Mobile app development is no longer the privilege of mega-corporations since small businesses require an online and mobile presence to remain competitive. The January (2016) article in
Entrepreneur rightly expressed that "the development of applications for iOS and Android has become too important, without which it is impossible to do, a marketing tool for small business owners."
Even if you do not aspire to enter the world market, it should be borne in mind that, according to various sources, in developed countries, the use of smartphones is more than 60%. Global use is up to 34%, it is also expected that by 2020 this figure will grow even more.
Now, compare this usage statistic with the information that the average user checks his phone 85 times a day, and you will see why having a small or large mobile business application is important for the long-term and competitiveness of your business.
Your competitors are probably evaluating the same or similar information and are preparing to develop applications or have already taken the plunge. Therefore, the presence of a mobile app strategy will be extremely important for your promotion in the market.
Create an application strategy
Before you actually create a mobile application, your company or business will need an application strategy. Just creating an app is not enough. You need to know how this application will work with your company or business and how it fits into your business model. It is not enough just to make an app, you need to be able to use the application to build the experience of customer interaction with the business.
While there are many different methods for creating a mobile app strategy for a business, Forbes points out some important goals or strategies that need to be considered for implementation in a company's mobile application strategy.
It is important that the strategy of the mobile app will dictate the direction in which you are creating the app for Android. Thus, the strategy of your mobile app becomes a scheme for its actual development.
Full integration
While this may seem obvious, complete integration is often an afterthought. A key component of any strategy, and especially any far-reaching business strategy, is its full integration, not only with your overall business strategy but also with the physical components of your business.
The client who uses your application to place an order needs to be convinced that the order will be received and processed quickly, and at the same time, any processing should not be noticeable to the client. In other words, your mobile app should do what is expected of it.
Make social media part of your app
Integrating your social media as part of app development is a key element for improving customer service. Allow customers to share what they see, view, buy, etc. Social media is a great way to expand your audience and advertise products or services.
Essentially, by making social media a part of your mobile application, you get the opportunity to be noticed and heard directly from your customers. Even for B2B-related companies, social media is an important factor, as more than 62% of B2B companies claim the effectiveness of their social media stores.
Creating experience
All of the above is fine, good and healthy, but how does this help provide you with an edge? A comprehensive mobile app strategy that takes into account the goals of your business and integrates them into a mobile application gives you an advantage when it comes to the struggle for new customers (and retaining existing ones).
Basically, it’s about creating value between you and your customers. Technically savvy customers prefer mobile apps that enhance the quality of their service and experience with your business. In addition, a bad mobile app creates a negative experience and therefore, it is so important to do everything right the first time.
The Report from uTest highlights the consequences of poor development. Thus, by taking the time to develop the basis of a mobile app, you improve the quality of service for your customers. As the app is created, more value is added both to your business and to the client, and your business benefits over its competitors.
Due to giving customers the opportunity to share their experiences through social media, the mobile presence will continue to grow and improve, thereby adding more tangible value to both the business and the consumer.
Develop your Android app on your own or by a third party
An important question that always arises during Android app development is whether to hire
app developers or use the companies IT staff. There are advantages and disadvantages for each case, and this depends on a number of factors in your business.
Creating an app for Android devices on your own is really effective only for large companies where there are resources for a long-term development cycle and routine maintenance. However, even some large companies share the development between their staff and third-party contractors. You have to compare and contrast the advantages and disadvantages of using your IT staff to hire app developers.
