To turn a website into an app, you don’t run it through a converter: you choose the features users value most, redesign them for the mobile platform, and build an app around them. There are 3 main options: transfer the website functionality to the app, create an application with the essential features and enhance it later, or make an app with specific features.
Many potential clients ask us how to turn their websites into mobile apps. For a business producing something, a website went from an optional perk to a staple and then a prerequisite. Websites evolved from single pages into massive web applications, clusters, and cloud environments, and the rise of mobile technology made an app the next step for many of them.
Below, we cover mobile usage, why responsive web is a decent alternative, what PWAs can and can’t do, the advantages of native mobile apps, and how to turn your website into an app, including interface and navigation.
Mobile usage statistics
As stated by statistics:
- 80% of users used a mobile device to search the internet.
- Mobile apps account for 90% of mobile media time, with the other 10% spent on websites.
- 40% of online transactions are done using a mobile device.
- Average smartphone users used their phones for more than 4 hours a day.
There is no reasonable cause for any consumer-facing business to neglect mobility as the main digital information delivery media. If you had already been running your website in 2007, there’s no doubt one of the first things you did when you got your hands on the first iPhone is to open your business website on it to see what your clients will see.
Most of the modern business owners kind of grew up with the internet being an accessory and with that mindset, the idea of being on people’s phones seems only natural. What is also natural is the idea for entrepreneurs to introduce their business in apps to gain more users. The main mobile apps advantages are:
- Convenience. Apps are handy, they load content faster, and are easier to use. In addition, they have easy access to push notifications, access to cameras, various sensors, etc. Design is more flexibly compatible with different screen sizes.
- Personalization. Mobile apps are great for services that imply regular use. They allow users to create personal accounts as well as keep important information handy.
- Offline capabilities. Because applications require installation, they can provide access to their features and content even without an internet connection.
However, apart from mobile apps, there are several ways to build your presence on the mobile platform throughout different screen resolutions and operating systems: responsive websites and web apps.
AI Agent Design for WLS by Shakuro
When a responsive website is enough
A responsive website adapts its layout and interactions to different screen sizes. It can be a complete solution for products that people access occasionally or discover through search and shared links.
Before building an app, check whether visitors can complete important tasks comfortably on mobile. Consider another approach when you identify a specific requirement that your website cannot meet reliably, such as an unsupported device integration or a demanding offline workflow.
When you need PWAs
A progressive web app is a web application that can provide capabilities such as installation, offline access, and notifications where the platform supports them. People can open it through a URL and install it on supported mobile and desktop devices. These capabilities depend on the application’s implementation, browser, and operating system. Adding an icon or a web app manifest alone does not make every feature available.
PWAs can access features such as the camera, microphone, and geolocation through supported web APIs, with user permission. Other integrations need closer investigation. For example, Chrome for Android supports Web NFC for certain NDEF tag operations, but that does not provide universal NFC access across devices and browsers. Build a compatibility checklist around your actual requirements. Specify the operation you need, the target devices, and the expected behavior when an API is unavailable.
On iOS and iPadOS, available PWA capabilities depend on the operating system version and how the app is used. Since version 16.4, web apps added to the Home Screen can request permission for Web Push following a user interaction. Background execution remains restricted, and some APIs have limited browser support. Test essential workflows on the devices your audience uses before committing to a PWA.
Proko app on mobile by Shakuro
When a separate mobile app makes sense
A separate mobile app is worth considering when the product depends on demanding interactions, extensive device integration, or complex offline workflows. Native development gives teams direct access to supported platform APIs and detailed control over the interface. These advantages still require engineering work: performance needs measurement, offline behavior needs storage and synchronization, and security needs careful implementation. Permissions, background execution rules, and distribution requirements also apply. Choose this approach when its capabilities address a clear product need and justify the additional development and maintenance.
How to turn your website into an app
There are three approaches to evaluate: extend the website into a PWA, package a web interface inside a native container, or build a separate mobile application. Then decide which features belong in the mobile experience. These are two different decisions: the technical approach determines how the product runs, while the feature scope determines what people can do. Start with essential workflows, check platform compatibility, and estimate both the initial build and ongoing support.
The real question is how to do that transition so that you don’t lose your audience, retain your distinctive features, and innovate at the same time? In other words, how to turn your website into an app?
Let’s look at each approach in detail.
1. Carbon copy app
If you could just convert your website into an app, that would’ve been a nightmare. Like there aren’t enough low-quality, cheap, and poorly designed apps already. There’s a multitude of website-to-app converters on the net. And yet, any type of automatic conversion resource available is most likely a scam. Not in the sense of taking your money and fleeing, but in the sense of complete garbage of a product you receive. Like any automatic solution, it can’t be compared to a bespoke one. App development costs money, and for a good reason. Programmers are paid so well because it is hard and there are no shortcuts. No out-of-the-box solution can approach the full potential of a native app, their ability would be very limited.
