Using WordPress is one of the best ways for businesses to establish an online presence without breaking the bank – it’s relatively simple to set up, has a ton of customization options, and can be created quickly.
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How to Convert Your WordPress Website to a Mobile App?
But having a website is not enough – you need to make sure that it’s easy to use and access for all of your prospects, including those using mobile devices, so it’s essential to have a responsive website that provides an easy browsing experience.
In fact, a lot of businesses go a step further and not only set up a responsive website but also develop mobile apps that users can download on their phones.
And when you think about it, that’s a very smart approach. The mobile internet audience continues to grow in importance every year, and that trend is set to continue.
Today, internet usage by mobile and tablet devices exceeds that of desktop devices, and the gap will only grow bigger.
But can a regular business afford to convert its website into a mobile app?
Well, you’d be surprised just how relatively simple the process can be if you know the right steps that you need to take.
In this article, we’ll explore some of the main options that are available for converting your site into a mobile app. Ready to get started? Then read on below.
Hiring a Professional Mobile App Developer vs. Using WordPress Plugins
For this article, we’ll assume that you don’t have years of experience as a designer and/or web developer, and don’t have the skills to develop your own personalized app for your website.
If that’s the case, you really only have two options – you can either hire a professional mobile app developer or agency, which can often cost thousands of dollars or, if you want a more affordable option, you can use one of the numerous WordPress plugins that can convert your site into an app automatically.
Without jumping to conclusions, let’s explore both options to see what are the benefits and drawbacks to each of them.
Price:
The most obvious and self-explanatory difference is the price – while a professional app developer will be able to provide you with a completely personalized app that has everything you could need, and more, WordPress plugins can deliver an adequate result for a fraction of the price.
Functionality:
When using a WordPress plugin, you won’t have the flexibility and functionality potential that a professional developer can offer. With a custom-built app, you can include any features that you want, including custom design and features that aren’t available anywhere else.
Time:
Finally, you need to consider the time it would take to develop your app – even if the designer can deliver a superior result in the end, he will likely take weeks, if not months, to finish the project.
With a WordPress app, you can set everything up in just a handful of minutes, which is hard to compete with in terms of efficiency.
The Verdict
Alright, so after going through the main aspects of the two approaches, it’s pretty clear what the main differences are.
The truth is, you’ve probably already spent a significant amount of time developing and customizing your website to maximize conversions and represent your company online as well as possible, so wasting more time on the app isn’t what your business needs.
What’s more, if you hire a new developer for your app, the result could be a completely different user experience that lacks consistency with your site.
That’s why your best bet is to create the app yourself using WordPress plugins – you won’t only save a considerable amount of money, but will be able to put together the app in a short time and have it ready to engage your audience and increase your mobile conversion rate.
How to Choose the Right WordPress Plugin?
For most businesses, choosing a plugin to convert a website to a mobile app is the smart choice. But even if you’ve decided to go this route, you still need to find a plugin that suits your needs best.
Below, you’ll find a few of the most popular plugin options for converting your site into an app.
You should, however, keep in mind that although the plugins are intuitive and relatively easy to use, they aren’t a push-button solution. That means that you do need to have at least a bit of experience using WordPress.
It’s still much easier and faster than developing an app yourself, but if you’re a total beginner, it might be a better choice to focus on customizing a mobile-responsive theme and addressing the needs of your mobile users that way.
AppPresser
AppPresser is one of the most popular apps on WordPress for converting a website into a mobile app.
The main reasons for its popularity are rather straightforward – it’s easy to use, provides customization options, and has some advanced features to make the app more valuable.
AppPresser even offers a WordPress mobile theme that can be used as a framework to develop the app for your site.
MobiLoud
MobiLoud is another popular option for converting your site into an app, and it might be the most user-friendly plugin out there.
The MobiLoud plugin offers two main solutions for converting your website – the MobiLoud News and MobiLoud Canvas.
The first one is more suited for converting blogs or news sites, and the second one is designed for more complex sites such as ecommerce stores.
MobiLoud comes with a range of advanced features such as ad support, analytics, custom branding, and even push notifications, which are essential for engaging mobile users. What’s more, MobiLoud allows you to add your creation to the app stores and generate revenue from your app.
Worona
Worona is an excellent choice for businesses that are short on cash – it’s free to use and only requires you to create an account.
Once registered, you simply import your content through the WordPress REST API and configure your mobile app through the Worona dashboard.
Still, don’t expect Worona to be completely free – there are premium upgrades, some of which are essential if you want to make the most of your app.
Still, even with the paid features, Worona is relatively affordable for what you get, so if you’re on a tight budget, this might be the best way to go.
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