The short answer
For most small businesses, a good website is enough, and it costs far less. An app earns its place when the same customers use it again and again, for booking, ordering or collecting points. If that isn't you yet, I would start with the website.
What is the difference?
A website opens in a browser. Anyone can reach it by searching or tapping a link. An app has to be found in the App Store or Google Play, downloaded, and kept on the phone. That is a lot to ask of someone who only wants your opening hours.
When is an app worth it?
- Your regulars book or order every week, as they might with a gym timetable or a takeaway.
- You run a loyalty scheme that people check often.
- You need something a phone does and a website does less well, such as sending reminders or working without a signal.
If your customers would open it once a week or more, it is a conversation worth having.
What does an app cost compared with a website?
Several times as much to build, and it carries on costing. Apple and Google change their phones every year, and an app needs updating to keep working. The app stores also have their own fees and rules.
Is there a middle way?
Yes. Often what people want from an app is one thing: online booking, ordering ahead, or a loyalty card. Each of those can be added to a website, often using a till or diary system you already pay for. A website can also be saved to a phone's home screen, where it opens much like an app.
How do I decide?
Start with the website and watch what your customers do. If the same people come back every week to do the same thing, an app may be worth it, and by then you will know exactly what it should do.