Having a mobile app companion for your WordPress site is never a bad idea, and here’s why: In the US, 70% of time spent on online media comes from apps. People don’t only spend time on apps; they also spend money. According to Statista, yearly consumer spending on apps reached 171 USD last year.
As user behavior prompts the necessity of having a mobile app for business, in this article, we shall speak about how to convert WordPress to an app and focus on WordPress to app plugins as the most convenient option. You’ll get to know the following:
- The key differences between a mobile website and an application
- Reasons to turn WordPress into an App
- Difference between DIY builders, hiring a vendor, and using a WordPress to-app plugin
- How to turn a WordPress site into an app?
- The review of the best WordPress to app plugins
Let’s get started!
Responsive mobile website vs mobile app
WordPress has wonderful options for building fast, user-friendly, responsive mobile websites. Why building an app, then?
In fact, apps and websites serve different purposes.
A responsive mobile WordPress website has the following pros:
- It appears in Google search results, which is important as 51% of internet users search for new brands on mobile devices
- It helps to build up a reputation, as having a responsive mobile version of a website is an important factor in a company’s credibility
- It allows us to enhance SEO and gain new users
Converting WordPress to an app will give you more, since a mobile application serves other purposes:
- It helps to interact with users closer (loyalty programs, personalized offers, and enhanced user experience)
- Apps usually work faster than mobile websites, which is very important when a delay of one second may cost 10% of traffic.
- Users take advantage of the offline app content
- Apps get richer functionality via using mobile features (NFC, scanners, fingerprints, or QR readers)
- Push notifications remind users to check in every time something new appears so that you encourage more interaction with your brand.
We can summarize the differences between a mobile website and a mobile app this way:
A mobile version of your WordPress website can help you gain new customers, while an app can help you turn them into loyal ones.
For a good business, you need both, and there are several ways to achieve that.
Options to build a mobile app for your WordPress site
A WordPress website and a mobile app are based on different technologies. So, to convert WordPress into an app, you need to create a digital copy of the WordPress website rewritten in another programming language. You can do that through:
DIY Builder
A DIY app builder is a great way to start an app. You can use it to refine the idea of an app, check on the design, define the MVP, and test the MVP on your dance. Also, if you are offering a simple service, like a food calendar, a DIY builder may be enough to launch a product on the market.
But it’s not about converting WordPress to an app; rather, it’s about building an app from scratch.
Low- or no-code app builders are quite popular. Bubble, a DIY application builder, boasts over 3 million apps created on this platform. But most often, DIY builders are used to test MVPs.
Here’s a use case to describe how to start a business with an app builder:
Product: Strabo,
Domain: Fintech
Valuation: 1.5$ million,
History of creation: An app was started by a duo of entrepreneurs with no code experience. Using a DIY builder, they built the prototype within weeks and have been collecting customer feedback almost immediately. That helped them refine features and move on to the full-scale app.
If this scenario resonates with you, here’s a short info to let you know what to expect from DIY builders:
Name | Features | Price |
Bubble | Available for web and mobile, quite an easy interface allows for more complex functionality, like AI integrations | Free plan, from $32/month for paid plans |
Softr | Easy to use, simple version control and previews, rich feature set with integrations, customizable pre-built templates | Free plan, from $29/month for paid plans |
Draftbid | Logical interface, completely customizable elements, let you create your own design system or integrate outer code, easy to publish | Free plan, from $25/month for paid plans |
Bildr | Figma-like interface, perfect for building web extensions, web and mobile apps, reusable collections of elements that make development faster | Free plan, from $29/month for paid plans |
FlutterFlow | Easy to learn, but perfect for simple apps, no complex features supported. | Free plan, from $30/month for paid plans |
Backendless | Not beginner-friendly, but highly flexible and gives control over all app elements, front- and back-end inclusive, app templates available | Free plan, from $15/month for paid plans |
Yet, you have to take into consideration that DIY builders are more about building from scratch than conversion. If you are a happy WordPress website owner, there are better ways to go.
Also, for complex features (recommendations, demand forecasting, chatbots, text-to-speech processing, etc.), DIY builders won’t really help. To scale your product, you’ll need the help of a specialist.
IT outsourcing company or a freelancer
Hiring an agency or a freelancer to turn WordPress into an app is best when you need to create a complex product, like Uber or Skyscanner.
The described above use case with the start-up Strabo, which built their MVP with DIY builder, eventually hired a developer to scale the app and make it into a popular powerful product operating in 11 countries.
It is a costlier option than a DIY builder and requires some preparation. Here’s what you must consider when hiring an IT staff augmentation company:
- Decide on the app’s features to determine which technologies to employ. Android apps most often require proficiency in Kotlin and Strava, while iOS operates on Swift. If you want to implement some complex features like text-to-speech, these professionals will do it with the help of ready-made APIs. Yet, if you want to make an AI algorithm based on your company data (like price prediction), you’ll need a specialist in machine learning.
- Think of the budget. The budget depends on the complexity of features and the location of an IT staff augmentation company. For example, the services of a software developer in the US cost 100 USD/hour. In the nearest outsourcing area, like Costa Rica, you can hire highly skilled developers at a fraction of that price, like 30 USD/ hour.
