The Digital Bridges Technology, Apps, Gadgets, Media and More
There are over 1000 apps released on the Google and Apple app stores every day. Businesses are always competing to create the best app for their business to help their customers or bring their services closer to the people. They also sometimes compete to release the next vital app. Before you start designing and developing an app for your business, here are a few things you should consider.
Decide If You Need An App
Everyone might be encouraging you to create a business app, but you need to consider whether you need one. Consider whether it will be an addition to your business to increase revenue, how much it will cost in time and money to create, and whether it will help with any of your long-term SMB technology business goals and objectives. Asking these hard questions will help you avoid wasting precious resources if you do not need one and know the value it will bring in if you decide to have one developed.
The Platforms To Develop For
If you do need an app, think about whether you need one for Apple, Android, or both platforms. To know this, you need to understand your audience, users, and customers. Android is a great platform for businesses looking for mass adoption for their app while focusing on Apple is great for businesses that want to sell their apps. Consider if your app will work on older phones such as used iPhones. If the app is integral to business operations, developing for both platforms is the best way to go.
How Much Time You Have
App development will usually, but not always, take more time than you think it will. Do you have enough time to design, build and test the app before release?
The Future Of The App
An app is not only expensive to develop, but it is also expensive to maintain. It is therefore important to consider how long you will have the app for. Some businesses might create an ecommerce app they end up selling alongside their ecommerce business when the time to exit comes. Some build their apps to serve an essential support function for the business. Think banking apps. Some businesses develop apps to sell once they are profitable enough. If the app will continue being a critical part of the business for the foreseeable future, you have to think about investing in its updates and maintenance for a long time. If you have an exit plan, you need to know how to sell it which starts with knowing how to value and position it so investors and buyers are interested in it.
App Developer Vs. A Build Service
For fast prototyping and proof of concept, using a build service will be enough. However, having an in-house developer will help you get the exact app you need and help with maintenance and adding features in the future. Businesses can also find designers and hire freelance app developers, many of whom are able to create amazing, secure apps for businesses.
Mobile, Tablet Version Or Both?
Another consideration is whether you will need a tablet version alongside the main mobile version. Many businesses choose not to develop for tablets and let their apps scale for these bigger screens. It saves both time and money but provides a worse user experience than building a dedicated tablet version. If you don’t currently have access, think about what to do with your old gadgets.
Monetization
If you want to sell the app, the monetization model is obvious. For apps that you want to use as a source of income, you need to think about monetization. Pick from freemium, in-app and ads monetization options.
Although developing, releasing and promoting your app app is easier than ever, that does not mean everyone needs one. You need to think carefully about whether you need a business app created to avoid using the finite time, money, and human resources you have.
