Does your business really need a mobile app?

Statista estimates that there are over 2.2 million apps in the Google Play Store, and over 3.5 million in the Apple App Store, making it appear like every business has a mobile app these days. 

Many mobile apps for small businesses have been created to communicate with their customers as they become increasingly linked to business via their smartphones and tablets. 

However, just because it is trendy to have a mobile app, does not mean your business also needs one. Before investing in an app, you need to make sure it's worth your time, effort and money.

If you are running a business asking yourself whether or not your businesses need a mobile app, you are in the right place. Below is a list of questions to ask yourself before deciding to take further action.

1. Do you already have a website?

If the answer is yes, is the website mobile-friendly?  Before you consider constructing an app, you should first review your website. 

As we mentioned, many visitors get access to businesses through mobile devices. Therefore, it is a must for your website to be mobile responsive. A mobile-optimized website can often be just as effective as an app while needing fewer developers, less upkeep, and less time and effort to construct. 

Not all businesses are aware of this, and some still maintain non-mobile-friendly websites. If this is the situation with your company, you should definitely think about optimizing your website before investing a lot of money in developing an app.

2. Do your competitors also use mobile apps?

Consider your competitors' apps when considering whether or not to create your own application. The most successful competitors should be used as a benchmark for comparison.

Check out the app store statistics to see how many people have downloaded the app. The amount of downloads and the quantity of user reviews should give you a good idea of how consumers feel about your competitor's app.

However, just because your competitors have a mobile app doesn't imply you should too. Develop the app and determine a goal you want to achieve by doing this, such as generating income, increasing productivity, improving brand awareness, or reducing expenditures.

3. Will building an app solve your customer problems?

It is true that many, if not all, businesses need a mobile app. But in many cases, an app would be the greatest answer for a particular project.

Customers should be blown away by your app; it should offer more functionality and be more convenient than your mobile-optimized website.

First-time users of mobile apps who have had to wait in line for hours to deposit a check may have believed it was magic the first time they did it. Create a feature set for your own app with that kind of wow factor in mind.

Hence, before starting right at designing an app, consider your clients' pain points and think of how an app may help resolve those problems.

4. How long will you be able to support the app?

It's true that a lot of companies produce apps, but not all of them maintain them. 

Bug fixes, interface improvements, and new functionalities require regular app updates. Consider your human and time resources while planning a business app.

Analyzing how users interact with your app, hearing from your audience and continually thinking of ways to improve it are all necessary components of app updating. 

For these operations, you'll need to set aside time and resources, or rethink your plans to launch a mobile application altogether.

5. The End User's Situation

Remember to keep the end user context in mind when creating an application platform. 

Suppose the company users are a mobile workforce. In that case, a mobile app would be necessary to expand your business and reach a larger amount of users.

However, mobile apps for small businesses won’t be useful or essential if the majority of users are using desktop computers and demand larger screens for complicated information and functionality.

Read more: 4 ultimate tips to develop a successful mobile app

6. Are you working with the correct development partner for your business?

Even if you are tech-savvy, this can be a significant challenge. Finding the right partner to have your app fully built from scratch is extremely important. 

If yes is the answer for all of the questions above, perhaps a reputable software development partner who can help leverage your goals and turn them into possibilities might be what you need at this point. 

Formed by a several-year-experienced-expert group, Golden Owl has successfully created more than 40 mobile apps for small businesses and startups and empower their business to thrive. And we would be more than happy to help another client of ours succeed on their path of achieving their goals. Contact us today and we will show you how we can support you to build an app that wins customers.