Convert your Webflow Site into Mobile Apps with Canvas

How can you build a webflow app? Is there a Webflow for mobile apps?

We're going to answer these questions in this short article. We’re also going to show you exactly how to convert a Webflow web app into mobile apps for iOS and Android.

If you want to get the key beats from this article, you can do so in the video below:

If you're ready to dive deeper, let’s start with a little context. 

Webflow changed Everything

Webflow has revolutionized web design. Now anyone willing to dedicate some time to learning can build beautiful, responsive websites visually - without needing the skills of a designer or front end developer.

Before Webflow the options for doing this were limited with restrictive and basic platforms like Wix, SquareSpace and Weebly. It was always hard to get them to spit something out that looked high-standard. Now there are no such restrictions, visually at least.

There are still limitations when it comes to Webflow. One of them will rear its head if you want to build native mobile apps. 

Can Webflow Build Mobile Apps?

While Webflow is great for building responsive websites that look great on mobile - there is no direct way to use the platform to build mobile apps that you can publish on the App Store and Google Play. It’s not clear that Webflow will add this to their roadmap in the near future either.

Webflow’s primary use case at the moment is for building visually rich static “marketing” sites, and there’s usually little cause for turning those into mobile apps. Mobile apps work well for dynamic user flows and products that are geared towards repeat or habitual use.

That said - Webflow is not only for marketing sites. 

A slew of updates and new features came out over the last couple of years. In 2021, Webflow is being used to build a range of dynamic, data-driven sites and eCommerce stores. What’s more, Webflow is often used to build and host the front-end in a “stack” of tools that come together to build full blown web apps. 

Some of these Webflow sites would benefit from building mobile apps alongside them. If you have a Webflow site like this and want to build mobile apps, we’ve got good news for you.

It is easy to convert a webflow web app to mobile apps. You just need the right tools. We’re going to cover what they are shortly, but firstly let’s look at a few of the benefits.

Why Convert a Webflow Web app to Mobile apps?’

There are a few major benefits of building mobile apps for an existing web-based business that make it worthwhile. As always, you need to balance the important factors when it comes to your brand and make the decision about what you value the most.

Meet modern user preferences

Whether you’re an eCommerce business, a content publisher, or an eLearning platform - a certain portion of your users and potential users will have a preference for apps over websites. 

Over 90% of mobile time right now is in-app. Granted most of that is social media and email, but people have become conditioned to “app like” experiences for any tool or brand they engage with frequently. 

A Webflow site is enough for a static marketing site that people will not engage with much post-conversion. If you’ve built something closer to a “tool” or “platform” though that thrives on repeat usage and loyalty, apps can be a major upgrade and give people what they want and expect. 

A more engaging mobile UX

Your Webflow web app probably has a great UX right now - and is hopefully fully responsive on mobile.

It’s still constrained by the inherent limitations of the browser though. People have to remember about you, put in the URL, wait for everything to load and then use the clunky browser navigation to get around. It’s easy for them to get distracted by something else and then bury you in a sea of tabs.

Contrast that to a native app. You occupy valuable, highly visible real estate on the user’s home screen. One tap and they’re in. Easy native tab navigation makes getting around intuitive and simple - and there are no other tabs to easily distract them.

It’s a more “enclosed” experience. More sticky and engaging. Over time this compounds to better business results. 

Push notifications

How do you drive traffic to your Webflow app and communicate with your users now? Email, social media? Both have serious limitations. When you convert a Webflow web app into mobile apps though you get to use mobile push notifications.

There is no way for you to use these right now. With a lot of fiddling you might be able to implement web notifications through Webflow. Even if you manage that though you won’t be able to send them to iOS users. 

If you build mobile apps though you can reach all your users who have the app with timely, custom messages and build more engagement across the board!

More loyalty and retention

All these things add up to the key point.

When you convert a Webflow web app to mobile apps you boost your chances of successfully building an engaged and loyal user base, and keeping them around.

From the homescreen icon reminding them to check in, to the more immersive UX, to the push notifications giving a 1 on 1 communication channel - everything about apps helps to foster repeat usage and engagement. 

