Loading...
Answers
MenuI'll be launching a new and intuitive desktop software application to in the new year. Is there any compelling data that favors web apps over desktop?
The software in creation has several competing titles yet none have an easy to moderate learning curve. There is only one web app that competes but it is very simplified. In this industry I see using this software without a net connection and relying on system resources could benefit the user but Im afraid it still might not have the impact and reach as web apps... Any insight welcome.
Answers
Asking a broad question welcomes suspect advice. It's unwise to apply generic "data" to a specific application.
Narrow the focus - who is the typical user? Under age 30? Over the age of 45? Is the application typically used in the office during work hours or mostly out in the field? Is wifi/cellular Internet access generally available or is there an expectation that connectivity won't be available?
Based on those demographic questions, what devices are your potential customers using? If it's 60%+ mobile/tablet, lean toward an app right away. If it's under 30%, consider starting web and then add a mobile optimized offering once you understand how your software is being used and how it will be best used on mobile vs a browser based offering.
I would start by considering how many platforms you plan to support. Not just today, but over the next 3 to 5 years as well. There is growing support for offline-first web applications, which can be a great solution with a few caveats.
Offline web applications can be designed to only rely on client side storage, with no server connection ever. They can also be designed to store data locally and then sync with a server when an internet connection becomes available. HTML5 does provide capabilities for this. If you are targeting older platforms however, you will need to reconsider this approach. Modern web apps look better than ever, however they still don't provide 100% of the capabilities that a native application will. Depending on how important this is to your users, it could be a non-issue or a complete deal breaker.
Without knowing the specifics of your situation, it is difficult to advocate for a particular approach. If you wish to discuss the specifics, I am available. Best of luck.
I have built many apps both desktop (i.e. client-server type) and now tons more web-based apps. Deploying changes is MUCH easier with a web app than desktop. That is an important consideration. I am not sure how many users for your app. If it is only in a single office, then you can always remote into the server for your updates. But if people are installing from all over the place, then you will have to "push" your changes to their various servers or provide a way that they can update themselves. With all the different computers, configurations, network issues, etc. you may get various questions if something "doesn't work" or doesn't install correctly. For a web application, I just have to make sure it supports the various browsers and I can deploy my changes easily. The web application can also ensure security too if you have many users from all over the world. Security is also the other important consideration. If you do things right, you should be ok there too.
Hope this helps
Demographics aside, one of the most compelling factor in making your decision is your available resources (assuming a web app can support the desired feature set). If you are building a desktop app you have take into consideration the fact that you will only have access to customers who's operating systems you can afford to support. Take into considerations OS updates, hardware specific issues, and software interactions. If you build a web application you only have to worry about the self contain environment of your server, and browser support. So if you have enough developers to overcome the issues associated with a desktop app then go for it.
Unlike desktop apps, web-based apps are not as reliant on the hardware you’re using. It also means that web-based apps offer more points of entry. Web-based apps do not require a download to use. Updates and upgrades are easier for web-based applications. This is because desktop apps need the program to be updated on a machine-by-machine basis. While automatic updates for desktop apps are making updates easier, hardware restrictions still apply.
You can read more here: https://www.parkersoftware.com/blog/web-vs-desktop-apps-a-weigh-up/
Besides if you do have any questions give me a call: https://clarity.fm/joy-brotonath
Related Questions
-
How do I run a closed beta test for my mobile application? Development will be finished in 3 weeks.
You should try to engage people using social networks, it is easier to spread than email. The conversion rate on emails are low but is still a valid tool for that. Send and email with a simple and objective message that will make people want to try. The best way to have feedback from users is to watch them use the app. You should put them on the hands of everybody that you can and without any instrucions and just watch, don´t even say that the app is yours. Try to do it a lot. If you want feedback from others, you can include the feedback form inside the app and suggest users to answer occasionally. I would also strongly recommend to use a tool as Flurry Analytics. Is the best way to get data from how is the use of the application. Pay attention to those data and be open to change your app a lot, you may need more features or cut some off to make it easier to use. If you need more help please contact me.BS
-
How should the dynamic between a ux designer and a developer who are working together look like?
