When it comes to promoting your business and extending the reach of your products or services, making your company mobile is no longer optional. But how important are mobile apps when promoting your business on the go? And what is the recipe for success when creating your own?
With smartphones, tablets and other mobile devices taking over our personal and professional lives, apps have become an important platform for businesses of all sizes to capture and retain customers. As you may have encountered from personal experience, searching online and being greeted by a desktop-only website can prevent many mobile device users from making a purchase. However, creating a mobile app will ensure your customers have an accessible and compatible portal to browse and buy your products or services online.
Creating and managing your own mobile app will not only build loyalty with both new and existing customers, but increase your visibility and exposure online and across mobile platforms.
What makes a good mobile app?
As with any business strategy, creating a mobile application to promote your company is a cocktail of careful planning, branding, marketing and management. As a result, creating a business-centric app isn’t always easy.
To create a good mobile app you must first be in tune with your target audience. Understanding what your audience needs from your mobile app and communicating this and your core message in a concise and engaging format is the key. To develop a successful mobile app, it’s essential to align with your target audience during the discovery phase of a project. Understanding what your audience needs from your mobile app and communicating this and your core message in a concise and engaging format is the key.You should also focus on making your app easy to use, allowing your customers to make a purchase or browse products in the quickest way possible with very little input.
In addition to this, your app must be compatible across a variety of mobile devices. During the development process your app should be tested on a number of devices to ensure your customers can access your services whatever their gadget of choice.
Choosing the right app developer
Hiring the perfect web developer to create your app is a task many businesses struggle with; however, with these top tips you can enlist the best professional for the job:
- Analyse their skills and portfolio: a good developer will be keen to showcase their repertoire, so take time to assess their experience and test a few of their apps. When testing applications, look out for features that your customers will find useful, such as accessibility, fluidity and engaging design.
- Ask for references: hit the phones or email companies that your prospective developer has worked with in the past to gather candid feedback.
- Look for passion and enthusiasm: choosing a developer that has a clear enthusiasm about the opportunity and your wider business will get you one step closer to a great app that your customers will love.
- Don’t just go for the cheapest option: instead of looking for the cheapest development price, choose your developer based on their value for money to guarantee a quality app at the best price. All the information about pricing can be found in this article https://doit.software/
blog/app-development-cost. - View the bigger picture: it’s not just a developer’s coding ability that you need to look out for. Hiring a professional who offers the complete package (development, design, functionality, etc.) is essential.
Marketing your new mobile app
Marketing your application effectively ensures all the time, effort and money spent planning and developing your app doesn’t go to waste. The best way to publicise your app to the wider market is by advertising with third parties that are relevant to your niche. In addition to this, getting your application reviewed by industry experts and influencers will increase word of mouth recommendations and press coverage. Customer reviews are also the powerful driving force behind download numbers, so make extra effort to resolve negative feedback.
In addition to this, grow your social media presence and promote the app through these channels. This will encourage ongoing engagement amongst your target audience. QR codes can also be used to advertise your app in print marketing products.
Don’t forget to enhance your optimisation to help customers find your app online. Take time to craft a detailed and clear description, and utilise keywords and phrases to make sure your app is found before your competitor’s.