Do I need a website, a web app, or a mobile app?

"I think we need an app" is one of the most expensive sentences in business — because half the time, what you actually need is something simpler and cheaper. The words website, web app and mobile app get used interchangeably, but they're three different things with very different price tags. Here's how to tell them apart.

A website

A website's job is to tell people about your business — who you are, what you offer, how to reach you — and to turn visitors into enquiries or customers. Brochure sites, service sites, and online shops all live here.

Choose this if: you want to be found, look credible, and get leads or sales. It's the right starting point for almost every business, and the most affordable. See web design in Jersey or, if you're selling, e-commerce.

A web app

A web app does things rather than just showing things. It runs in a normal browser — no app store, no download — but behind a login it can handle bookings, dashboards, client portals, quotes, stock, reporting… whatever your business runs on.

Choose this if: you're currently duct-taping a process together with spreadsheets, email and manual admin, and you want a proper tool that does it in a few clicks. It's far cheaper than a mobile app and works on every device instantly.

This is the big one people miss. A huge number of "we need an app" ideas are really web apps — which means no app-store approval, no separate iOS and Android builds, and often less than half the cost.

A mobile app

A mobile app is the one you download from the App Store or Google Play. It lives on the phone and can use the phone's hardware — camera, GPS, push notifications, offline mode.

Choose this only if you genuinely need those phone features, or being on the app stores is core to the product. Otherwise a web app usually gets you there for a fraction of the cost.

The quick test

• Just need to be found and get enquiries? → Website.
• Need to fix a clunky internal process, or give clients a login? → Web app.
• Need push notifications, the camera, offline use, or a store presence? → Mobile app.

Still not sure? That's normal — the honest answer often only appears after a short conversation. Tell me what you're picturing and I'll steer you to the right one, not the most expensive one.