Quick answer
The right format depends on what users need to do and how often they do it. A browser-based web app is easy to open from a link and update centrally. An installed mobile app can make sense when repeat use, device capabilities or a particular mobile experience are central to the service.
Practical scope
List the essential tasks and ask whether they require camera access, location, push notifications, offline use or app-store distribution. Consider whether customers would install an app for a task they do only once. A responsive website may be a better first step for occasional enquiries or purchases.
Also price the long-term work: operating-system updates, device testing, account support and maintenance. If both channels are needed, decide which features must be available on each. Ask for a staged plan that tests the most important journey before funding every feature.
What to define before requesting proposals
- Frequency and context of use
- Need for camera, location, notifications or offline access
- App-store distribution and review requirements
- Shared backend, device testing and maintenance
Questions to ask service providers
- Could a responsive web app test the journey first?
- Which features truly require an installed app?
- What are the annual platform and maintenance costs?
How to assess the answers
Start with the channel that removes the main user friction. Installation is an extra barrier, so a mobile app needs a clear repeat-use or device-feature case.
Compare formats against the same task
Ask vendors to show how one priority journey would work in a browser and an installed app. If device features or offline work matter, request a small demonstration on the intended devices; a capability name alone does not prove it will meet your requirements.
A decision sheet for your brief
- Who uses it, how often and on which devices?
- How do users discover and return to the service?
- What must work with a poor or absent connection?
- Who maintains releases, customer support and the shared backend?
Do you need both formats at launch?
Only if each serves an essential task. Ask for a phased proposal and specify shared data and staff tools so the second channel does not create disconnected operations.
Web app or mobile app decision matrix
Copy these items into your brief, adapt the requirements and assign an owner and status. Examples illustrate planning decisions, not customer case studies. Fill cost fields with HKD quotations you obtain and state the billing period.
| Decision / item | Information to provide | Acceptance / comparison check |
|---|---|---|
| Access from a link | Occasional users and easy sharing | Compare a browser journey with installation friction |
| Offline/device features | Exact tasks, devices and permissions needed | Demonstrate required capabilities on intended devices; web support varies |
| Repeat use and notifications | Use frequency and permission expectations | Confirm supported browser/OS combinations and notification limits |
| Maintenance | Backend, browser/device tests and release process | Quote support for each channel, even when code is shared |
Download the editable worksheet (CSV)