Does Your Business Need a Mobile App?

Any business owner has probably been tempted at some point to get an app. Wired Magazine announced the death of the web four years ago in response to more people using mobile apps to access the internet. In the digital world, four years is an eternity, so that must mean that nobody uses their PC anymore and you should run out and get a mobile app made immediately, right? In many cases, this might be true, but your need will be based on a number of different factors. Here are some that you should certainly consider in your decision-making process:

• What Kind of Content Would You Showcase on the App? A mobile app is far more than an extension of your website or storefront. It is an opportunity to engage and provide value to your prospects and customers in an entirely new, highly personalized manner with tools never before at your disposal. (GPS, push notification, Passbook, geofencing, etc). Therefore, you need to ask yourself whether or not you can use the app to showcase content and data or provide services that customers can use from their mobile devices. For example, if you're a restaurant, an app might be an easy way for customers to order right from their phones or tablets. 
• Who are your customers? It might be a good idea to know who your customers are. Are they millenials that use their smart phones or tablets all of the time to shop, or are they older shoppers who might own a smart phone for the very first time and might still be a little reluctant to shop or be adventurous with their mobile use?
• Will Your Customer Base Use the App? Does your industry lend itself to mobile apps? Does your business have a long-term relationship with your customers? Is the sales process complex and does it take time to complete? Does your product or service change seasonally or based on market changes? These are just questions you might want to ask yourself in order to make a determination about your customer base.
• What value will an app provide your users? Are there pain points in the use, investigation or purchase of your good or service that an app might help alleviate? (i.e. in-app check out to speed customers through purchase and reduce check out lines.
• Can You Find the Right Development Team? Mobile app-making is not an assembly-line process with interchangeable parts and a single template. It's an art. It's understanding what makes a brand unique and relevant. It's knowing what the customer wants and using IA expertise to provide an intuitive way of accessing it. You need a mobile app development team that can create a native customized app to fulfill your vision. I recommend that you check out this team in California. They seem to eat, drink, and sleep mobile app-making. In mobile app-making, you want the passion along with the skill.