Native applications (or ‘apps’) are most commonly thought of as those funky little games that you download onto your iPhone or Android-enabled device. The advantage of these is that they are effectively standalone packages that can be run independently of an internet connection and limited only the the imagination of the developer. Since the whole app has to be downloaded in order to run, they can make maximum use of a smartphone’s large colour screen for maximum graphic impact.

Apps are great for:

• Games companies: release a free mini-version of your game as a teaser for the main event
• Viral campaigns: a branded standalone app can easily contain a fun game that can promote your brand worldwide once it starts to viral
• Retailers: users can save time browsing a product catalogue that rarely changes by bundling the whole experience into a one-time downloadable app and then only requiring internet access at checkout stage e.g. Ocado.com
• Tourist attractions: why not bundle up a small