How to Design an App for Your Business

Mobile Apps for Business - Building a mobile app for your business has become a necessity to stay competitive. Essential Designs is an app development company headquartered in Vancouver BC. We specialize in software development, mobile and web applications. Contact us today for a quote!

Essential Designs Team

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March 10, 2017

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Mobile Apps for Business

With mobile phones playing such a significant role in our daily lives, building a mobile app for a business has become a necessity to stay competitive. Increasingly, business owners are appreciating the marketing power that a well-designed, intuitive and compelling app can bring. From simplifying online purchases to providing useful information to customers, there are a number of benefits to having a custom app for your business:

  • Provide more value to customers
  • Build a stronger brand
  • Connect better with customers
  • Boost profits

And as the ease of building apps increases, so does the potential for your business. Investing in applications that handle in-app payments or bookings can save businesses money in the long run as they reduce the amount of time their staff needs to spend on such tasks. For businesses that meet potential customers at different locations (think Uber), the ability to show real-time information to users on-the-go can make the difference between capturing the sale or losing the sale to a competitor.

Top 5 Considerations When Building a Mobile App

Here are some useful tips to help you create an effective mobile app for your business:

1. In-House Development vs. Outsourcing

Some companies may prefer to develop their own in-house mobile app development team, while others may choose to outsource a team to help create the app. The main benefit of bringing on full-time developers is buy in – they have likely bought into your idea or business and have a vested interest in the outcome. On the other hand, the biggest benefit of outsourcing is cost and expertise. Because app development agencies usually take on several projects with greater hours, they can afford to offer competitive rates. Additionally, outsourcing could be your ideal solution if you want to bring in an expert with the skillset you are looking for, without committing long term.

2. Choosing the Platform

“Which platform should I build an app for first?” This has been a popular question for the past five years, but the answer really varies. There are some essential differences between iOS and Android with respect to market dominance, cost, demographics, revenue models, release cycles and native features. Android is dominating in global market share at 88% according to Strategy Analytics, and has particular prominence in lower-income areas and developing nations. On the other hand, iOS is more prevalent among the higher income, higher education demographic market. The average spend per app is higher, and there is a lot of data that indicates iOS has a higher revenue-earning potential. According to Statista, the most popular platform for app developers when aiming to make the most money as possible is Android (since the app goes live in Google Play right after you publish it. Meanwhile, the most popular platform when aiming to attract funding is iOS. If you are unsure which platform to choose, an app development company can advise what’s best for your goals.

3. Free vs. Paid

There are three basic ways to monetize your app: app downloads, in-app purchases and in-app advertising. Choosing which of these monetization options to use depends on the type of app you plan on launching and your target audience. If you are predominantly using the app as a marketing tool to establish your brand and boost awareness, it may be best to focus on getting as many downloads as possible with a free app. Don’t forget to check out our guide on how to create an app and make money for more tips on creating a profitable app.

4. Add Value to Your Users

This tip sounds common sense, but just like every other product on the market, your app needs to be based on a good idea. Instead of replicating your website, your app should be a separate product that serves a specific purpose. Some questions to think about:

  • What do you want your app to do?
  • What problem is it going to solve?
  • How is it going to meet a specific need?

Define what you want to achieve with your app – it should reflect your business and its values, while making it different and better than your competitors to capture your audience. As with any new product, don’t forget to research and gain an understanding of the app marketplace in order to increase your odds of succeeding.

5. Encourage Re-visits

We all know that it’s easier and cheaper to sell something to an existing customers than it is to attract a new customer. The same applies to the mobile app for your business. Just because your app is accumulating downloads on Google Play or the App Store, doesn’t mean your job is done. Create a reason for users to engage with your app regularly; if they don’t use the app again, it will just be something taking up space on their device (and eventually get deleted!). In the long run, it will pay off to focus on user engagement and retention. Additionally, be sure to constantly optimize your app whether it is updating functionality or improving the user experience in order to stay relevant and add the most value to your customers.

Get in Touch

Mobile apps have opened a world of opportunities for business. Whether it’s an online booking system or a full ecommerce deployment, we can build a fully customized mobile app to meet your unique business needs. Together, our team of app developers has touched on just about every sector, not to mention every type of application on Android or iOS. Get in touch with our team to learn how we can help create a customized mobile app for your business.

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Essential Designs Team

March 10, 2017

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