Does Your Business Really Need an App?

blog.activatemedia.com /post/55191911039/does-your-business-really-need-an-app

He r e a r e s o m e r e ce n t h e a d l i n e s s p o tte d i n UK n e ws p a p e r s : In -a p p p u r ch a s e s to to p $ 3b n b y 2016 G a r tn e r : 25% o f e n te r p r i s e s wi l l u s e co r p o r a te a p p s to r e s b y 2017 De n n i s P u b l i s h i n g i n ve s ts i n a p p s ta r t-u p P a d i fy S ch o o l co m m s co m m u n i ca ti o n a p p co u l d s a ve s ch o o l s m i l l i o n s

Its n o s u r p r i s e th a t a s a r e s u l t, m a n y b u s i n e s s o wn e r s a r e e n ti ce d b y th e p r o fi ts fr o m a p p d e ve l o p m e n t. Th e y wa n t to kn o w h o w th e y ca n g e t a n a p p d o n e fo r th e i r b u s i n e s s . Th i s i s o n e o f th e m o r e co m m o n r e q u e s ts we r e ce i ve . In fa ct, th e wo r d a p p i s j u s t th r o wn a r o u n d a s a r e q u e s t, m o s t o f th e ti m e wi th o u t a r e a l u n d e r s ta n d i n g o f wh a t i t m e a n s . Wh i l e th e wo r d a p p g e n e r a l l y m e a n s a n y p i e ce o f s o ftwa r e , th e s e d a ys p e o p l e u s e th i s wo r d to r e fe r to s o ftwa r e th a t r u n s o n m o b i l e d e vi ce s s u ch a s s m a r tp h o n e s , ta b l e ts , a n d o th e r h a n d h e l d g a d g e ts . Na tu r a l l y th e s e i m p r e s s i ve n u m b e r s m a ke s i t te m p ti n g fo r o r g a n i s a ti o n s to wa n t to j u m p i n o n th e tr e n d . B u t n o t s o fa s t - i s a m o b i l e a p p r e a l l y cr u ci a l to yo u r b u s i n e s s ? Th e a n s we r to th a t i s n o t a l wa ys a ye s . An a p p i s s i m p l y a m a r ke ti n g to o l . Li ke a n y to o l , i ts u s e fu l fo r s o m e b u s i n e s s e s , b u t n o t a l l . It ca n h e l p yo u r e a ch s o m e o f yo u r o b j e cti ve s , b u t i ts n o t a q u i ck-fi x fo r a l l o f th e m . S o i f yo u r e co n s i d e r i n g g e tti n g a n a p p b u i l t fo r yo u r b u s i n e s s , i ts b e s t to a s k th e s e q u e s ti o n s fi r s t:

Who is your t arge t marke t ?

De te r m i n i n g wh o yo u wa n t to r e a ch wi l l h e l p yo u s e e i f a n a p p i s a wi s e i n ve s tm e n t o r n o t. Ta ke n o te th a t th e m a j o r i ty o f s m a r tp h o n e u s e r s ( 62% ) a r e a g e d 25 to 34 ye a r s o l d . If yo u wa n t to r e a ch th i s s p e ci fi c a g e g r o u p , th e n a n a p p co u l d b e a g o o d i n ve s tm e n t. B u t yo u a l s o n e e d to a s s e s s s p e ci fi ca l l y h o w m a n y o f yo u r 25-34 ye a r o l d cu s to m e r s a ctu a l l y u s e s m a r t p h o n e s . P l u s , yo u n e e d to kn o w wh a t th e y u s e i t fo r a n d wh i ch p l a tfo r m s th e y a r e u s i n g . Th i s co u l d b e d o n e e a s i l y wi th a cu s to m e r s u r ve y. Un l e s s yo u h a ve th e n e ce s s a r y fa cts a b o u t yo u r ta r g e t cu s to m e r s m o b i l e u s a g e , i t wo u l d b e u n wi s e to a s s u m e th a t th e y wo u l d wa n t to u s e yo u r a p p .

What do you want t o achie ve ?

