
Ask HN: Website vs. mobile app for conference goers - galazzah
I&#x27;m part of an organization that is planning to host a conference in a couple of months. We want to use either a website or mobile app to show schedules, lecture locations, etc. What are some reasons to take one over the other?
======
SyneRyder
Definitely do a website first. If you want to promote your conference, it will
be easier for people to share a link to your website, rather than to your
mobile app. Also, everyone who can run a mobile app can visit your website,
but not everyone who can visit your site (eg desktop users) can run your app.

A mobile app is a great idea, but it should be a bonus feature for attendees,
after you've got the website fixed.

[Side note: I run a tiny website promoting a certain niche of conferences -
I'm less likely to promote a mobile app in my email newsletter, because I'd
feel an obligation to test your app first before linking to it & recommending
it. A website is easy for me to check & verify & monitor for updates.]

------
niftich
Mobile app pros and opportunities:

\- Integration into phone calendar, contacts, etc.

\- Integration into share/intent features offered by platform

\- Offline capability

\- Homescreen presence

Website pros and opportunities:

\- Public linkability, shareability of events, schedules, homepage (... in all
likelihood you have a conference website anyway)

\- No need to develop for different platforms

\- No need for user to download an app

The drawbacks are implies by contrasting with the other.

------
tmaly
with HTML5 you can make a very nice mobile site.

I think the biggest pro to a website is that people do not have to install an
app to use it.

