It sometimes seems every time someone brings up any type of idea or small problem, someone else will exclaim “there’s an app for that!” Apps are ubiquitous in the smartphone and tablet-filled world we live in. It leaves many business owners asking whether or not their business needs an app too.
There are lots of compelling arguments for why your business should have an app: they are getting cheaper to make every year, new innovations are constantly being introduced, and there’s never been a larger talent pool of great app developers to choose from. But just because they are relatively cheap and easy to make, doesn’t always mean an app is the right choice for your business. In fact, in some cases it might distract you from the main profit sources of your company.
Start by assessing your mobile website
Before you begin thinking about creating an app, pull out your phone and open up your company’s website on it. How does it look? Do things display well on your phone, or is it just the desktop version condensed down into a much smaller screen? Does the technology work well?
If it’s the former, then someone’s obviously taken the time out to make sure your website is mobile responsive. If it’s the latter, then you have a much bigger mobile-focused problem to solve before you start thinking about creating a new app for your business.
Fortunately, getting your website to be mobile responsive is quite simple, and many WordPress themes even include a click-button option to make the entire site mobile responsive. Getting your users who are already on mobile using a much more mobile-friendly version of your site is far more important at this point.
If your website is already mobile responsive, then ask yourself:
What sort of value would an app add to my customers?
While your business having its very own app might make you feel cool, what’s the point if it doesn’t add any value? Mobile apps which aren’t markedly different from the mobile version of your website, are probably of little help to your customers -- they will often prefer to just consume your content on the mobile version.
There are some things which are just difficult on a mobile website though. In such cases you might benefit a lot from having an app. Adding extra features which your customers couldn't easily get from your website is a great reason to build an app, and also increases customer loyalty. Speaking of which...
Will the app positively enforce my brand?
This is the most important question to ask before creating your app. While an app should theoretically provide more value to your customers, while simultaneously earning you more money, it doesn’t always have to do those things to be worthwhile. It should, but there are cases in which it doesn’t need to.
For example, some food companies release apps that are nothing more than simple games with the company’s mascot as the main character. While an app like this provides entertainment value, it doesn’t necessarily help the user get more out of the company’s product.
What it does do is reinforce the company’s brand in the user’s mind. If users enjoy playing the game, they are more likely to purchase that company’s product next time they are faced with a decision to buy a product of that type from two competing companies. The one whose brand sticks out strongly enough in the customers mind wins every time.
So entrepreneurial business owners are no doubt wondering, will an app help move my business forward? Only you can answer that question, but given how cost effective it is to get an app created, there are few reasons not to try. Just remember that a mobile responsive website should always come first, and keep in mind what your app is trying to accomplish.
If you’re still confused if your idea for an app will help your business, ask yourself if it will provide more value to your customers while also positively reinforcing your brand. If the answer is yes, then you’ve got a pretty strong argument for creating an app for your business. If the answer is no, you need to do is rethink strategy for your app, so that it either provides value to your customers, reinforces your brand positively, or does both simultaneously.
Also don’t forget to reach out to your current customers to figure out exactly what they want in an app from your business. While we can speculate about that until the cows come home, your customers are the end users, and will likely be able to tell you infinitely more about what will provide them value. At the end of the day, entrepreneurship is about trading value for money, and no one knows how much they value something better than your current customers.