Ap p s a r e ve r s a ti l e , b u t th i s d o e s n t m e a n th a t yo u r a p p s h o u l d b e a b l e to d o e ve r yth i n g a t o n ce . Fo r s i m p l i ci ty, d e s i g n i t o n l y to a ch i e ve o n e o r two o f yo u r m a j o r b u s i n e s s g o a l s . He r e a r e s o m e s u g g e s ti o n s to g e t yo u s ta r te d : B r a n d r e co g n i ti o n . Do yo u wa n t th e a p p to b e a wa y to p r o m o te yo u r b r a n d , a n d m a ke yo u r s e l ve s s ta n d o u t fr o m yo u r co m p e ti ti o n ? Ma i n ta i n cu s to m e r l o ya l ty. Do yo u wa n t th e a p p to e n co u r a g e r e cu r r i n g vi s i ts , p u r ch a s e s , o r r e ve n u e fr o m cu s to m e r s ? En co u r a g e d i r e ct m o b i l e p u r ch a s e . Do yo u wa n t yo u r cu s to m e r s a n d u s e r s to b u y yo u r p r o d u cts /s e r vi ce s m o r e e a s i l y th r o u g h th e i r p h o n e s ?

S p a r k s o ci a l m e d i a i n te r a cti o n . Do yo u wa n t th e a p p to e n co u r a g e u s e r s to s h a r e yo u r co n te n t a n d th e r e fo r e , yo u r b r a n d i n g - wi th th e fr i e n d s , fa m i l y, a n d o th e r co n n e cti o n s th e y h a ve o n s o ci a l m edia? Ad d i ti o n a l s o u r ce o f r e ve n u e . Ar e yo u p l a n n i n g o n r e l e a s i n g th e a p p a s a s e p a r a te p a i d p r o d u ct b y i ts e l f? J u s t p i ck o n e o r two fr o m th e l i s t a b o ve a n d fo cu s o n th a t. O th e r wi s e yo u r a p p m i g h t b e to o b l o a te d o r wo r s e , to o co m p l i ca te d fo r yo u r cu s to m e r s to u s e .

What be ne f it s can your app of f e r t o your t arge t cust ome rs?

P e o p l e d o wn l o a d a n d u s e a p p s o n l y i f th e y fi n d va l u e i n i t. Wh a t va l u e ca n yo u r a p p g i ve th e m ? Ho w wi l l i t e n r i ch th e i r l i ve s , s o l ve th e i r p r o b l e m s , o r h e l p th e m r e a ch th e i r g o a l s ? As a n o r g a n i s a ti o n , yo u n e e d to kn o w th e a n s we r to th a t b e fo r e yo u i n ve s t i n a n a p p . He r e a r e s o m e p o s s i b l e b e n e fi ts th a t yo u r cu s to m e r s m a y b e l o o ki n g fo r : Co nve nie nce i s th e m a i n a d va n ta g e cu s to m e r s wa n t fr o m tr a n s a cti o n a l a p p s , wh i ch a l l o w th e m to p u r ch a s e p r o d u cts d i r e ctl y fr o m th e i r m o b i l e d e vi ce . Th e s m o o th e r a n d e a s i e r th e tr a n s a cti o n , th e m o r e va l u a b l e yo u r a p p i s . G e tti n g o n- t he - go e nt e rt a inm e nt i s a n o th e r r e a s o n , s o i f yo u r b u s i n e s s i s r e l e va n t to e n te r ta i n m e n t, a n a p p wo u l d b e a g o o d wa y to ca p i ta l i s e o n th a t. Re ce i vi n g up t o da t e inf o rm a t io n a n d r e a l ti m e n e ws , wh e th e r i ts a b o u t yo u r p r o d u ct, yo u r co m m u n i ty, a n d /o r o th e r to p i cs i m p o r ta n t to yo u r cu s to m e r s . G e tti n g cus t o m is e d co nt e nt i s a l s o i m p o r ta n t to u s e r s . Th e m o r e ta i l o r e d a n a p p s co n te n t i s to th e i r n e e d s a n d p r e fe r e n ce s , th e m o r e l i ke l y th e y a r e to fi n d i t u s e fu l .

Do you have t he budge t f or it ?

Th e r e a r e m a n y th i n g s to co n s i d e r wh e n s e tti n g a s i d e a b u d g e t fo r a p p d e ve l o p m e n t. A s i m p l e g a m e a p p l i ca ti o n ca n co s t a t l e a s t $ 10,000 ( 7,000) . A s i m p l e ta b l e o r d a ta b a s e -r e l a te d a p p l i ca ti o n ca n co s t yo u m u ch l e s s . A fu l l y b r a n d e d a p p wi th s o ci a l m e d i a i n te g r a ti o n , fu l l -fe a tu r e s , a n d r i ch g r a p h i cs ca n e ve n r e a ch u p to $ 250,000 ( 166,000) . P l a tfo r m co m p a ti b i l i ty a l s o a ffe cts a n a p p s co s t. Wh i ch d e vi ce s wi l l yo u r a p p r u n o n ? S o m e o f th e m a i n o p ti o n s a r e i O S d e vi ce s , An d r o i d , a n d B l a ckb e r r y d e vi ce s . Yo u a l s o n e e d to co n s i d e r o th e r p l a tfo r m s s u ch a s Mi cr o s o ft, No ki a , a n d S a m s u n g i f yo u wa n t a wi d e r r e a ch , b u t th i s wi l l i n cr e a s e yo u r co s ts . B e tte r to s ta r t wi th o n e o r two ke y p l a tfo r m s a n d s e e i f th e r e s a d e m a n d fo r co m p a ti b i l i ty wi th o th e r s .

