Businesses big and small can both benefit from developing a smartphone app. Not only is an app a great way to reach out to customers and provide them with a point of access outside business hours, but it can also provide an invaluable feedback tool. You can even develop your smartphone app around your business, allowing for such things as online ordering, shipping, and even allow customers to create wish lists. Another popular option is to allow for a customer loyalty program.
“Creating an app for smartphones can be one of the most important decisions you make,” says Matt D’Souza, vice president of sales for Washify. “But it pays to be careful. If you develop a sub-par app, your customers won’t be happy.”
- Not Fully Testing Your App
Thousands of applications for smartphones are developed every day. That makes the smartphone app a very competitive market, especially if you want to score downloads. The quality of your app is a direct reflection of your brand, so releasing a buggy app will be noticed. Extensive beta testing to ensure that the app is working as designed will ensure that it is not only a hit, but it reflects the quality of your brand.
- Developing for Too Many Platforms
While iOS and Android are the two most popular smartphone platforms, you might want to consider your customer base before developing for both at the start. Avoid the temptation to spend the time and money developing for a platform that won’t be utilized by your audience. In the United States, iOS is the most popular. If you want a more global presence, Android is the way to go.
- Creating Too Many Features
While it may sound counterintuitive, ja- packing your app with features that your audience may not even use may not be the way to go. Carefully consider your business and your target audience and develop an app that is purposeful, not all-purpose. A pared down application is more user-friendly. You can consider making more features available as your audience demands them in future updates.
- Creating an App that Takes Up Too Much Space
Even though smartphones have come a long way from their beginnings, they are still limited in space compared to a computer. Designing your app to fit the need of your customers is imperative, but you still have to give consideration to space. After all, apps that take up a bunch of space are more likely to be uninstalled.
- Forgetting About Marketing Your App
Even though you may think that the job is done once the app has been developed, tested, and released, it is not done. After all, if your audience doesn’t know about your app, how can they download it? Making sure that you have a marketing plan ready to put in place at the same time as the release can ensure that people know about – and want to download – your app.
Having a smartphone app can improve your business all around. From giving customers yet another way to engage to driving customer loyalty, apps can literally be your business’s best friend.
