Apps, M-Commerce, Mobile Market - these and similar buzz words are heard again and again because they are called by experts as "the future for companies". It is clear that more and more online businesses are being transacted via mobile devices and that this market has considerable potential. However, as a company, you should not jump on the train unprepared. We'll show you how your own app can be put to good use, which advantages it can have for your company - and when it pays off.
Basic understanding of apps
Let’s look at the basics before talking about the benefits and capabilities of apps. While most people are familiar with the term, a clear definition may help them understand it. App is actually an abbreviation for "application" and thus could stand for any computer program. However, in today's terminology, "app" typically refers to an application for a mobile device, such as a smartphone or tablet.
Why does my company need an app?
If you are thinking of having
app development companies to develop an app for your business, the first question is: why would you even do that? Well, the simple answer to this question is that the mobile business offers tremendous growth potential. According to a study, over 70 percent of online purchases worldwide are now handled by mobile devices.
In addition, the use of mobile devices is also increasing. Activities such as e-banking, making contacts, account management and many other activities are increasingly being done via mobile devices. The mobile business is a growth market with huge potential.
At the beginning is the planning
Unfortunately, it's not that easy because, despite the considerable market potential, your app will not automatically be a success. Since an app is basically nothing more than a marketing measure, you should also proceed in a similar way here. So think in advance what you want to achieve with the app and define clear goals that can be checked. Very different objectives are conceivable, including, for example:
- Improvement of customer loyalty
- Building a new distribution channel
- Increase brand awareness
- Capture of customer data
- Providing new services to customers
So an app can be a very versatile marketing tool, but it also needs to be targeted to make it work. So, define how you want to measure your goals in order to put your app on a sound footing.
Important aspects in the development of an app
When it comes to the actual development of the app, most companies rely on external service providers such as app development companies, either because they lack the necessary know-how or the internal IT department would be overloaded with such a project. Be sure to choose app development companies that meet all the necessary requirements for developing the app. Ideally, they should have experience in developing apps for your industry, and be able to develop apps for the popular iOS and Android operating systems. In addition, the app development companies should bring design and graphics expertise and experience in the marketing of apps.
It's not just about having an app. The app should have a contemporary design that fits the CI / CD of the company and therefore come in a user-friendly layout. Thus, the user recognizes the brand in the app again and sees the app as a modern development step. The app should bring an advantage to the user and be intuitive. Otherwise, if the benefits and functionality are not immediately obvious, the users will be disappointed.
Also, keep in mind that developing an app can be a complex and sometimes lengthy affair. As a result, the costs cannot always be determined exactly in advance - because of unexpected development problems, these could also be higher than planned.
Also, be careful not to get bogged down in development. Often, new ideas come up while working on the app and the different departments of your company may expect very different things from the app.
After the development: marketing and care
Once the app development companies complete the development of the app, you should move to marketing. Although around half of the users are still aware of a specific app by word of mouth, the rest can best be picked up by mobile marketing. In addition,
social media marketing has proven to be an effective channel for marketing apps.
Decisive for a download are the price of the app, the description, and the ratings. Take advantage of this knowledge and create screenshots and a description that shows the user the advantages of the app in the most concise and impressive way. Since the ratings also play a role, it is worthwhile to keep ready a certain budget for the development even after completion of the app. So you can respond to comments and remove potential bugs or add features that users want. In addition, an app must be regularly updated and expanded if it is to be permanently successful in the market.
In addition, it is necessary to keep the user "on the peg" - because on average, the use of an app can be massive after three to seven days after the download. Push messages that inform about offers or actions, for example, can counteract this and thus increase the chances of success of your app.
Conclusion
As you can see, developing an app can be both costly and time-consuming. In addition, the competition is immense due to the huge range of apps. However, mobile business and m-commerce, in particular, are also absolute growth markets that no company should ignore that wants to be active in e-commerce. Therefore, to improve the opportunity for your app, you should meet with
mobile app development company USA, define clear goals, streamline development, and properly market the app - then it can become a real success.