The amount of functionality your website may feature does not necessarily mean all of that has to be in the app. With that said, you have to know how to play it safe and not eliminate the features that users appreciate. For example, an online retailer might focus its mobile experience on repeat purchases, saved products, and order tracking. If these tasks work well through supported web capabilities, a PWA may be sufficient. A wrapper becomes worth evaluating when the product also needs store distribution and a small number of native integrations. A separate application deserves consideration when demanding mobile interactions or device integrations become central to the experience.
2. Core feature app
We’re getting closer now. As an owner, you know the strongest sides of your business, as well as the weaker parts that need assistance. There has to be no problem figuring out the core functionality of your website that you’d want your app to inherit. You’ll have to put it all into perspective and maybe sacrifice something in favor of a better user experience.
Your startup took off somewhere. Whatever made it stand was the core of the app and its main worth. The ability to recognize that worth in the environment as ultra-competitive as the digital product market is the key factor in your chances to skyrocket with your application. Don’t stick to what got you there. Always look for ways to introduce new value in the old familiar dressing. Here’s where the automated solutions are far behind the custom ones. In the case of apps produced by converters, it’s not possible to really develop them any further.
After all, people will only react if you provide them with meaningful experience or tangible value.
3. Design & Implementation
Making a website into an app is not really “making an app out of a website”. Neither in design, nor in implementation, is it a transition. The transition happens in business logic, philosophy, and principles that do have to be kept as signature features of your business. It is more about converting your website UX into an app, or maybe even enhancing it.
There are different types of apps: native, cross-platform, and hybrid. We’ve covered the topic of choice extensively in one of our previous posts.
Interface
Review the existing interface around mobile tasks, touch targets, text input, accessibility, and interruptions. Preserve familiar product terminology and useful patterns, while adapting layouts and interactions where necessary. Reusing a website does not remove the need for mobile design work, and building a separate app does not automatically produce a better experience.
We specifically train our designers to be versatile regardless of the platform and operating system they design for. Each platform has its own limitations and strengths. The key to staying on the users’ phones is making an app that seems familiar and consistent. Precisely for this purpose, there are guidelines (namely Apple Human Interface Guidelines for iOS and Google Material Design System for Android). They are sets of recommendations, rules, and principles from the creators of the platforms, thanks to which applications made by different developers look uniform.
There is a reason why all apps produced by Apple share the same look, feel, and overall behavior – once you unbox them, the experience is new but the logic is familiar. Once the core features are settled, it won’t be a problem for a good designer to put together a platform-specific, consistent, and at the same time, custom application.
However, a mobile app interface does not only take from you as it might seem, but it also gives plenty. For example:
- Tabs. The bottom tab is a staple in mobile design. The control panel can emphasize the most important aspects of your app and display the items you want your users to gravitate towards.
- Meaningful animation. The animation opens multiple choices to aid performance, conversion, and empathy.
- Tactile experience. One thing smartphones teach you right away is the fact that you can touch the software and everything in the app. The more in control you are, the stronger your attachment to that behavior.
Navigation
Keep primary destinations easy to find and make navigation consistent. Use visible controls for important actions; gestures can provide shortcuts where they feel familiar. Check back behavior, keyboard interactions, and links into specific screens on real devices. Test whether users can complete key tasks without having to discover hidden gestures.
