Smartphone users have an application for nearly everything; weather, games, grocery shopping, fitness tracking, social media… the list could go on for days. Perhaps you’ve been thinking about offering your customers an app for your business, but is it really worth it?
The decision to create an app is one that should not be taken lightly. They take many resources and some time to develop, particularly when creating for multiple platforms, such as iOS and Android, since they will have different functionalities. If you are prepared to take on the development process, think about the app you want to create. Does it hold value for your customers or only for your business? If there is no true benefit for customers to download this to their devices, or almost all of the app’s potential functionality can be done on your mobile site, there is no need to create an app.
Based on your business, you can determine what would be of value to your customers. Benefits could include offering special coupons or discounts, rewards programs, check-in or scheduling capabilities or simple account management. While some of these could be performed on a mobile site, it is much simpler for customers to have quick access on an app, especially when their personal information is frequently required.
Although apps can provide your business with valuable information about your customers, today’s tracking capabilities can get you much of this information through typical web browsers. If you see value in your app, but aren’t sure how it may be viewed by your customers, don’t discredit the thoughts of those around you. Talk with family and friends, or even frequent customers to gauge interest.
Mobile Applications can provide great benefits for customers and businesses, but only if well-thought and correctly executed. Sometimes, it may be of more use to create a better-functioning, responsive website design. If you are debating on your business’ need for an app, or know you are ready to proceed in building one, contact us today.