# Website, web app or mobile app: what does your business need? Start with one question: what does someone need to get done? Presenting a service, managing a team and checking an activity every day are different needs. The product format should reflect that difference. ## When a website is enough A website is often a useful starting point for introducing a business, explaining services, showing work and receiving enquiries. Someone can arrive from a search, open a link and find information without installing anything. An online shop adds a catalogue, payments and order management. That involves business logic, but still benefits from direct browser access. Complexity alone does not make a mobile app necessary. ## When the experience needs an application A web app suits recurring tasks such as viewing personal information, organising requests, managing customers or collaborating with a team. It can include authentication, permissions and connections to other systems while remaining accessible through a browser. A mobile app is worth considering when the phone is part of the task: frequent use on the move, useful notifications, camera access or specific offline functions. Define which capabilities matter and check what each platform supports. Distribution, updates and maintenance also need a place in the plan. Both formats can coexist. A team might manage operations in a web app while customers use a mobile app. Sharing information between them requires early decisions about data, permissions and integrations. ## Define the first release Before choosing technology, write down three essential tasks and who will perform them. Consider where that person is, how often they return and what information they need to view or change. - Will people arrive mainly through search, a shared link or regular use? - Does completing the main tasks require an installed app? - Which systems, content and data already exist? - Who will manage the product after launch? ## How we approach the choice at THE CAVE We develop software alongside the design and identity of the product. A concrete journey, such as creating a request or following an activity, gives the work a starting point. Visual decisions should help people complete that journey. Our projects cover different contexts: SemAçucar presents products for purchase; WinningEleven brings together activities around football. Each case has its own scope, described in our portfolio. They provide useful reference points for a conversation, rather than a standard package. Bring an example of how things work today, your priority tasks, an available budget and a preferred launch date. We can then discuss a useful first release and what belongs in a later phase. ## Related services [Websites](https://www.thecave.pt/services/websites) [Mobile apps](https://www.thecave.pt/services/mobile-apps) [Custom software](https://www.thecave.pt/services/custom-software)