Determining If You Need a Mobile App

It seems like every business has an app these days, whether or not it makes sense . While customers are likely to want to know if you have an app available – it can be incredibly convenient – not every business needs one. Considering the cost to develop and maintain an app, it is a serious investment, so you want to make sure it is something you need before you spend time and money on a product that won’t really benefit your business.

With nearly a quarter of all apps only being used once, you want to make sure that an app will provide functionality that will convince customers to keep using the app. If customers can’t quickly identify a benefit to the app, they won’t return to it. This is why it is important to determine if it makes sense to even offer an app.

This article will help you assess your business to determine if an app is a good investment. If you don’t need an app, there are a few other solutions that can help you gain a bit more traction. When you go through this list, take notes for a review at the end of the process.

Have You Optimized Your Website for Use on a Mobile Device?

If the answer is no, doing this should be your priority. If your website already works well on mobile browsers you may not need an app, especially if you don’t have much to offer between the browser and the app. Extras like rewards programs and options that customers may want to be able to check regularly could justify an app, but if you don’t have these, a well-designed mobile website may be all you need.

Updating access to your website so that it works better on phones is always a good investment. Once this is done, you can consider if it makes sense to have an app.

Research Your Competitors and Others in Your Industry

You probably already keep an eye on your direct competitors and how others operate in your industry. This can give you a good idea of whether or not it makes sense to have a mobile app. If your competitors have apps, test their apps out and see what you think about the user experience. Check the reviews to see what others think of it since they will have a less critical eye (or at least a different type of critical eye).

Check other details about the app, such as how many times it has been downloaded. This will give you an idea if it is something that people are likely to want an app to use. If it seems to be getting good ratings and downloads, this is a sign that an app is something that your customers will use.

If your competitors don’t have an app, that doesn’t necessarily mean that one doesn’t make sense. It may be that no one has really thought it through in how to design the app. However, it could be that an app doesn’t make sense in your industry.

Consider What Else You Could Offer that is Not on Your Mobile Website

This is the question that really determines if an app makes sense. Is there something you can do with an app that you don’t already do on the website? Will people want to be able to quickly access some of their information or check data without having to go into a browser and login to your website?

There has to be some kind of additional functionality that either isn’t present or that takes too long to access on a website. For example, if you have a rewards program or a way of paying for your product or service that will be faster on an app, this is the kind of functionality that customers are likely to return to in an app.

Sharing on Social Media

For some businesses, connecting an app to social media is what can make users return to that app. Not all businesses have this advantage as people will generally use their social media apps to share information.  

Rewards and Payments

As mentioned, two aspects of apps that are most appealing to users are rewards programs and being able to quickly make payments. Shops and restaurants are fairly obvious examples of industries where people will want to be able to quickly open an app, get credit for a purchase, and make a payment, all with one quick scan of the phone. Even financial institutions can benefit from an app.

Is It Right for You?

Go back over your notes. If you have been able to identify areas where your customers may want an app, you will probably benefit from having one available to your users.

If you haven’t been able to come up with new functionality or a need for a short-cut, an app may not be the right solution. The best way to see this is to update your website for mobile access, then see how often it is accessed.

Don’t throw away your notes just yet, especially if you’ve decided you may benefit from an app. Those notes can be helpful during the design process so that you can ensure the benefits you want are built into your app.