With more and more of overall online traffic and e-commerce activity taking place on mobile devices, mobile apps are increasingly becoming the new website. In order to stay competitive, your business may eventually have to consider developing one to engage and retain customers and end users. In order to get the best return on your investment and commission an app that will meet your company’s needs, consider a few strategic questions before diving in.
Does Your Company Need a Mobile App? (Hint: Yes, It Probably Does)
The answer varies from company to company, but according to Forbes, businesses of all sizes — from small to mid-size businesses and large corporations alike — will eventually need to enter the app market in order to reach and effectively market to an increasingly mobile user base.
Some of the benefits of adding a mobile app to your company’s marketing and ongoing business development strategy include:
Stay ahead of the trend — At the moment, big corporations with larger market share and name recognition tend to dominate the mobile app market. But you don’t need an Uber or Airbnb development budget in order to design an app for your company or service. In fact, a functional, well-designed app that adds value to users and customers can actually help to build credibility and brand recognition for small to mid-sized companies trying to establish a presence, as well as build loyalty among predominantly mobile users.
More content and marketing channels — An app can provide a number of important functions that can add value and increase brand loyalty and user retention, such as:
- In-app purchasing and booking
- Provide general company information
- News feeds
- User account and log-in information
- Search
- Bonus content
- Sales and promotion information
Build and improve engagement — According to Ad Age, user engagement with brand content continues to soar, and the ability to actively engage with their favorite brands has been found to be a priority among millennials in particular. Mobile apps offer the perfect vehicle to engage users where they are already spending a large amount of time.
What to Consider When Hiring Professional Developers to Build Your App
As with any service or product, the old adage holds true: You get what you pay for. While there are a number of options for a low-cost or do-it-yourself approach, a mobile app should be a strategic investment in your company’s profitability and growth. Cutting corners by using inexperienced or lower-quality developers can ultimately cost more in the long run, in terms of actual dollars spent and compromised design and functionality.
Some of the factors to consider when deciding on how to proceed with a mobile app development plan include:
- Design and functionality
- Security
- Usability
- Project budget and timeline
- Troubleshooting
- Scaling
- Platform (iOS vs. Android, or both?)
From designing an app that people will actually care about and want to use to knowing what to do and having the infrastructure in place to handle bugs and user issues once the app is live, the best app developers can help to answer questions and highlight issues that may not be immediately obvious to your internal team.
Like hiring an employee or contractor for any job or project within your company, finding the best developer to work on your app involves a number of factors like fit, experience, skills and past projects.
Tips for Finding the Perfect Team to Build Your Mobile App
The keyword is team. In addition to excellent coding and programming skills, a successful and popular app requires a number of features that incorporate excellent design that captures and enhances your brand identity, functionality, and a flawless user experience that understands user behavior and takes their needs into account in order to add value and turn first-time users into repeat users.
Entrepreneur suggests incorporating a few critical steps when hiring a developer for your company’s iPhone or Android app:
- In addition to finding a team with the right technical skills, it is also important for app designers and developers to understand your core business in order to build an app that makes sense and encourages an emotional response and connection with your users.
- Look for developers with diverse and well-rounded portfolios with projects that highlight their understanding of the importance of good user experience and design in addition to functionality.
- Don’t decide solely on price. Budget considerations are important, but choosing an app developer strictly on price can hurt your project and ultimately yield subpar results.
- Culture and personality matters. A developer may have an excellent resume, but that does not necessarily guarantee that they will be a good fit for your project. “Soft” qualifications like communication styles, working relationships, and understanding of your company and brand culture are also important factors in getting the results you want.
Finding the right mobile app development company to execute your strategy is essential to getting results. Whether you know exactly what you need or are unsure about how to get started, Glance’s top app developers can help to design the app development plan that is right for you. Contact us today for more information.
