Having a mobile application dedicated to your business can be a real added value for developing your sales, sharing important information and above all being connected to your users and customers. Have you thought about a mobile application for your business?
What are the needs of a mobile application?
This is the first question you will need to ask yourself so as not to go down a dead end path. Why is it important to create a mobile application? Try to ask yourself if this meets a real need and if other applications are not already good solutions to this need.
Finally, if there are a multitude of applications in the same niche as yours, you risk seeing it drown in the stores. It must be the response to a real problem that you have identified. In short, “I’m stuck trying to do something” or “I need to connect quickly to a certain brand but at the moment it’s not possible”.
We can also think of mobile applications for sports or yoga classes which are proliferating and for which we will have to fight to impose them.
Try to be unique and innovative! The utility must be strong to succeed in occupying an important place in the daily life of its user. It is also a good way to bring together users. Let’s think about mobile running applications that encourage you to compare your results with the community. Applications have become a privileged link between the user and their creator but also with the rest of the users.
In just a few seconds, you contact your banker, order the latest pair of trendy sneakers and send a message via professional messaging. The mobile app also comes with a strong value proposition. A subtle marketing strategy, it must evolve with the needs of the user.
Define the target and usage framework for your mobile application
To create an impactful mobile application that will find its audience, you absolutely must precisely identify the intended target. Young people, parents or seniors? Not all apps are aimed at the same types of people. What message do you want to send? Which age groups will be interested in the offerings of your application?
Take the time to ask yourself these questions so that you don’t waste your time. Developing a mobile app can be time-consuming and impact your budget. It is important that you determine who the application may be of interest to.
When you have selected the preferred target, now imagine how your audience will use this mobile application! Some applications are only useful at home, such as a cooking recipe application. But others are more intended for outdoor use such as GPS applications.
You must plan for how the user will use this application and the constraints that will result from it. Try “living the app”! How do you imagine using the mobile application? This is the best way to meet the needs of future users.
Choosing the appropriate platform and technology
This is where the previous question takes on its full meaning! Depending on the type of use of the mobile application, you will also define the type of technology used. To do this, ask yourself when it will be used the most. For use at home, it may be relevant that it is accessible on a tablet.
On the other hand, if it is intended for outdoors, it is better to focus on the smartphone that is easier to move. It is also important to ask yourself whether reading the media will be more practical in vertical or horizontal mode.
Will you opt for cross-platform or native development? Everything here again depends on the target you want to aim for. Native development ensures better quality and optimized potential of the mobile application. But the multi-platform option is a vector for broader development of its application. You need to gauge the performance, speed but also the scalability of your mobile application.
Choose an ergonomic interface
Using the app should be easy to understand and intuitive. If the user has to complete many steps before reaching what they were looking for, they risk getting tired of using it and never coming back, or even opting for a competing mobile application.
Be pragmatic and don’t overload the main interface of your mobile application. It is practical to be able to draw the interface as you imagine it and to plan one or more pages according to needs.
The application will aim to evolve with changes in the needs of your target. It is wise to plan for these potential changes so as not to get stuck with an application incapable of changing and becoming more efficient. If other applications exist, you can rely on what they offer while detecting the little extra that will make the difference.
Need to log in to your mobile application?
The best promoter of your mobile application will be the user himself! Don’t neglect the social media aspect and the possibility of sharing information from your mobile application. A record made on a bike loop can be found in a few clicks on Facebook, Twitter or even Google+ while providing free advertising. Creating a personal profile helps you legally collect information about people who use your application but also identify new prospects.
The mobile application’s privileged link with your audience invites you to enter into a certain intimacy on a daily basis. The user comes to your application when they need to and does not feel any intrusion into their personal life.
The user experience becomes positive and offers a modern image of your company. This is low-cost mobile marketing and has as much impact as a larger, more widely distributed campaign. Also consider the need to pay for a service or purchase a product. The user must be able to pay with methods they know and trust.
To refine the project of creating a mobile business application, do not hesitate to call on the professionals at Appstud who will listen to your expectations and support you in bringing your mobile application to fruition.
Read More: Why a mobile application for your business?
