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GoodBarber FAQs about mobile app development #4

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Today we're focusing on three new subjects: native apps vs. web apps, which platform is the better to start, and app analytics!

Learn what our team can tell you about these questions.

What is the difference between a native app and a mobile web app?

Native apps and mobile web apps are 2 different kind of apps. Native apps are apps created for a specific platform only. The code used to create a native app for iOS, is not the same that the one used to create a native Android app.
Native means that the app is specially crafted for the phone it will be used on. Native apps take advantage of the phone capabilities. That’s the reason why, when well developed, they are very fast, smooth and deeply integrated with the phone.
 
Mobile web app are web pages that are optimized to be displayed on a mobile phone. Mobile web apps work on every device, since you only need a web browser to use them. That’s their strenght. But, it’s more difficult to make really cool things like augmented reality or photo posting from web apps, since they can’t access phone’s core features as easily as a native does.

Should I start to create an app on Android or iOS first?

The answer depends on who is asking the question.
 
If you are a developer, the langage used to code iOS apps and Android apps will influence you. iOS apps are coded is objective-C whereas Android apps are coded in Java.
Android is more opened platform than iOS, you can access very low layers of the phone. But iOS development as far more popular among developers than Android developement. So, we’ll find more resources on the web to get help for your project.
 
If you’re a marketer, you’ll want instinctively go for iOS first. Why? Because since the beginning of apps, iOS and the App Store have been far more appealing than Android. Watch out, it’s no longer true. Google Play and Android are overtaking Apple. 
 
So, to this day, this question tends to become a nonsense. You should create your app for both platforms. App builders like GoodBarber can help you. They allow you to create your app once, and have it available for iOS and Android at the same time. Give it a try, and tell us what you think about it.

What are some analytics solutions for my app?

There are different solutions to get analytics for your app. The way it works is always the same. First, you need to install the sdk of the analytics product you use, into your app project.
analytics products track events that are occuring when a user browses your app. Session, pageviewsn shares, etc. It will also tell you the device  and the place of your users.
Among famous analytics solutions there is Flurry analytics, a widely used robust and free solution. You can also use Google analytics if it’s a more familiar tool for you.
 
If you use an app builder like GoodBarber, external analytics solutions are most of the time ready to be used. No sdk to install because it’s already done by the app builder. You just have to enter your credentials.
App builders can give you also there own analytics, and they provide great insights because they have access to informations that external solutions can’t access.