After reading the title, some of you reading this may be wondering, “What is an app?” App is really just an informal way to say “computer application.” An app can be a phone or tablet application, such as Facebook, which many of us are addicted to these days. An app can also be an application that resides on your laptop or desktop computer, such as Microsoft Word. I feel mobile apps are a great way to expand a business and provide convenience for an end-user. Paying my cell phone bill through my cell phone provider’s mobile app has provided me a convenience I really appreciate. I not only can pay my bill, but I can also change the services I want (texting, different minutes plan, etc.). Convenience makes me happy and I’m sure it does the same for many of you too. Now that you know what an app is, why might you need one for your business?
Many businesses these days are looking to, if they haven’t already, get into the mobile app market. This is a great marketing tactic for your business, but you don’t want to build an app just so you can say that your business has one. You need to make sure that the app is built around the goals of your business. The key to mobile marketing is communicating with consumers in an organized way. You should look to focus on content, utility, or entertainment, but not all three. If you don’t feel you can decide on one of these three areas, then a mobile app probably isn’t the best way to achieve your business goals.
One piece of information you should be aware of is that mobile apps only work on the devices they are designed for. So they work best when targeting a niche market. If you’re looking to target a mass market, then you may be better off building a mobile website. Mobile websites will work on any device with a web browser. From an end-user perspective, mobile apps do provide more feature-rich functionality then a mobile website. The reason behind this is because the mobile app works in connection with the native applications on the mobile device, such as GPS navigation. A mobile website is best when you’re trying to provide search-based content.
You also need to consider costs when deciding whether or not your business needs an app. With a mobile app you could turn into an ATM, constantly dishing out money. Since a mobile app is only compatible with the device you build it for, more development would be required in order to make the app compatible with other devices you wish to target. You would also deal with additional app store approval. If your goal is to mass market, then building a mobile website may be the cheaper route since your costs get offset by the lower cost it takes to maintain the site.
In the end, you need to answer a few simple (or not so simple) questions about your business. What is the focus of your business? Who are you trying to reach (niche market or mass market)? What content and/or information are you trying to relay the consumer? These are just a few questions to answer and consider when deciding on a mobile app or mobile website.
Good luck!
Joshua W.
DotTrend, Inc.
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