ipetdogs - 10:21 pm on Aug 24, 2012 (gmt 0)

Apps are over hyped and most webmasters completely just don't get it. They think that an app is someway to get their web content in front of people. They overlook that every smartphone comes with a web browser that can easily access their website, yet instead of making their site responsive they develop an app which is nothing more than an overblown RSS reader.

It's pointless. As a smartphone owner, I hate sites that want me to download an app to read their content. Just do the work to make your site responsive. If their site's not responsive, I just read their RSS feed in an RSS reader. If they don't offer their content as a feed, they're ignored. Bottom line, I'm not going to download an app just to read the content that's provided on their site.

Now, that's not to say that apps aren't a great idea. For example, if you have an Automotive site, and you have an idea to create an app that helps with car repair, and that app would utilize some content from your site, that's fine. You're making a car repair app, it's a bonus and supplement to your site and a great way to promote your main content.

So, if you're creating standard web content, forget about app development. There's already a great app installed on smart phones that you can take advantage of - the web browser. Just make your site accessible to as many platforms as you can.

Keep an eye on these keywords to help you out:
Responsive design and Media queries