More and more organisations are discovering the power of an app as an extension of their website. While a website forms the foundation for online visibility, an app offers opportunities for deeper engagement, richer interactions, and a direct push channel to your audience. Turning a website into an app opens the door to new possibilities, commercial opportunities, and a broader mobile audience.
Why add an app to your digital strategy?
A website focuses mainly on discoverability and broad accessibility, while an app offers more possibilities for personalised features, offline use, and direct interaction. In this way, an app strengthens your digital strategy with an experience that better matches mobile behaviour.
In practice, we often see a two-step growth: organisations start with a strong web environment, build success through it, and attract a loyal customer base. Once the website is performing well and has many returning users, an app becomes a logical and valuable next step. For the most engaged users – often the top 10% – an app provides a deeper experience, such as exclusive discounts, a loyalty programme, or early access to new products.
At that point, the app becomes not only an extension of the webshop but also a channel for new commercial opportunities. Using the existing website and marketing channels, a larger portion of the customer base can be encouraged to switch to the app. This way, your app becomes not just an extra channel but an integral part of the overall user experience.
An app does not replace a website, but rather deepens and expands your digital proposition. Depending on your objectives and the stage your organisation is in, one channel may be more effective than the other.
How web and app strengthen each other
Whether you start with web or with an app depends strongly on your situation. The advantage of working with DTT is that we offer both approaches - and the flexibility to integrate the other channel sustainably later on. This allows you to build a digital strategy step by step that fits your needs and grows with your business.
A website is:
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Accessible: easily reachable on any device
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Broadly available: ideal for reaching a large audience
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Strong in discoverability: essential for brand awareness and acquisition
An app, on the other hand, requires a higher entry barrier – downloading and often logging in – but offers much greater depth afterwards.
Within an app, you can benefit from:
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Personalisation: content tailored to the user
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Push notifications: direct communication at the right moment
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More advanced analytics: insights into behaviour and preferences
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A richer user experience: smooth animations and intuitive navigation
Use web to:
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Reach new visitors
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Generate the first conversions
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Quickly test and iterate
Use the app to:
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Activate and retain loyal users
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Encourage more valuable interactions
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Deepen customer relationships through personalisation and direct communication
Together, web and app form a continuous ecosystem: one channel attracts new users, the other builds lasting relationships.
Options for turning a website into an app
Turning a website into an app can be done in several ways, depending on your goals and budget. Some common options include:
1. Progressive Web App
A Progressive Web App (PWA) combines the reach of a website with the user experience of a native app. Users can install the app directly from the browser, without downloading it from an app store. Ideal for fast implementation and lower development costs.
2. Hybrid app
With a hybrid app, you can serve both iOS and Android users from a single solution. The app combines the content of your website with additional features available only in an app, such as push notifications and improved mobile performance. This allows you to reach a wide audience without developing separately for each platform.
3. Wrapper app
A wrapper app is the intermediate step between a website and a fully hybrid app. Your existing website is wrapped in an app environment so that users can download it via the App Store or Google Play. The website is loaded within the app, but you can gradually add mobile features such as push notifications, offline access, or integrations with device functions.
Ideal if you want to launch a mobile app quickly and gradually integrate more native functionalities, without immediately developing a completely new app.
Turning a website into an app as a strategic step
At DTT, we look beyond simply ‘converting’ a website. We think along with you strategically and add features that truly come into their own in an app environment, such as:
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Push notifications for direct communication
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Personalised dashboards and profiles
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Gamification elements to increase engagement
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Integrations with existing CRM or e-commerce platforms
This way, turning a website into an app becomes not just a technical choice, but an investment in building a long-term relationship with your audience.
From concept to launch
Whether you choose a PWA, hybrid, or wrapper app, we guide you from the initial concept to a successful launch. We ensure that the app aligns seamlessly with your brand identity, that all technical integrations work perfectly, and that the user experience is optimised.
Would you like to have an app developed from your website that users engage with every day? Get in touch with us to discuss the possibilities.
