The type of mobile applications adopted by a business depends on what the companies needs are, together with the expectations of their customers. Even though native and web-based apps have numerous advantages associated with their use, hybrid mobile apps are increasingly gaining mileage due to their ability to adapt to different platforms. Before deciding on whether to go for a native or hybrid app, it’s important to understand the strengths and weaknesses for each choice so that the decision made is a wise one. This article introduces the concept of hybrid apps and discusses the benefits that set them apart from the native applications.
What are hybrid mobile applications?
Hybrid mobile apps are contrasted with native apps. The native applications are created for specific platforms such as Android or iOS1. Moreover, they are designed and built using coding languages that have official support from the platforms such Java and Kotlin for Android and Objective-C and Swift for iOS. Conversely, hybrid apps are created using a combination of web-based technologies like HTML, CSS and JavaScript. In essence, hybrid apps are just like webpages incorporated into native apps to work in a similar way. The strongest selling point for hybrids is their ability to work across different platforms by leveraging a single code base for multiple platforms.
5 Benefits using hybrid mobile applications
1. Capable of working across multiple platforms
Many business owners consider this as the defining factor in selecting between hybrid and native apps. The hybrid app can run on both the iOS and Android platforms with just a single code base. This eliminates the need to build a separate app for each of the platforms as is normally the case with native apps. For business owners in Denver targeting a larger market segment, this is welcome news. It is not even necessary to stress over which platform to begin designing for first. Thus, with just one app, it is possible to reach the widest audience possible.
2. Take less time to design and build
Another crucial benefit of hybrid apps over their native counterparts is the less time it takes to build them. It is possible to achieve faster speeds of design and development because the project is basically built for a single platform but works across several of them. The processes of planning, designing, building and coding as well as testing will be made much easier. The business will therefore achieve its objectives of growth and expansion at a faster rate than if they were going for a native app.
3. It’s easy to make changes and update the program
It is normally very frustrating to make changes to an app during the advanced stages of app development. At this point, a lot of time and resources have been spent and major changes may mean huge losses for the business. But this is not the case with hybrid mobile apps. The fact that the program utilises a single code base for all platforms means that developers won’t be required to make changes for each individual platform. Changes are only made once and then applied to all the multiple platforms that accommodate the app.
It’s also important to note the ease with which the issue of updates is handled with hybrid apps. From the user’s point of view, it is not necessary to get hold of the latest app version so as to get rid of bugs that cause problems. Most of the problems with the app can quickly be handled when the page is loaded from the server2.
4. They are cost-effective
Apart from taking less time, hybrid apps require less resources to build as compared to native apps. The same resources consumed in creating one native app for a single platform can be used to build a hybrid app that can work efficiently across multiple platforms. The implication here is that it’s possible to save as much as a half of the resources in choosing to build a hybrid mobile app. As far as app development is concerned is the time taken to build an app from start to finish has a direct bearing on the total cost of the app.
5. Capacity for offline support
Many app users always complain about their apps lacking offline support. This is particularly true of users who live in rural and remote geographical areas where internet connectivity is not very reliable. In fact, research shows that up to 70% of users discard the use of an app if it normally takes too long to load. And this is where the hybrid app scores against native apps. Because of their offline accessibility feature, the user will be able to access the data required to run the app without too much trouble.
Make an informed decision
Every person involved in the development of mobile apps has a say on what works and what doesn’t. The ultimate choice of what works between hybrid and native mobile apps will be determined by the unique characteristics of each company and their needs. Knowing the benefits of hybrid apps will contribute significantly towards wise decision making in this regard.
Contact Vivim to find out how our developers can create a hybrid application for small and large business in Denver. Let us help you to build the mobile application that you’ve always needed.
If you can think it, we can create it.
