There are a few ideas that should be considered when designing your web page; these include visual aesthetics, content, and user experience (otherwise called UX).

Visual Aesthetic

We all have memories of going onto a company website, whilst having the thought that there’s a probability you may get conned. That site; is either so dated in style or lacks any identity, that you cannot possibly believe it’s an operational business. We have also all had the adverse experience where you arrive at a website, and everything feels and looks so enticing that you want to buy things you didn’t think you needed or read things you didn’t sort out to read. You could attribute both customer emotions and behaviours largely to how the website either invites you in or steers you away.

A sure way of encouraging potential customers to look further into your site is by being concurrent with the latest web design trends. As we know, nothing in life is set in stone. Everything moves and changes with time, and sure enough, so does website design. By not keeping up to date with these trends, you risk looking dated- which from a user perception, can de-value brand image.

Content

Yes, your website now looks pretty or cool, but what’s keeping your users on there? If there is nothing on your website that allures the user to stay on or come back, it’s as useful as a chocolate teapot (a terrible British idiom, but appropriate). Therefore, the content of a website is a cornerstone of online success.

It’s important to note that although little content is bad for a website, bad content is just as bad-maybe worse.

Having bad content can feel like that person, that everyone has encountered in their life, who just doesn’t know how to tell a story. With no consideration for word economy, articulation, and delivery, you are left; confused, exhausted, and somewhat angry that you lost 5 minutes that you’ll never get back. These emotions are sometimes felt after trying to decipher website content- unlike listening to someone’s story, you can leave a website mid-read without feeling rude, luckily.

But what’s the key to having good content?

• First, it needs direction, particularly towards your desired customer. There’s little point in posting things that aren’t captivating your customer/audience, and if anything, it makes it harder for your users to navigate their way to the content that is appropriate for them.
• Content also needs to be direct and to the point, any vagueness and jargon can really leave users disinterested due to over-complication. Directness allows users to gain any information they may want or need in a quick and easy fashion.
• Try to keep it brief. Often, people aren’t wanting to scan prolongingly through text to find the information they need, as it’s a tiring endeavour. Keeping it brief cuts this out.
  • You don’t want to risk having too little on a page, however, so ensure to make use of images and ensure they are appropriate to the content.

User Experience (UX)

The final cornerstone of a successful website is the user experience. User experience refers to how intuitive your website is to use and navigate through. The use of icons and tab naming should be logical, to avoid misdirection and confusion. Ensuring your website is optimized to operate across every browser and device will satisfy all users. Essentially, these components will retain users.

Let’s briefly define these terms, to better understand them.

Native App Development

Native apps are downloadable mobile applications that are tailored and specific to operating systems such as iOS or Android. These apps are indigenous to the device it was developed for.

Non-Native App Development 

Non-native apps- otherwise known as web apps- are designed to run on multiple platforms, instead running off web browsers rather than a specific operating system. These are built with mobile experience put first, which also facilitates desktops.

So, one utilises a web browser- to cover multiple platforms, whilst the other utilises a specific operating system- to target a specific operating system. What positives, and drawbacks of using these different approaches to app development?

Native Advantages

The first key benefit to developing native apps is the increased usability of the app. Due to the app being developed to serve a specific operating system (i.e., iPhone’s iOS system), the apps are optimized to run and serve the specific device. A greater user experience (UX) is produced as these apps can take advantage of functions within specific operating systems. The greater the UX, the more likely that app users will use and stay on the application.

Another key benefit of native apps is the efficiency. Having an app built for a particular platform and stored in the device allows it to make use of the processing power. Also, the native apps’ software capabilities for utilising its devices’ hardware are stored, providing responsive load times to app commands.

Native Disadvantages

One of the biggest drawbacks to Native app development is the cost. If looking to serve multiple operating systems whilst maintaining the efficiency and utility that native apps provide, this now becomes significantly more expensive and time-consuming. Separate code bases and developers are required to create two different versions of the app that runs on differing platforms.

Another disadvantage is the ongoing updates that are necessary to keep the app working and efficient. Native apps are constantly updating due to:

• The ongoing technological developments that occur in devices, so ensuring the apps are consistently optimised with the most updated versions of the OS.
• Malfunctions and bug repairs are common in native apps, so maintenance is ongoing.

Non-Native Advantages

One of the biggest advantages that come of non-native app development is its multiplatform service. These web applications are easily accessible and are a much cheaper option compared to designing different native apps for different operating systems. This reduces the time and money spent on development.

Non-Native Disadvantages 

The big disadvantage to non-native app development is that it comes with reduced user experience, compared to native apps. Though non-native apps can run on multiple platforms, their broadness means it doesn’t fully utilise different operating systems’ capabilities. This is a detriment to the UX and therefore could affect user engagement.

So, Which is Better?

Native apps provide superior capabilities for utilising device components. It is therefore always advised to go for this option if you have the capital and resources to fund the development of a native app. If resources and capital is low, a non-native app may be appropriate.