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Should You Launch a Mobile App? A Complete Guide

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Written by Support Newsifier
Updated over 2 weeks ago

Introduction

Many Newsifier clients are thinking about launching a mobile app, especially now that Google Discover and Facebook have become so unpredictable.

Over 20 Newsifier publishers have already launched mobile apps — from local news sites to national sports publishers. They're seeing app users engage 30-40% more than web visitors, with some readers opening the app multiple times daily.

Some examples are the FR12 app (iOS, Android) and the Foot01 app (iOS, Android).

If you've been considering launching a mobile app, this guide covers everything you need to know:

  • Why now is the right time to launch

  • What the app can do and how it's integrated with your CMS

  • The complete setup process

  • What it costs and what's included

Why Publishers Are Launching Mobile Apps Now

Traffic from Facebook and Google has become unreliable. Google Discover shows your articles one day and not the next. Facebook reach keeps declining. Search algorithms change without warning.

A mobile app gives you four major advantages:

  • Direct Access to Your Audience

Push notifications let you reach readers instantly and build up a direct connection with your readers — no algorithm decides whether they see your content. Breaking news reaches 15,000 readers in minutes, not hours.

  • App Store Visibility

Millions of people search the Apple App Store and Google Play Store every day. Your app appears in searches for "local news," "sports news," or your city name — bringing you extra readers who never visit your website. This is traffic you're missing right now.

  • Competitive Advantage

Some readers simply prefer apps over websites. If your competitor has an app and you don't, you're losing those readers. They'll download the competitor's app and see their push notifications, not yours.

  • Brand Loyalty

Your app becomes part of readers' daily routine. It sits on their home screen. They open it multiple times a day. This builds the kind of loyal, returning audience that platform traffic can never deliver.

That's why more Newsifier clients are launching apps every month — and seeing higher engagement from app users compared to web visitors.

Why the Newsifier App Is Different

Most publishers go to a software agency, spend €30,000–€50,000, and end up with an app that:

  • is built separately from their website
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  • depends on an external API
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  • breaks when traffic spikes
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  • needs constant coordination between hosting, website and mobile
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  • requires new invoices each time Apple/Android releases updates

We learned this the hard way — back when we were publishers ourselves.

So when we built Newsifier, we took a different approach:

One system. One team. Everything fully integrated.

Your mobile app is directly linked to your CMS. Everything is in sync:

  • Navigation

You can change the mobile app menu right inside the CMS → it updates instantly in the app. No app update needed.

  • Article formatting

Live blogs, polls, related articles, social media embeds — they appear exactly the same in the app as on your website.

  • Comments and community

App comments and website comments sync in real-time.

Your users share the same community — not two separate worlds.

  • Branding

Your logo, colors, typography, layout — everything matches your website.

The benefit?

You don’t have to manage two systems. Your website and app simply work together as one.

Features That Keep Readers Coming Back

Our mobile app solution has been continuously improved for over 5 years and comes with every feature your readers want

  • Night Mode: Because people read before bed, and nobody wants to be blinded by a white screen at 11 PM.
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  • Bookmarks: Save articles to read later. Simple, but readers love it.
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  • Topic Notifications: Let readers subscribe to only the topics they care about. Breaking news on politics? Sure. Celebrity gossip? Maybe not. They choose.

The Setup Process (Simple and Fast)

Launching an app normally takes 4–6 months with an agency.

With Newsifier, the process typically takes about one week.

Here’s how it works:

Step 1 — You fill in this short form

We ask for:

  • your logo
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  • brand colors
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  • preferred layout and fonts
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  • app name

whether you want to publish the app under your own Apple/Google developer accounts or under ours

Step 2 — We create your test app

We send you a test version that is connected to the CMS and you can install on your phone.

You can review:

  • layout
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  • navigation
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  • article pages
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  • notifications
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  • colors
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  • branding
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Step 3 — You approve

You can set up ads inside the mobile app and give the green light once everything looks right.

Step 4 — We publish the app

Depending on your choice:

  • Under your own App Store accounts

    • If you choose this option, we’ll ask you to add our email address to your account.
      or

  • Under Newsifier’s accounts

    • If you prefer to have the app under our management, please complete the form here.

We take care of the entire submission process.

Step 5 — Your app goes live

Your readers can download it immediately in the Apple App Store and Google Play Store.

From that moment on:

  • you manage almost everything directly from your CMS
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  • we keep updating your app, to make sure it’s always up to date

So what is the cost for the mobile app?

Here's the breakdown:

  • Setup: €399

  • Monthly: €225

For that, you get:

  • A fully functional iOS and Android app

  • Setup completed in about a week

  • Continuous updates for every new iOS and Android version

  • Updates for new phone models as they come out

  • Full integration with the Newsifier CMS

  • Support from the same team that handles everything else

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