7 Things to Consider Before Building A Business App (Copy)
Since Google came out with the ads for the Droid operating system ("Yeah, there's an app for that"), businesses are increasingly seeking ways to integrate apps with their products and services. Apps often seem to differentiate growing and successful businesses from those in the status quo.
While the value of apps is undeniable, the fact is, there are many aspects that make a business successful. If the fundamentals of good business are not put in place before app development, a great app will probably not make a business a great success. When great foundations are laid and integrated into the core functionality of an app, this is when a business will truly stand out from the rest.
The following are 7 things to consider regarding your business and your potential app before beginning the development process.
1. Target Market
In marketing, the target market is everything. Who is your niche? This question, found most often between marketers, asks who your business will resonate with. This question is going to determine market strategy, product lines, and even much of app and other software development. If the majority of your customers use Apple phones and you release an app for Android, you will lose most of the value of the app and possibly alienate customers.
2. Location
Where are users going to be accessing your app from? Where are you targeting your business systems? Location is essential to understanding your marketing and your strategic planning, before even considering building an app. Businesses who market to farmers and ranchers in the interior would want an app that provides functionality without perpetual data connections while a business focused in downtown Sydney would not have the same constraints.
3. Integrated Marketing Plan
What part of your marketing will a mobile app play? What are other key aspects of marketing, including paid and organic social reach? An integrated marketing plan is essential to understand before building a business app because an app will always play a part in a larger marketing and business environment. Even if your main product is an app, it is still just that: a product. Successful products and services are based upon the business producing them and the market desiring them.
4. Functionality
What do you desire to receive from your business app? Are you developing a system for employees to use under a BYOD (Bring Your Own Device) policy? Will the app target customers who are ordering retail product remotely? The functionality of your app is essential to planning, budgeting, and implementing any app. Pre-planning it is essential.
5. Budget and ROI
What budget do you have to work with for the app? How long do you need to take a return on the investment, and how much return do you need? A system that is going to enable employees to work from anywhere will be more difficult to measure ROI, whereas you will easily track customer interactions in a customer focused app. Understanding budget and ROI is incredibly subjective and depends upon the marketing and business planning, as well as the desires of the company's owners.
6. Operating System
Understanding user's use for the app and what they will use it on is key to creating a positive first-time experience of the app. The first operating system an app is delivered on drastically affects marketing and functionality. If your target market uses mostly tablets on Windows and you deliver an Android version first (a normally good idea), you will lose customers.
7. Additional Software Integration
No single app does everything a business needs. Before starting an app, find out how it will integrate with other software systems your business uses. From CRMs to ERPs and other apps, each business app must integrate with other apps.
These are some of the issues you need to consider before building a business app. Please let us know if you need any more information or desire to start building your own app.