Mobile We bsit e s Ve rsus Apps

B e fo r e s p e n d i n g o n d e ve l o p i n g a n a p p , yo u m i g h t co n s i d e r cr e a ti n g a m o b i l e ve r s i o n o f yo u r we b s i te i n s te a d . S o m e ti m e s i t ca n b e m o r e p r a cti ca l to d o s o . Mo b i l e we b s i te s a r e e a s i e r to r e cr e a te a n d a l o t ch e a p e r . If yo u d o n t h a ve th e b u d g e t to d e ve l o p a n a p p , th e n te s t o u t th i s fo r m a t fi r s t. B e s i d e s , i f yo u r we b s i te a l r e a d y a n s we r s th e b a s i c n e e d s o f yo u r cu s to m e r s a s i t i s , th e n th e r e s h a r d l y a r e a s o n to s h i ft to a n a p p p l a tfo r m .

Busine sse s T hat Got it Right

S ta r b u cks cr e a te d a n a p p i n 2011 th a t co m b i n e s a m o b i l e p a ym e n t s ys te m a n d a l o ya l ty r e wa r d s p r o g r a m m e . Cu s to m e r s a r e g i ve n a d i g i ta l wa l l e t th a t a l l o ws th e m to g e t a cu p o f co ffe e ca s h l e s s a t a n y S ta r b u cks b r a n ch . Th e y a l s o g e t a s ta r fo r e ve r y cu p th e y b u y th a t ca n b e a ccu m u l a te d a n d e xch a n g e d fo r a r e wa r d . Th e a p p g e n e r a te d 26 m i l l i o n tr a n s a cti o n s wh i ch a m o u n te d to $ 110.5 m i l l i o n ( 73.2 m i l l i o n ) i n r e ve n u e i n l e s s th a n 12 m o n th s . Tr a ve l we b s i te Tr i p Ad vi s o r a l s o ca m e u p wi th a s u cce s s fu l a p p ca l l e d S e a tG u r u . Th i s a p p a l l o ws tr a ve l l e r s to s e a r ch fo r fl i g h ts , ch e ck fl i g h t s ta tu s a n d p i ck th e b e s t s e a t vi a a h i g h r e s o l u ti o n s e a t m a p . Th e a p p i s a va i l a b l e to a n yo n e a n d ca n b e d o wn l o a d e d a t n o co s t, ye t i ts o ffi ci a l s i te ( S e a tG u r u .co m ) i s g e n e r a ti n g a r o u n d $ 500 ( 330) a d a y i n a d ve r ti s e m e n t r e ve n u e a l o n e . Au d i n a tu r a l l y p i cke d a ca r r a ci n g g a m e a p p to e s ta b l i s h i ts b r a n d i n th e a u to m o b i l e wo r l d . G a m e r s ti l t th e i r p h o n e l i ke a s te e r i n g wh e e l to g e t th r o u g h a l l fi ve r a ci n g co u r s e s . Th e i d e a i s to g i ve u s e r s th e r u s h a n d th e ta s te o f wh a t i t i s l i ke d r i vi n g a n Au d i A4. Th e Au d i A4 Dr i vi n g Ch a l l e n g e a p p h a s b e e n d o wn l o a d e d b y m o r e th a n 3.5 m i l l i o n u s e r s . As yo u ca n s e e , a n a p p co u l d g r e a tl y i m p r o ve yo u r typ i ca l cu s to m e r e xp e r i e n ce , b r o a d e n yo u r co m p a n ys b r a n d i n g , a n d m a y e ve n r a i s e yo u r p r o fi ts . B u t th e b e s t wa y to e n s u r e th e s e p o s i ti ve r e s u l ts i s to g e t to kn o w yo u r cu s to m e r s d e e p l y, a n d th e n p l a n a n a p p th a t th e yl l fi n d e xtr e m e l y va l u a b l e .

What s t he be st digit al st rat e gy f or your busine ss?

- G e t yo u r fr e e b r a n d i n g g u i d e - Co n ta ct u s fo r a fr e e d i g i ta l r e vi e w. Yo u ca n a l s o g e t a n o ve r vi e w o f wh a t we d o h e r e