Mobile-first paradigm has been one of the most discussed topics in the tech industry in the last few years. Partly because it was a big shift, but more so because it is also a tipping point in terms of innovation. Most of the technologies that are and will be unveiled after this shift are based on the basic premise of mobility. Take the latest trends of AI and ML for instance- though they are applicable on all platforms, they work best on mobile devices.  
 

So, if you are still stuck with a web application, getting your business on a mobile app isn’t just about exploring new avenues anymore, but also holds the key to the future sustenance of your business at large.
 

This is how you should proceed:

Decide the strategy

Before you start thinking about the mobile app, you first need to decide why exactly you need it and have a clear roadmap of the precise role you want it to play in the overall business model. Yes, web applications, mobile apps or any other digital extension for that matter, primarily aims to promote customer engagement, but each of them has a different strategy. Here are the two most common ones used in the industry.
 

• Scale down the existing web application to work as a platform primarily for sharing information about your services and offer only a few rudimentary features. This strategy is essentially used to port all the users to a single platform- i.e., a mobile app.
  
  Uber is a fine example that employs this strategy where users can create and manage their account on the web application, but to avail their services, they have to use the native mobile app.
   
• Keep both the web and mobile applications armed with equal features and experience. This strategy is referred as omnipresence and is known to deliver higher revenues and customer satisfaction but on the flip side, also requires considerable resources to manage both.
  
  Most of the eCommerce businesses use this strategy to let customers shop from any platform they see fit at a time.

Unless you are clear on what you want your mobile app to achieve, there is a good chance that it won’t.  Hence, first do a careful cost analysis of your existing web application and pick the most feasible strategy for conversion.

Pay close attention to analytics

If you have a web application that you need to convert to a mobile app, you are already miles ahead of other businesses who start their digital stint with a mobile app because you already possess what it will take years for them to gather- data about your customers and their behavior.
 

If you carefully analyze the user demographics, the use cases and user engagement across different services, you will get a clear idea of who your core users are, what they expect, and the key areas that your app needs to address. This way your app launch would follow a well laid out plan rather than just a gamble in new technology, which doesn’t go down well for many businesses.

Map the features

A mobile app isn’t anything like a mobile website. So, you can’t and shouldn’t expect to just squeeze the existing web app for mobile platforms. From creating custom user experience to optimizing features to work best on mobile devices, your web application will need to undergo a lot of changes to make it usable on mobile platforms. While this transformation is mainly about shaping the existing application, you should also be ready to eliminate some existing features that carry little value on mobile devices and introduce some entirely new features.

Implement

This is a part that businesses achieve better when they give it in the hands of top app developers. The only thing to keep in mind is that the ones you hire are equally proficient in both web and mobile app development services. This will let you leverage their technological and market expertise in both domains and use it for your business.
 

Do you have all your doubts cleared? Or is there something else bothering you with the process? If you have a web application that you would like to convent to a mobile app, hire experienced app developer company, they will really help you to achieve this task.