It depends a lot of in the skill sets and experience of both people but in most cases the ux designer should be controlling the developer pretty heavily in order to make sure his ideas come through properly. The UX designer may just need to work on his approach so people don't feel bossed around and more like they are working together. In an ideal world, there would be a project manager who makes sure everything is communicated well and keeps the dynamic feeling great.JM
-
How do I run a successful closed beta for my web application that is almost done with development?
Create an ideal customer profile. Create some questions that will allow to you survey a potential tester to determine if they fit your profile. Design simple landing page with very clear value proposition that speaks to your ideal customer. Ask for a minimum of information up-front (email), but ask for more info after they commit by submitting the first piece of info. (KISSmetrics does a good job of this on their current website trial signup). Use the their answers to these profiling questions to put the applicants into buckets. Let in the most ideal bucket first, or split them into groups if they're big enough. Try and measure engagement the best you can. Measure qualitative and quantitative data. Schedule calls with your beta testers to find out more, especially with the ones who's user behavior seemed to indicate that they didn't get value from your product. Find out why. Make sure they are indeed your ideal customer. Pick up the phone and get to know your customers inside and out. Meet them in person if possible. Incorporate their feedback quickly and get more feedback. Rinse repeat.DH
-
What would be a good approach for marketing a software development businesses?
For software development business LinkedIn ads, content marketing and Google Adwords don't work well. The best and most cost effective method is email outreach. Try to find the contacts of key decision makers in Bay Area from your target companies. You want to present yourselves as custom mobile and web development specialists and highlight your core competencies to get an initial call to discuss their mobile strategy or software development needs. Attaching your case studies how you helped other similar businesses and your portfolio can be extremely helpful as well. Try to always focus on the benefits in you pitch that they can get by working with you and point their missed opportunities of not having certain types of software or apps for their business. Clients love that software development companies have not only strong execution but also ideation skills. Hope this helps. If you have any questions I am also available on call for your convenience.AA
-
Which is the best hosted free bug tracking tool for a team size of up to 10 members?
Being a freelance developer for the last 10 years or so, I have seen and used almost every project management software you can think of, open-source and closed, and I have found that the "best bug tracking tool" completely depends on your process. I employ and direct teams in an Agile process that involves loose story-based requirements with point-based estimates, two-week cycles of iterative development, planning and retrospective sessions, and look-ahead and show-and-tell meetings with the stakeholders. It's important to me, then, that my tools have a method of capturing all those pieces with as much detail as I need but no more. On projects, I've successfully used Pivotal Tracker, Unfuddle, Redmine, Codebase HQ, Basecamp, Trello, and many others. I usually recommend people to Trello for light, agile management; it's essentially a digitized version of sticky notes and swim lanes. If your team actually needs a full-featured ticketing system, see Redmine (Rails), Trac (Python), or Mantis (PHP), depending on your language preference. Hosting a version of these yourself is fairly trivial, and numerous options exist for cheap or free hosted versions. For something in the middle, Github Issues is a good fit and the open-source clone GitLab.org replicates most of those features nicely. However, if you're looking for a hosted version, you're probably looking to offload that tricky "backup" thingy, and in that case, how important is your data? How proprietary? What's your business model? If you're working on an open-source project, Github will give your team a free account with private repos, issues, wikis, and the like. If you're okay with your project being "readable by all", public projects on Pivotal are still free. I'm mostly a consultant these days, leading small groups of junior or intermediate developers into a more productive, more mature, fully operational teams of senior software developers. One of the first things I teach folks is how to use a project management system... and why! It'll save your bacon if it's simple, effective, and reliable. With a few minutes of discussion about your project, I can probably help you select the right tool and service for your team. Let me know if I can help with that. Best of luck!DR
the startups.com platform
Copyright © 2025 Startups.com. All rights reserved.