Would Your Customers Use Your Mobile App?

customerthink.com

For forward thinking businesses, the idea of setting up a mobile app to work in conjunction with your business’s website could be something on your company’s agenda for this next year. According to John Card, a contributor for TheGuardian.com, having a mobile app that your customers or clients can download straight to their devices can be invaluable for getting your brand even better connected to your target market. Your efforts to stay in constant contact with customers in a non-threatening way can be exponentially more effective when done through a mobile app.

There are approximately 175,000 apps downloaded every 30 seconds, but without the proper creation of your app, you could be doing more harm than good. For this reason, it’s vital that you understand the importance of having a well-functioning mobile app and how to best create one. For that reason, consider these three things when creating a new mobile app for your business.

Your App Must Fill A Need

Just because having an app could prove very beneficial for your business doesn’t mean that you should create one just for the sake of having one. In order for your customers or clients to truly find value in your mobile app, it must fill some kind of need.

There are a few ways you can find out if your customers or clients have a need that can be filled by your app. A traditional way to do this is by simply having open communication with your target market and asking if there is anything you could do to improve their experience with your company or brand. If any of their answers seem like you could find the solution in the creation of a specific mobile app, then that may be a great place to start.

Another option, according to Rahul Varshenya, a contributor for Entrepreneur.com, is to use tools like analytics or keyword planners to see if you can identify any holes within your market that you could fill through a mobile app. Once you have this information, you’ll feel much more confident creating a quality, valuable mobile app.

Effectively Using This Direct Marketing Channel

The reason a mobile app can be so advantageous for a business is because it gives you a direct marketing and communication channel with your client. They’ve decided to download your app and have almost instant access to you via their mobile device. However, with this comes great responsibility on your end.

Melanie Haselmayer, a Forbes.com contributor, states that a mobile app as a marketing channel should be used wisely. You should give your customers only what they want, and nothing else. This could include push notifications, which alert customers to information or news that’s relevant to them. However, be sure that you’re not becoming too intrusive with your notifications and that you always have a way for your customers to opt out of this service.

Troubleshooting Design or Engagement Problems

To make sure your mobile app will produce the results you want, a major focus needs to be on the usability of the software. Walker Fenton, a contributor for CMSWire.com, shares that when deciding on the usability of your mobile app, businesses should ensure that the presentation is clean and clear, the design is intuitive, and that the software is responsive. If any of these areas are lacking, you could find that your mobile app either isn’t being used or is gaining a bad reputation – two things you definitely want to avoid.

Creating a great mobile app is something your company can take on. By using the tips mentioned above, you’ll be well on your way to designing and rolling out a mobile app that your customers will love, and something that will prove beneficial for your business as well.