People today are spending more and more time on mobile devices.
This trend away from PCs and towards smartphones can be great for business provided that you are one of the companies that adjusts their strategy by developing an app.
Sure, websites and even social media are important aspects for businesses due to being online.
However, whether your customers are just browsing, purchasing, or communicating with you, an app can be a distinct advantage.
You can market, convert, and retain customers more effectively online and offline when you’re in the palm of their hands.
So in this article, we will talk about various considerations you need to undertake before developing your business app.
That way, your app can fulfill your business objectives while providing the best experience for your customers. The end result is an asset that helps you grow your company.
Let’s jump in.
Refine the Concept
The first and most important step of developing your business app is the overall concept.
Without a clear concept in mind, you risk wasting a lot of time and money and changing direction often.
However, by defining it in sharp detail, you will know exactly where you are going.
The process of refining your app concept will speed up development and reduce stress levels significantly. For instance, you need to know:
- Main Goal – What will the primary purpose of your app be? What significant business objective will be fulfilled? This is the number one thing to answer.
- Timeline – If you don’t have a development timeline in place, it leaves too much room for delays. Having a definite end date in mind will put healthy pressure on the development of your app and allow you to plan around it.
- Potential Obstacles – Nothing in business goes perfectly smooth. There will be roadblocks along the way. The ability to foresee them and craft a plan will make the process easier for everyone on your team and reduce downtime.
Of course, there are many ways to continue refining the concept of your app.
Still, the three tips above are an excellent starting point to get you off on the right foot. That way, you can build crucial momentum on the process.
Make Functionality a Priority
The kind of functionality you build into your app can make or break its popularity. It will also determine if you have something that is worth all the expenses it takes to develop.
Focus on ensuring that your app is functional and that it aligns with the needs of both your business and your market.
You should ensure that you have enough features built in to serve your customers’ needs.
Otherwise, they might not see enough value in your app.
However, you can have too many functionalities as well. Even large software companies like Apple can go overboard with more features than necessary.
Of course, finding the right blend of functionality is all about knowing your market on an intimate level.
By learning about your target audience, you will be able to anticipate which functionalities they will respond to more powerfully.
Mobile-Friendly Approach
Every app that you create for business should be mobile-friendly. People today are much more likely to be accessing your app from a mobile device than a desktop.
This is because their phones are in the palm of their hands and they can quickly bring up your app with a few swipes.
However, making sure that your application is built for mobile is only the first step.
In addition to being available on phones, it also needs to be optimized for them.
You need to ensure that you have:
- Ease of Use – How easy is your app to use? Does it take a manual to understand it, or is it friendly and intuitive?
- Responsiveness – Every page, button, and action should adjust to the exact screen size of the user.
- Great Help – Customer service is the backbone of any great app. If people are frustrated, they may go elsewhere to a competitor.
The three factors above constitute the starting points of a great app.
Security
Over half of the apps out there have security vulnerabilities. That means you have a good chance at having issues with security when developing your business app.
If you don’t take security seriously, you are going to have major problems.
Not only will customers be wary of using your app, but they will also lose trust in your company as a whole.
Of course, that is not to mention the potential regulatory and legal trouble you can run into.
If you create security around your app, you can provide peace of mind for your company and your customers.
The thing about modern apps is that they are often connected to the internet. This adds another level of vulnerability that you have to deal with.
Ensure that you have a firewall for all of your apps to prevent malicious code from executing and threatening your business and client data.
Monetization
Many companies make the mistake of creating their app without thinning the revenue and monetization side of things.
There are many ways to monetize an app. If you don’t include at least some of them, your business is leaving money on the table.
For instance, you can offer promotions within the app. This can be tied to customer and behavior data so that it is more tailored, increasing conversions.
Such options help you generate sales before your customers are poached by competitors.
Another way to monetize is to use customer feedback from your app to create new products.
You can see which products or pages they are responding to most within your app. Then, use this data to refine your sales funnel going forward.
Choose the Right Platform
You need to select a platform, technology, and OS for your app that the majority of your audience already uses.
If not, you are fighting an uphill battle. After all, what is the point of building an app that only a tiny minority of your market can use?
Nevertheless, it can be a challenge to create a different version of your app for each OS.
That is why cross-platform mobile apps exist. They are an excellent way to leverage the same code to function across multiple devices and serve all of your customers at once.
Moreover, you don’t need to go through the development cycle many times over — just once is enough.
Conclusion
There is a lot of advice today about how to optimize your website, your advertising, or even your email marketing for your business. No matter what industry you are in, these are important things to have.
Still, a business app can be even more powerful for your company.
The reality is that today apps are the powerhouses of business. By developing a custom app, you can attract more customers, build customized portfolios, and ultimately increase conversions and customer satisfaction.
However, of course, apps cost money to develop.
Therefore, the right move is to have a secure plan in place before moving forward on the development of your app. That way, you know exactly which best practices to include while avoiding common mistakes.
In the end, you will be able to increase your business efficiency and profits.