- Consider communication. If you decide to outsource app development, consider cultural proximity and language. For example, Costa Rica is in the same time zone as the US and has a high level of English skills in population.
- Define the project duration or how soon you need an app to be done. Usually, an app creation takes about 600 hours, but that depends on the complexity of features and the size of the team.
So, developing an app with an IT outsourcing agency is the best option when you want to develop a standalone, independent, complex, scalable product, ready for the market. Although expensive and time-consuming, this option becomes more cost-effective when you consider working with an IT outsourcing agency.
Interested in outsourcing IT development to Costa Rica?
Check out our article “Business Environment in Costa Rica” to learn about the region’s political stability, business laws, tech proficiency, level of English language proficiency, and educational potential.
If you are not yet into creating a complex app, and want just an application companion to your WordPress site, the best option for you will be using WordPress to app plugins.
WordPress to app plugins
WordPress to app plugins present a unique WordPress-specific option to turn your WordPress site into an app with little effort and expense.
For WordPress owners, it’s a great option: it automates the process of app conversion, keeps the app synchronized with website updates, and allows users to benefit from strong community support for troubleshooting.
So, how do WordPress to app plugins work?
Typically, a WordPress to app plugin, rewrites a current website as an app, using programming languages like Java, Kotlin, Swift, or React Native.
Plugins to convert WordPress to an app differ in technology, features, and prices.
There are plugins for native Android or iOS solutions and ones for making hybrid apps. Some will automatically convert your content into an app, while others require you to manually hand-pick the functionality and populate content blocks.
Some WordPress-to-app plugins are free (with limited functionality), while others, like AppMaker from WooCommerce, cost up to 2000K USD per month. As for assistance, you may fully benefit from the WordPress community. Some plugins, like MobiLoud Canvas, already offer ongoing design and development support in premium plans.
Here’s a short overview of the best WordPress-to-app plugins and their functionality:
Name | Special features | Price |
Appilix | Directly extracts data from WordPress, customizable design options, push notifications, and real-time synchronization with your website, and is fast to build. | Free to build, paid to publish the app, lifetime subscription of 29 USD |
Web2Application | Free app uploads, marketing tools, web notifications, deep linking, enhanced design support with a Pro plan | Free with ads and Web2Application
Pro: 14.90 USD/month Lifetime: 599 USD one-time payment |
WappPress | Six months of support from the developer in the Pro plan, customizable, synchronizes with the website updates, suitable for WooCommerce stores, push notifications | Free to build and publish the app for 15 days, lifetime subscriptions for 22 USD |
AppMaker (from WooCOmmerce) | Drag and drop builder created for e-commerce apps, highly customizable, currency and language switcher, personalized push notifications, product sorting, order tracking | Free to build, publish, and support com in three plans:
Basic: 499 USD/month Pro: 999 USD/ per month Ultimate: 1999 USD/per month |
AppMySite | Simple interface, customizations, premade templates, advanced pans feature automatic publishing, analytic tools, and priority support | Basic 19USD/month
Pro 29 USD/month Premium 49 USD/month |
AndroApp | Android apps only, creation is free, you pay for publishing on app stores, customizations, multiple themes, fast load, offline saves, analytics, easy-to-use menu | 66 USD/year |
MobiLoud Canvas | A dedicated developer creates an app for you, easy publishing, automatic content updates, compatible with any plugins, customization, unlimited push notifications | 1,798 USD/ year |
AppPresser | Drag and drop page building, unlimited customizations, automated app store submission, | Basic – 59 USD/month
Advanced – 99 USD/month |
Appful.io | 100% native (Swift/Kotlin) iOS/Android apps out of your WordPress website, fast load, premium design, rich features (NFC, scanning, etc.) premium plan allows for building sophisticated features | Basic – 99EUR/month
Corporate – 320 EUR/month Individual – 495 EUR/month |
AppsGeyser | Easy to use, basic features, simple and clear designs, community support, and a large number of customizable templates | Free |
Table: The best WordPress to app plugins
Working with WordPress to app plugins is not hard, although you might need some extra help in some cases. Here’s how to convert a WordPress website into an app:
- Install the selected WordPress to app plugin
- Select the app template and open it
- Paste your website URL into the respective field
- Run the necessary customizations
- Save the app and publish it on the marketplace.
The complexity of features and designs depends on the WordPress to app plugin’s offering. With paid plans, you may get almost everything you like.
DIY Builder, a vendor or WordPress to app plugins: What is best for your business?
WordPress to app plugins are fast to use, cost-effective, and allow us to convert content automatically. They also offer content synchronization with your website, which makes running a business more effective.
When you use a WordPress to app converter, you get a complete copy of your website, ready to go online. Yet, if you want to make something simpler, just to test an assumption or illustrate the idea of an app, you may use a simple DIY builder, too.
If, on the contrary, you need something more complex, you can enrich the features offered by a WordPress app plugin by hiring a dedicated WordPress development team. You can also use help from plugin producers, which may be free or part of the service included in paid plans.
Interested in other WordPress possibilities for your business?
5e team of skilled WordPress developers will be more than happy to describe the benefits of WordPress development for your business. Contact us for more information!