make 'app' from website

katuxini

Hi - I have developed a few websites on the side over the years and recently have been asked by 1 or 2 clients if i can make an 'app' of their websites so that users can download it and have it on their android/iphones etc . I know the mobile version of their site can be accessed via browser but they seem keen on having an 'app'.
Is there any easy way to achieve this without having to develop the site from the ground up.
I have a medium level of html/css - php and mysql and working with joomla& wordpress. Any pointers ie books etc that someone could recomend as an intro to developing basic apps?
If not what kind costs would be involved to get a professional to make a mobile app of a basic website - ios/android?

Graham

Be careful on the iOS side of that plan, an app that replicates the functionality of a website without adding anything else is likely to be rejected by Apple before it gets anywhere near the App store.

Unfortunately, many clients think they 'must have an app' when for the most part a mobile friendly web site would be a much better solution. Have you asked your clients what their goals are for an App? Is there something they have in mind for the App that wouldn't be easily achieved in a mobile optimised website?

A professional mobile app will cost more than a professional basic website, pricing gets more specific in direct proportion to the specificity of the requirements :pac:

Buglim

Hi K

My company has developed over 85 apps and we have now e exceeded one million downloads. We have developed many apps for less than the price of a basic professional web sites. PM me and let me know what your requirements are.

ChRoMe

katuxini wrote: »

Hi - I have developed a few websites on the side over the years and recently have been asked by 1 or 2 clients if i can make an 'app' of their websites so that users can download it and have it on their android/iphones etc . I know the mobile version of their site can be accessed via browser but they seem keen on having an 'app'.
Is there any easy way to achieve this without having to develop the site from the ground up.
I have a medium level of html/css - php and mysql and working with joomla& wordpress. Any pointers ie books etc that someone could recomend as an intro to developing basic apps?
If not what kind costs would be involved to get a professional to make a mobile app of a basic website - ios/android?

Its going to be a huge jump in programming ability/knowledge to go from PHP to Objective-C/Java. You are essentially starting from scratch.

irishfeller

In android you can have an app that just points at website pages - see http://developer.android.com/reference/android/webkit/WebView.html

If your customer has a web page and they just want a basic app then this would be an easy way to do it...

Graham

irishfeller wrote: »

In android you can have an app that just points at website pages - see http://developer.android.com/reference/android/webkit/WebView.html

If your customer has a web page and they just want a basic app then this would be an easy way to do it...

Then it wouldn't be an App, it would be a browser.

It would also be a perfect example of the type of "App" that wouldn't get into the Apple app store.

ChRoMe

Graham wrote: »

Then it wouldn't be an App, it would be a browser.

It would also be a perfect example of the type of "App" that wouldn't get into the Apple app store.

Well if you want to get pedantic it would be an "App" as it would be distributed as an .apk its just that its only activity would be a web view.

You are right about app store rejecting it.

Graham

ChRoMe wrote: »

Well if you want to get pedantic it would be an "App" as it would be distributed as an .apk its just that its only activity would be a web view.

You are right about app store rejecting it.

And by some sort of bizarre cosmic force, this is at the end of the next link I follow from twitter:


http://xkcd.com/1174/

and no, not kidding, just flukey.

ChRoMe

Graham wrote: »

And by some sort of bizarre cosmic force, this is at the end of the next link I follow from twitter:


http://xkcd.com/1174/

and no, not kidding, just flukey.

So you agree, its an app

Graham

Yes it's an app. It's a browser

maxmarmalade

Just make the websites responsive. Clients asking for an app mostly dont need one. Once you get the hang of responsive design, you can apply it to existing websites. It's easier to do from scratch though.

ChRoMe

maxmarmalade wrote: »

Just make the websites responsive. Clients asking for an app mostly dont need one. Once you get the hang of responsive design, you can apply it to existing websites. It's easier to do from scratch though.

Most of the reasons for going the app route are actually discoverability rather than anything else.

katuxini

Thanks everyone for responses. I feel much more informed. However the main reason i am being asked to 'make an app' of any site is to make the site them more accessible - not to add any extra features. For example i have a meeting with a local secondary school next week re; developing their website. I am comfortable enough with this but know they will ask about making an 'app' of their website so all the students can have the school app sitting on their android/apple - phones/tablets rather than having the site bookmarked.
Thanks Graham for pointer to developing apk view of website. At least i know that is doable . I can inform them roughly of costs if they want to develop an app for iphone/ipads and they can go down that route themselves

angryInch

It sounds like you are looking for something like http://phonegap.com/
Have used it for a couple of apps, its OK for something basic. I think it would fit your needs well.