Times have truly changed and it’s imperative for any business to quickly adapt to the latest technological developments in the industry. Noticeably, iPhone apps and other mobile applications are taking the world by storm. And the majority of smart, forward-thinking entrepreneurs are taking advantage of this application phenomenon to further improve and grow their business. So, how should an app be done well and what are the risks, I hear you ask. Well, look no further.

WHAT DOES A GREAT APP LOOK LIKE?

Mobile apps provide organisations with new and exciting opportunities to create value, for example by meeting new demands, increasing efficiency, supporting knowledge sharing and improving competitiveness (Sheng et al., 2015; Anthes, 2012). The framework below from Ehrenard et al (2017) depicts this value creating process applying it to the creation of an app:

Ehrenhard, 2017

Does this framework apply to your business and you believe an app will grow value amongst your customers? Then follow these top 5 ways to ensure your app is done right to maximise effectiveness:

1. Boost your branding.

Take this opportunity to ensure your logo and branding is consistent and obvious throughout the entirety of the app’s interface. This is a great way to boost recognition and gain competitive advantage over competitors who are yet to adopt this digital marketing strategy.

2. Customer service experience.

Be sure to add elements to your app so that customers can access your services at all times. By adding functions such as being able to contact your business at any time, customers will feel a greater sense of loyalty to your brand over competitors.

3. Use as a marketing tool.

Not only should you integrate your app with social media sites, but you should highlight promotions through the app which encourages users to share these campaigns with friends or family gaining free publicity – result!

4. Gain more customers.

Modern day consumers are addicted to their mobile devices – fact. Your app will ensure you take full advantage of this so make sure it is engaging and useful as possible to the largest possible target market.

5. Ability to make more money!

Use your app as another channel of making money. Allow your app users to learn more about your products or services which will encourage them to buy more. Or even better, why not offer a function to purchase your goods at a click of a button whilst on the app – boom!

Cafe Nero Application, 2018

Cafe Nero is a great example of how a brand should do an app well. They offer everything from information on the different coffee beans available, to free drink promotions to loyalty schemes resulting in them being number #7 in the App store’s top food & drink applications. You can download it and get some top tips firsthand here.

WHAT ARE THE RISKS?

It is clear there is a big potential in creating an app for you business. But.. In order to bring your business’ app to life, you will need to overcome a unique set of risks that are not only challenging, but potentially costly as well:

Mobile Development Expertise – Whether this be in-house or outsourced, carefully select your IT staff to create your app and work closely to a budget and time scale as this can mount up in cost quickly.

Ongoing Maintenance – As technology evolves you must develop your app to keep up with the times and stay appealing. You will need a skilled worker to ensure your app is always on trend and eliminate any risk of bugs or things negatively effecting the user’s experience.

Cross-Platform Distribution – Annoyingly there is no ‘one size fits all’ concept to creating an app on different platforms. Start by creating your app to iOS and Android specifications (most popular) to lower costs and consider breaking into the Google and Windows market in the future.

Marketing and Promotions – Once the initial buzz of your innovative app launch has fizzled out, it is inportant for you to keep pumping time and money into the marketing of the app to ensure it stays afloat. Do not become complacent despite high app performance.

You can read more about the risks of app creation here.

To gain a further understanding of creating an app to enhance your business, you can watch Google Plays’ insightful and informative video here.

So, what are you waiting for? Start thinking about how an app can drive your business to success today.

REFERENCES

• Alnawas, I. & Aburub, F. 2016, “The effect of benefits generated from interacting with branded mobile apps on consumer satisfaction and purchase intentions”, Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, vol. 31, pp. 313-322.
• G. Anthes (2012) Invasion of the mobile apps, Commun. ACM, 54 (9), pp. 16-18
• Ehrenhard, M.L., Wijnhoven, A.B.J.M., van den Broek, Tijs Aiaan & Zinck Stagno, M. 2017, “Unlocking how start-ups create business value with mobile applications: Development of an App-enabled Business Innovation Cycle”, Technological forecasting and social change, vol. 115, pp. 26-36.
• Haubrich, M. (2017). Developing Mobile Apps for Your Business. [online] Small Biz Daily. Available at: https://www.smallbizdaily.com/identifying-hidden-costs-risks-mobile-app-development/ [Accessed 1 Feb. 2018].
• H. Sheng, F.F.-H. Nah, K. Siau, Strategic implications of mobile technology: a case study using Value-Focused Thinking, J. Strateg. Inf. Syst., 14 (3) (2015), pp. 269-290