A beginner friendly guide
A website alone is no longer enough to hold attention on mobile. People expect convenience, speed, and simple design across their devices. Turning your website into a mobile app puts you on the home screen, adds push notifications, and allows offline use.
At ioSTUDIOS, we help businesses do exactly that. We turn websites into iOS and Android apps that improve performance, increase engagement, and reflect your brand.
Why convert your website into an app?
A dedicated mobile app can offer benefits that a website cannot:
- Faster load times, with offline access where needed
- Push notifications to re-engage users
- Easy access to native features such as biometrics, camera, and location
- A user interface designed for small screens and mobile behaviour
- New revenue options such as in-app purchases, subscriptions, and advertising with tools like Google AdMob
For ecommerce and content-led businesses, turning a website into an app can be a real step up.
Which development approach fits your goals?
The best path depends on your goals, budget, timeline, and required features. We guide clients through the full development process and help them choose the right option.
| Approach | Speed and cost | Access to native features | Maintenance | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Progressive Web App (PWA) | Very fast and low cost | Limited | Low | Lightweight, web-based apps |
| Webview wrapper | Fast and moderate cost | Moderate | Medium | Content-heavy sites that need a quick app |
| Hybrid app | Medium speed and cost | High | Medium | Cross-platform apps with robust features |
| Native app | Slower and higher cost | Full | High | Bespoke apps with advanced features |
For long-term growth, hybrid and native apps usually offer the best mix of features, performance, and scalability.
No-code builders vs bespoke development
No-code app builders can create a basic app from a website URL. They are useful for quick tests or a minimum viable product. The trade-offs are limited flexibility, limited access to native features, and scaling challenges.
Our bespoke approach is designed for established businesses. We handle design, development, and app store submission, and we build to Apple App Store and Google Play requirements. The result is a mobile experience that fits your brand and supports long-term growth.
What about Progressive Web Apps?
A Progressive Web App is a website that behaves more like an app. PWAs can work offline in some scenarios, be installed on the home screen, and update quickly without app store approvals. They run on both iOS and Android.
PWAs are great for speed to market. They cannot fully replace native apps when you need advanced features, deeper brand presence, or large-scale performance. If you want a long-term competitive edge, bespoke hybrid or native development is usually the better choice.
Hybrid and native apps explained
- Hybrid apps use cross-platform frameworks such as React Native or Cordova. You get one codebase for iOS and Android, access to many native features, and good performance for most use cases.
- Native apps are written in Swift for iOS and Kotlin or Java for Android. You get maximum performance, security, and deep integration with each operating system.
At ioSTUDIOS, we build new apps from the ground up. We combine robust features with user-centred design so your app feels fast, polished, and on-brand.
How ioSTUDIOS turns a website into an app
- Define your goals
Decide what success looks like. Examples include ecommerce checkout, account self-service, or higher engagement. - Choose the approach
Pick hybrid or native based on features, budget, and timelines. - Design and prototype
Create your app icon, splash screen, and key screens. Align the design with your brand and mobile best practice. - Build and test
Develop features, integrate services, and test on a range of devices and operating systems. - Submit to the app stores
We prepare listings and ensure your app meets Apple App Store and Google Play guidelines. - Maintain and improve
Release updates, track key metrics, apply App Store Optimisation, and refine features based on user behaviour.
Keeping users engaged after launch
- Send helpful push notifications that respond to user actions
- Release small, frequent improvements and new features
- Use App Store Optimisation to improve discoverability
- Track metrics such as retention, session length, and conversions, then iterate
Why partner with ioSTUDIOS?
Quick fixes can produce a basic phone app, but they rarely deliver the flexibility, performance, or scale that growing businesses need. If you want a bespoke mobile app that matches your brand, engages users, and scales with your growth, ioSTUDIOS is ready to help.
Ready to transform your website into a mobile application?
Contact ioSTUDIOS to book a free consultation and see how our process delivers measurable results.
FAQs
What is the best way to create an app from my website?
No-code tools can work for small projects or prototypes. Bespoke development gives you the flexibility, performance, and control needed for long-term growth.
Do I need separate versions for iOS and Android?
Native apps require separate versions. Hybrid apps share much of the code across both platforms, which can reduce duplication. Native apps usually deliver the highest performance.
How can I monetise a mobile app?
Use in-app purchases, subscriptions, advertising with Google AdMob, or ecommerce integrations. We help align monetisation with your audience and goals.
How do I keep users engaged?
Send relevant push notifications, ship new features regularly, and use analytics to guide improvements. We support ongoing optimisation so engagement grows over time.