With the use of smartphones continuously on the rise, many business owners wonder whether a mobile app is better than a website.
After all, in 2025, there were 88.4 million cellular mobile connections in the UK, which is equivalent to 127% of the local population!
However, the answer depends on your goals, audience, and the type of experience you want to provide. Apps offer convenience and engagement, but websites remain essential for accessibility and discoverability.
Apps: Convenience and Engagement
Apps allow quick access, push notifications, and personalised features. Users can shop, track loyalty rewards, or interact without opening a browser, making apps well-suited to repeat engagement and frequent use.
However, app design is often more complex and costly, as layouts and functionality must be carefully adapted for different devices, operating systems, and screen sizes. For ecommerce businesses, this also means building and maintaining secure checkout flows, payment integrations, and updates across multiple platforms. These added requirements can increase development time and ongoing costs compared to managing a single, responsive website.
Websites: Reach and Accessibility
Websites are easy to share, discoverable via search engines, and don’t require installation. For example, with a strong Shopify web design, a responsive, mobile-friendly site ensures customers can access your content instantly, whether they’re visiting for the first time or returning to browse again.
Apps excel at repeat engagement and customer loyalty, while websites deliver broad reach and immediate accessibility.
For most businesses, combining both works best: apps serve returning users, while Shopify web design and other user-friendly options support discovery, conversions, and first impressions.