10 Ways to Decide if Your Business Needs a Mobile Application

Mobile applications (more commonly known as apps) are the latest techno craze linking potential customers to businesses through handy shortcuts that are available on their smartphones. Because of this, many businesses are scrambling to update their mobile capabilities to meet the increased demand. These mobile apps save time and fit in with a modern society continually on the go. Today’s businesses need to keep up with the latest technologies to remain competitive, but they also need to invest their money wisely. How do companies decide if a mobile app is right for them? Before taking the plunge, here are 10 ways to help you decide if your business needs a mobile application.

1. Check competitors – One of the first things to do is check your competition to see if they’re providing mobile apps. This shouldn’t be your only concern, but it is an important one because if they have an app you probably need one too. You don’t want to lose business to your competitors because they have a mobile app and you don’t.
2. Requests – Do you have customers who ask if you have a mobile app? This is a clear sign that there is a demand for one and your business needs one. To stay cutting edge you need to be able to provide your clients with the services they want.
3. ROI – You need to find out if your return on investment (or ROI) is going to cover the cost of the mobile app. Start by calculating your initial cost including start up expenses and monthly service fees. Then determine if the expected increase in revenue will cover the cost.
4. Need to outsource – Do you have an IT department who is capable of developing the mobile app or does it need to be outsourced? This will have a big impact on the initial cost and key to determining your ROI.
5. Transaction volume – The number of transactions your business generates is also a big factor in your decision. Will a mobile app increase the number of transactions enough to make it a worthwhile investment? A restaurant or coffee shop would benefit from the extra volume much better than a specialized industry like a custom bakery.
6. Customer base – Another thing you need to consider is your customer base. The age, mobility, and quantity of customers are all factors in determining if a mobile app would be helpful to your business. If the majority of your customers are elderly people who don’t use smart phones, a mobile app would be a silly investment. However if your prime customer base is tech savvy young adults then an app would be much more likely to resonate with them.
7. Business benefits – Will a mobile app provide unique business benefits to your customers? People need a clear reason to download your app, especially if there’s a fee for it. Your application must give your customers something of benefit to them to make it worthwhile. Is it fun to use? Does it provide valuable information? Does it do both of those?
8. Similar apps – Are there already similar apps out there with the same functionality? You need to determine what would make your app different so that it would be worth downloading. Otherwise your app will be just one of millions competing for the same business.
9. Mobile friendly website – Is your website already mobile friendly? If so, then maybe that’s already adequate to meet your customer’s mobile needs and an app would be an unnecessary expense.
10. Repeat use – Mobile apps are shortcuts that only benefit clients who use them repeatedly. If your business doesn’t generate repeated use then the application wouldn’t make much sense. Nobody will go to the trouble to download your app if they only use it once or twice.

The future for most businesses is having a mobile presence in the market, but savvy business owners need to determine if a mobile app is right for them. It can be a big leap for some companies to get into the mobile app market, so careful consideration should be taken before making your decision. With millions of smart phones being sold each year this could be a great way to reach new customers and target a larger customer base. By weighing the pros and cons you can make an informed decision on whether a mobile application is the right move for your business.

Taken From Phone TV Internet