Here’s a quick question:
Are your customers smartphone users? If you have answered yes this post is for you.
Mobile apps are increasingly becoming the new websites as companies look to build custom smartphone and tablet apps for their target market.
A number of these companies are not even traditional IT companies, and many of them are small brick and mortar businesses who can’t afford to sink $100,000+ into mobile app development.
For example, a company that sells chemicals for powder coating and metal plating has a free mobile app that helps engineers easily calculate surface area, plating time, plating thickness etc using standard formulae. The app also includes conversion calculators, links to helpful articles, and troubleshooting guides.
As you may have guessed this app is a valuable tool for increasing brand recognition among the target audience and is a fantastic marketing channel. It ticks off all the boxes associated with valuable content and will ultimately result in increased sales and revenue for the company.
There is sufficient data to support the benefits of custom apps. A survey by CDW conducted among enterprise executives reports that after custom apps were introduced:
The numbers for small businesses are smaller, but the graph shows an upward trend here too.
Based on budget, small businesses like bakeries, gyms, fashion boutiques, vets, spas, and bars have either used app development agencies or DIY mobile app builder platforms like Como and BuildFire to build custom apps.
In a previous post we have covered the benefits of building an app on Android. But regardless of the mobile OS you pick, a custom app can benefit your business in several ways, apart from improving brand awareness and providing a direct marketing channel. With a custom app you can:
Along with all the usual advantages of a mobile app (it lets you take advantage of the device’s hardware like sensors and cameras, keeps users engaged longer) building an app means that your business is at the fingertips of your customers.
Do this right and you can deliver exceptional user experience.
While a mobile app has a number of benefits the road to success has a number of potholes. The actual tech part is easy- It’s the design and the promotion stages, which comes before and after which will determine whether you will reap any benefits from your investment.
To get the maximum ROI from your mobile app do this in the design phase:
1) Prototype extensively
Building a prototype is critical to improving user experience on an app. A prototype is a quick and cheap way of seeing how the app would actually work in real life, and it exposes the kinks that can be very costly to address in the finished version.
2) Understand the user context
Your app will be valuable if it acknowledges the context in which it’s used. For instance, a mobile banking app will have different requirements than an app used by gyms, and if the design does not take into account the emotions and expectations of users the app will be totally useless. Get this part right, and you will answer the “Why do your users need a mobile app” question.
3) Focus on the plumbing
While the frontend of the app is important it’s also critical that the backend is robust for it to deliver optimal user experience. If aspects like database connections, user authentication, integration with social networks, and content management are not thought through the app might be virtually useless.
4) Incorporate monetization
Your custom app might sit at the top of the buyer funnel and only serve valuable content. However, it should encourage users to engage with you. Depending on your business and on your buyer personas this can take various forms, from collecting email addresses so that users can be nurtured to offering them opportunities to buy from inside the app.
So far, we have looked at the benefits of having a custom mobile app and have outlined the strategies involved before actually building a custom app.
A lot hinges on how you promote the app, but that is a story for another post.
The Impact of Mobile Devices on Workplace Productivity
Android: Stock, One or Go?
The different dimensions of Mobile App Testing
Mobile Apps of 2017: Our winners!
Is it time for a Mobile first strategy?
Trading Data as NFTs: The basics you need to know
Active (Machine) Learning: Leveraging Human Experience to Improve AI
Digital Platforms for a Circular Economy
Neuro-Symbolic Learning Explained
AI Regulatory Initiatives Around the World: An Overview
No obligation quotes in 48 hours. Teams setup within 2 weeks.
If you are a Service Provider looking to register, please fill out this Information Request and someone will get in touch.
Outsource with Confidence to high quality Service Providers.
Enter your email id and we'll send a link to reset your password to the address we have for your account.
The IT Exchange service provider network is exclusive and by-invite. There is no cost to get on-board; if you are competent in your areas of focus, then you are welcome. As a part of this exclusive network you: