minutes.

  1. Native app development

Where do websites and web applications run? They run in browsers, right? Coming to native mobile apps, they have to be downloaded from platform-specific app stores.

These apps are developed using native programming languages and a set of commands. Your developer will majorly use SDK (software development kit) and IDE (integrated development background) to build these apps for your preferred platform.

Since these apps do not run in browsers like web applications, they offer way better and more personalized user experiences. However, they require expert skills and technologies, different than those needed in mobile website development. So, you'll want to make sure that you hire a developer who's an expert in this field.

  1. Develop an MVP of your product

An MVP (Minimum Viable Product) is a prototype that consists of only core features and aims to find out the acceptability of a mobile application in the market. This essential tool helps eliminate risks by estimating the response of users towards the new app that is going to be launched.

To build an MVP and use it most efficiently and accurately, start by deciding the essential elements you need in your mobile app. After identifying this, try to figure out how your target users will receive them. After making all the necessary changes, ensure to check the beta version of the MVP app before finally releasing it.

To ensure success with your MVP, consider hiring a reputed mobile app development company.

Before Converting Your Website into an Android Mobile App:

Don't forget to take into account the vital issues that you're possibly going to face in the conversion.

List down your reasons for building an Android app. You want to explore the strong sides of an Android app from all possible angles.

Next comes the most crucial part of your conversion process- the features you want to see in your mobile app. List down all possible features and prioritize them so you can maintain a delicate balance between your app's appearance and functionality.

Try to set a clear budget for your app and get an estimate of the development cost.

Remember that UI/UX will build or break your app. It eventually comes down to the kind of experience your users have while using your app. Think carefully through UI/UX design. It should come first for you.

If you have a long list of features and content for your app, it might seem right on the papers but might not go very well with the users. You don't want to end up overwhelming your users. Lastly, consider a professional mobile app development company to build your mobile app.

On a Concluding Note

No matter how great of a website you have, it can never be enough in today's smartphone era. It's been long that people have to start using their smartphones to do most of the things they earlier could only do from their desktops. From shopping to entertainment, travel booking, bill payments, food ordering, and social media, everything can be done with mobile apps within a couple of clicks.

This post outlines the best four ways of converting your website into your mobile app. While no one method can be considered the best, it all comes down to the kind of skills you possess and the level of user experience you aim to deliver with your app.

Vivek Sharma is a Technical Lead at Intelegencia. When he is not working, you can find him Playing Football, Watching movies & doing Photography.


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