If this is a part of your model. If you want people to come back again and again, and even build habits around your product, apps are the way to go. 

How to Convert a Webflow App to Mobile Apps

So let’s say you’ve made the decision. You want to build mobile apps from Webflow. How do you do it? 

The Webflow Wishlist, where users suggest features that they want, is full of people asking for a mobile app platform in Webflow. They are likely to stay disappointed though. 

Some have suggested using Apache Cordova / Phonegap - tools that wrap HTML/CSS/JavaScript in a native container. This can work for static sites, but for anything dynamic it’s a bad choice, and will take a huge amount of work and compromise to get a half decent result.

Convert a Webflow Web App to Mobile Apps with MobiLoud

OK, we admit it. We’re biased. But our platform, MobiLoud, is the best way to convert a Webflow app to mobile apps.

MobiLoud will allow you to convert your Webflow app exactly into iOS and Android apps, and be ready to launch on the App Store and Google Play in just a couple of weeks. Like Webflow, it’s also a “no code” platform - but it’s even easier to work with and there’s no learning curve as such.

MobiLoud allows you to do the following:

Reuse all the best things about your Webflow app in the mobile apps.

All the design elements, CMS, plugins, and interactions from the web will work exactly the same on iOS and Android. There’s no need to rebuild anything or make any compromises!

Add all the important UX elements to create a great app experience.

You’ll combine all the best parts of your Webflow app with a native tab bar, native navigation, splash screens, and all the other things that make apps great. Your users will be engaged and happy.

Send unlimited push notifications on iOS and Android

When you build apps with MobiLoud, we set you up with unlimited push notifications through our OneSignal integration. 

Unlike with web apps, you can send push notifications to everyone, regardless of their operating system. Your MobiLoud apps will also have a message centre that stores messages for later, and push preferences so that they can choose which kinds of notifications they want to receive.

This is a great way to keep your fans updated, and promote offers and content. 

MobiLoud is the Fastest, Most Efficient way to Convert a Webflow Web app to Mobile Apps

As you probably know - software development of any kind is generally laborious and expensive work that takes a long time. 

Apps traditionally cost $50,000+ and take at least six months to get built. 

You can take a shortcut with a templated, no-code mobile app builder tool, but it would be a false economy. You could never integrate everything from your Webflow site into the app, and would struggle to create anything that meaningfully slotted into your existing operation. 

MobiLoud is the only mobile app platform that overcomes all these limitations, let’s you recreate your Webflow app entirely - and supports you every step of the way. 

With MobiLoud, you can get your apps ready to publish in just 2 weeks - for an affordable, startup-friendly price tag.

Full Service, Complete Support 

MobiLoud is not just a platform, it’s a service too. We don’t just sell you software and let you get on with it - we work closely with you to ensure success.

We’ll be there from the initial kick-off call going over the vision and roadmap for the apps, to preparing the apps for submission to the App Stores, to working with Google and Apple on your behalf to bring the apps live. 

Your success with MobiLoud is guaranteed. We guarantee that your apps will be accepted and published on the App Store and Google Play. 

If for some weird reason it is not possible, we refund you 100%. What’s more - we’ll refund you for any reason within 60 days, so there’s no risk on your end. 

When you convert a Webflow app to a mobile app with MobiLoud and have them live, our support doesn’t end there. We also handle all ongoing updates and maintenance for the lifetime of the apps, saving you thousands of dollars annually. 

Ready to Convert your Webflow App to Mobile Apps with MobiLoud?

We’ve covered the main benefits of converting a web app to mobile apps. To read more, check out our detailed guide. 

We also put forward a case for why MobiLoud is the best option. 

MobiLoud let’s you keep building the no code way, combining the best of Webflow with the best of mobile app UX. Success is guaranteed, and our development team are only ever an email or a Zoom call away to help out. 

With Webflow and MobiLoud - you can build a whole multichannel product using 100% no code tools. Ready to start building?

The best way to start is to book a call with one of our app developers. They’ll go through the process with you in depth and answer all your questions. 

Start building Webflow mobile apps with MobiLoud - schedule a free consultation today!