Businesses of all sizes are under increasing pressure to provide users with a mobile app. Despite high mobile usage, development of mobile phone apps by professionals will incur a huge cost (Zhang et al., 2014).
It’s important that small businesses consider potential costs at all stages of mobile app development, including the publishing platform.The costs were US $25 per annum for an account with Android Play, but US $300 per annum for an account with the iTunes store (Zhang et al., 2014). Conversely authors Pathan and Khairnaret (2014) focus on the cost of programmers; many small organizations do not have human resource and cannot support costs for hiring programmers or tech-support. Tao and Gao (2016) believe that testing a mobile application is the most expensive stage of development. According to feedback from test engineers, construction of mobile test environments still involves high costs and levels of complexity (Tao and Gao, 2016). Research predicts that revenue from such testing, will rise from, 200 million in 2012 to 800 million by 2017 (ABI Research, 2012).
Small businesses often have to fully outsource mobile app development, incurring in high costs. Online web-based mobile app builders remove contact with a professional in order to save outsourcing costs, using a formatted, pre programed interface. Graphic user interfaces will help in the integration of text-based content, videos, questionnaires, and other multimedia features; integration of content is simple (Zhang et al., 2014). All users have had to do is select the appropriate interactive feature and then key in the relevant information (Zhang et al., 2014).
Another method of sustaining a mobile app in a cost effective manner is content management systems. Systems of this type use applications to enable the mobile app to be managed through a user friendly interface (Pathan and Khairnaret, 2014). Authors Pathan and Khairnaret (2014) state that these systems are specifically designed to enable non-technical users to add fresh content or to modify contents in an real-time manner. Figure 1 shows how authors Pathan and Khairnaret (2014) have interpreted the workflow of a sustainable content management system for a small business.
Figure 2 below illustrates the four main methods used to test mobile applications. Author Tao and Gao (2016) believes cloud-based mobile testing offers a promising and cost-effective way to meet testing needs.
Figure three below displays the processes involved in mobile testing for both native and mobile web applications (Tao and Gao, 2016):
Many academics and theorists believe mobile app sustainability is down to content and relationships. Authors such as Bellman and Bhattacherjee argue that if app content positively influences a user, repeat business will occur through that channel. Positive experience creates stronger intention to use the online channel again (Bhattacherjee, 2001). Hsiao, Chang and Tang (2016) are aligned with these views but focus on the actions of the user in behaviour and reward in order to develop “habit”. Successful mobile app breakthrough is based on motivations of behavioural outcomes no matter the size or resources of an organisation (Yang and Peterson, 2004).
Grewal et al., (2016) Mobile Advertising Effectiveness Framework, shown below, can be applied to a mobile app strategy, targeting the “re-purchase” element of “ad goals” through consistent use of a mobile app. A focus on awareness/engagement can deliver the outcome metric of “behavioural” “loyalty” and “Digital WOM”, all areas key for small business growth.
Kannan & Hongshuang (2016) Digital Marketing Framework provides an alternative to the Mobile Advertising Effectiveness Framework. This framework focuses on a mobile app initiative and the link created between environment/platform and a company product/service to ensure mutual value.
An example of finance surrounding “low cost” online app builders is shown below:
Mobile app developers, targeting small businesses:
For more information on mobile app development within small businesses:
- https://www.biznessapps.com/
- https://tinyurl.com/lsltwo4 – Guardian Guide
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References:
Abiresearch. (2012). Mobile Application Testing Market Boosted by Growing Demand for Automation. [online] Available at: https://www.abiresearch.com/press/200-million-mobile-application-testing-market-boos [Accessed 6 May 2017].
Bhattacherjee, A. (2001), Understanding information systems continuance: an expectation confirmation model, MIS Q., 25 (3) (2001), pp. 351–370
Grewal, D., Bart, Y., Spann, M. and Zubcsek, P.P., 2016. Mobile advertising: a framework and research agenda. Journal of Interactive Marketing, 34, pp.3-14
Hsiao, C., Chang, J. and Tang, K. (2016). Exploring the influential factors in continuance usage of mobile social Apps: Satisfaction, habit, and customer value perspectives. Telematics and Informatics, 33(2), pp.342-355.
Kannan, P.K., and Hongshuang ‘Alice’ Li. (2016) ‘Digital Marketing: A Framework, Review and Research Agenda’. International Journal of Research in Marketing, December. doi:10.1016/j.ijresmar.2016.11.006.
Pathan, S., and Khairnaret, R. (2014). Int. Journal of Engineering Research and Applications Vol. 4, Issue 3( Version 1), March 2014, pp.812-815
Tao, C. and Gao, J. (2016). Cloud-Based Mobile Testing as a Service. International Journal of Software Engineering and Knowledge Engineering, 26(01), pp.147-152.
Yang, Z. and Peterson, R. T. (2004), Customer perceived value, satisfaction, and loyalty: The role of switching costs. Psychol. Mark., 21: 799–822. doi:10.1002/mar.20030
Zhang, M., Cheow, E., Ho, C., Ng, B., Ho, R. and Cheok, C. (2014). Application of Low-Cost Methodologies for Mobile Phone App Development. JMIR mHealth and uHealth, 2(4), p.e55.
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