YogaMate app by Shakuro
Comparison of all approaches
| Criteria | Progressive Web App (PWA) | WebView Wrapper | Separate Mobile App |
| Approach | Extends a website with app-like capabilities and installation options. | Runs a web interface inside a native container, optionally adding native plugins. | Uses a purpose-built mobile interface, developed with native or cross-platform technology. |
| Reuse of the existing website | High, especially if the website already works well on mobile. | High, although navigation, authentication, and device integrations may need adaptation. | Backend services and APIs can often be reused; the mobile interface is built separately. |
| User experience | Supports mobile-friendly interactions within browser capabilities. | Combines a web interface with optional native components. | Offers greater control over mobile navigation, gestures, and platform integration. |
| Device features | Camera, microphone, and geolocation are available through supported web APIs. Other capabilities vary by browser and OS. | Native plugins can extend access to device features; some integrations require custom native code. | Direct access to supported platform APIs, subject to permissions and OS restrictions. |
| Push notifications | Supported where Web Push is available. On iOS/iPadOS 16.4+, the web app must be added to the Home Screen and receive user permission. | Native push notifications require configuration and a plugin or native implementation. | Native push notifications require configuration and user permission. |
| Offline functionality | Requires caching, local storage, and a synchronization strategy. | Requires local resources, storage, and synchronization logic. A remotely loaded website does not automatically work offline. | Requires local data storage and synchronization logic; installation alone does not provide offline functionality. |
| Background tasks | Limited by browser support and execution rules. | Native integrations provide additional options, within OS restrictions. | Provides broader platform-specific options, but continuous background execution is not guaranteed. |
| Distribution | Accessible through a URL and installable on supported browsers and operating systems. | Can be distributed through app stores, subject to review. A basic website wrapper may not meet minimum functionality requirements. | Can be distributed through app stores, subject to review and platform requirements. |
| Initial budget | Usually lower when a suitable mobile website already exists. | Often low to medium for a limited set of native integrations. Costs increase with customization. | Usually higher because the mobile interface and client behavior require separate development. |
| Maintenance | Covers the web application, browser compatibility, caching, and update behavior. | Covers the web application, native container, plugins, OS compatibility, and store releases. | Covers the mobile codebase, dependencies, OS compatibility, and store releases, alongside shared backend services. |
| Updates | Delivered through web deployment, with cache and service worker updates managed carefully. | Depends on packaging. Changes to bundled resources, native code, or plugins generally require a new app release. | Changes to mobile client code generally require a new app release. Server-managed content can update separately. |
| Best fit | Products whose main workflows work well in a browser and do not require store distribution. | Established web products that need store distribution and a manageable set of native features. | Products whose core value depends on demanding mobile interactions, extensive device integration, or complex offline workflows. |
Turning a Website Into an App Step by Step
To make a website an app, start from what mobile visitors already do on the site, then rebuild those actions for the phone. In practice, the sequence looks like this:
- Pull the website analytics and list what mobile visitors actually do: which pages they open, which actions they repeat, where they drop off. This list becomes the app’s first scope.
- Choose the format. A PWA is enough when the app mostly repeats the site and needs no contacts, NFC, or other native features; a native or cross-platform app is the choice when it does.
- Connect the app to the same data as the site. In most projects, this means an API on top of the existing backend, so accounts, orders, and content stay in sync between the website and the app.
- Design the mobile screens to the Apple Human Interface Guidelines and Material Design instead of shrinking the desktop layout.
- Test on real devices, then publish to the App Store and Google Play.
Wrapping the site in a WebView shell is not a shortcut either. Apple’s App Store Review Guidelines expect an app to offer more than a repackaged website, so a shell without app-specific features usually fails review. It is the same problem as the website-to-app converters described above, seen from the store’s side.
FAQ
Can a website be converted into an app?
Not exactly. Automatic website-to-app converters exist, but they produce low-quality apps with very limited abilities that can’t be developed further. A good app is designed and built for the mobile platform around the core functionality of your business. It also doesn’t replace the website: popular websites have apps, and viral apps have websites, so both should keep the same level of quality.
What are the options for turning a website into an app?
There are 3 main options. You can transfer the website functionality to the app, although copying everything rarely works on a small screen. You can create an app with the essential features, the ones users appreciate most, and enhance it later. Or you can make an app with specific features that add new value to what the website already offers.
What is the difference between a PWA and a native app?
A progressive web app is a hybrid of a website and an app: it stays a regular site in a desktop browser and can be installed on a phone without app stores. A native app offers higher performance, better security, work with or without the internet, and full access to device features such as contacts, calendar, NFC, geolocation, and sensors. On iOS, PWA functionality is limited.
Do I need an app if my website is responsive?
Not always. In many cases, a responsive website is enough, and not every website needs an app to go with it. A responsive site adapts to the screen size but can’t access the device’s native features. An app makes sense when it will do more than the website: work offline, send push notifications, use the camera and sensors, or serve users who return regularly.
How is designing an app different from designing a website?
Mobile apps work differently from websites: UI interactions, navigation, and content layout all change. Designers follow the Apple Human Interface Guidelines for iOS and Google Material Design for Android so the app feels familiar. Apps use bottom tabs, meaningful animation, and touch interactions, and navigation has to be simple and optimized for swiping as the primary gesture.
Mobile App Design for Inspired by Shakuro
Takeaways
Turning a website into an app can involve extending the existing web product or building a separate mobile client. Start by identifying the tasks that matter most, then compare PWA, WebView, and separate-app approaches against those requirements. Test the hardest integration early and estimate maintenance alongside development. Reusing web code can reduce initial effort, while native integrations and store releases add responsibilities. Choose the approach your team can support as the product evolves.
Need help assessing the options? Tell us about your product and the mobile experience you want to improve.
Related reading
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The article was originally published in December 2017 and was updated in October 2026 to make it more relevant and comprehensive.