Mobile phones, as in today’s scenario, have become the primary stop for any digital task at hand. Most searches begin in mobiles, and users have become attached to their connection with the digital device in hand. Be at home or on the road, mobiles have reserved a near irreplaceable spot for itself in the palms of people.
Today where digital marketing has achieved noticeable success in business promotion, marketers understand the need for the presence of a mobile app. When it comes to investing on mobiles, the choice is never easy.
The growth of mobile applications has seen a phenomenal jump this annum. Mobile users are estimated to reach a whopping 4.77 billion, and with such a huge audience, every marketer and businessman wants to put on his best show. But still, the question that remains is whether a mobile app will prove to be a profitable move.
First and Foremost, Responsive Design
The first step is to make a design fit for your brand. Investing money will not be enough if the design is not going to be worth the effort. Also with that, you need a decent mobile responsive website.
A responsive website is important before you make a mobile app. This website adapts to all kinds of screen sizes and designs, be it mobile, tablet, iPads or laptops. They ensure that unnecessary requirements like excessive zooming, small buttons that are hard to press or small form fields are not shown, thus adapting to the device and promoting a user-friendly experience.
Is A Mobile App The Right Decision For Your Brand?
When considering the design of a mobile app, the all-problem-one-solution principle does not work. Every business need not have a mobile app. You need to consider a variety of aspects, but to give you a head start there are three points to get the ideas flowing on the right path:
- Functionality: Is there some features or functionality that users cannot find on your website, or if it will be easier to use on an app?
- Consistent and Convenient Use: Will your customers find your app interesting and engaging enough to use it on a regular basis, or will it be user-friendly for your customers?
- Marketing: Considering the fact that app designing takes a hefty sum, do you think that you have the amount to invest in the app, and will it give you the returns you expect?
Now, let’s look at these facts in a broader point of view and show some brands that exemplify these points in the best way possible. The apps of these brands are not only successful but also give clues about what you can learn and apply in your own business.
Functionality
For a customer, installing an extra app is just a waste of internet data and precious mobile space. In a time where there are hundreds of apps created and launched daily, you need to stand out by giving your customers something different. Be it the features or functionality, content or even some extra incentives, the apps should have something unique to it, and should be able to attract people into using it.
When designing an app, stress should be given to the main agenda as to what the app is intended to deliver. Just a minimized version of the website is not going to do anything, but it should have some extra functionality relevant to your business. Also, you can try to include some features that use the hardware of the mobile, like camera or microphone.
Consistent and Convenient Use
Most mobile apps have a short usage span, and by that, it means that most apps get deleted from the user’s mobiles. The main factor is that the apps do not remain engaging enough. While determining whether to invest in an app, think about the special features that your app can provide, as well as whether it will keep the work of the user simple and effective. Think about some of the features that your favorite apps provide. They are the ones that keep you engaged for days, months and weeks, and those also grow in your instinct, being your first app of choice in case of some need.
Marketing
While apps can be the best for your brand to connect with the consumer base, if the right audience is not targeted, it will prove to be a sheer waste of resource. Many times, it is seen that people sacrifice all their resources and money in creating their ‘Just Perfect’ app, but do not have enough budget room for its promotion. Thus, it is not able to attract the right consumer base and proves to be a loss.
App marketing is similar to the marketing of a brand, service or product. Each organisation has its basic goals and targets to meet and channels where user interaction resonates at its peak. You have to identify the audience accurately from the group and serve the right users at the right time with the right marketing at hand.
Key Takeaways from Mobile Appication
Mobile app and marketing, if played right can be a turning point for your business. It can attract and maintain a huge customer base and regular leads to your business. But for that, you need to start and steer your marketing in the correct direction.
As noted above, make sure that your business app has sufficient functionality and features to keep an engaging as well as a user-friendly interface. An app touch to use, with fewer guidelines or tacky designs can repel your brand fan base. Also, ensure that you have enough budget for a well-designed app that can run on different mobile platforms because a single error can make you lose a potential customer. But also keep in mind to keep enough room to market your app to attract the right audience.
