It seems as though just about every business has an app nowadays and for some, it makes total sense. Being able to use your Tesco Clubcard through your mobile is helpful when you leave your purse behind, keeping your Starbucks points in a mobile wallet is handy for the same reason. Being able to check your bank account and make payments via mobile is something most of us couldn’t imagine life without, but, that clunky app that you have to use to check into your dentist? The endless faff of parking using your phone when every single parking meter requires a new app download? These are the apps that we’d happily see the back of and they were designed by businesses with the best intentions at heart. To stop your business from becoming just another app that clutters up people’s mobiles, ask yourself these questions before committing to creating your own mobile app.
Online or Offline?
Some businesses can exist in an almost entirely offline space. The convenience store on the corner of your street might not have a website and it almost certainly doesn’t need an app. Business there is conducted face to face with customers, they come in and buy what they need, stop for a quick chat and then leave. Having an app would not only be an annoyance to customers, but it would also be woefully underused and an enormous waste of money for the proprietor of the store. Conversely, if you do a lot of your business online and communicate with customers regularly in the online sphere then a mobile app could be a good idea. In the instance of a car insurance company, an app could be useful to help people search for frequently asked questions, to make small changes to their insurance, log mileage, and speak to chatbots to get answers to less common questions. A mobile app like this makes sense, it’s necessary for customers to be in touch, it’s useful and it’s easier than a website, which brings us on to the next point.
Website or App?
If your website is functioning really well, bringing in customers, answering their queries, and generating income for your business, then an app might seem like the logical next step. However, before you pour thousands into a development team, a maintenance rota, and a whole lot of effort into designing an app, first ask yourself how it would behave differently from your website. If there’s going to be a marked difference in use that will give your customers a better experience then go for it. Otherwise, consider spending a tenth of that app budget that you just saved on updating your website some more. You could get a lot of help with your search engine optimization strategy for a small percentage of an app budget. There’s a lot to be said for a good website. Most companies will get on just fine with a great website and no app, rather than a serviceable website and a poor app, both achievable on the same budget.
Could It Work On The Go?
You’ve made it this far and it looks as though an app might be the right direction for your business to head in. If your business offers something that people can use easily ’on the go’ then an app could be a great idea, if the service you offer tends to be more involved and take a considerable amount of time, then an app might be less useful. A good example of a service that’s easy to use quickly and in an area with distractions is quick-play gaming apps. In the instance of casino-style gaming, it makes sense to have a mobile app. Companies that develop mobile casinos can enable their players to play on the go in a way that a desktop game couldn’t. Vegas Slots Online reviews these casino apps for all of the things that players would want to check for, such as bonuses, the variety of games, and processing times for payments. If you decide that you’re going to enter an app into the marketplace then you need to be sure it will stand up to harsh scrutinizing.
