We have already established that going mobile is the only way you can stay competitive in today’s marketing world. Whether or not you are using smartphones for advertising isn’t the question. The question is how exactly you will develop mobile marketing strategies and whether or not that comes with your own app. It’s not for everyone, but most businesses are starting to create their own apps.

Why use an app?

Some people may be wondering why you would develop an app for your business. Some of the more obvious reasons would be to sell things through the app. If you sell stuff online, having a mobile app makes it easier for your customer to quickly browse items and check out. It is also a much more mobile-friendly way of shopping than trying to pull up a browser and get to your company’s website. Another reason to get a mobile app is to help your customers remember you. If they download the app, they’ll see it when scrolling through their phone and remember to check it out. It’s also a great way to help customers monitor accounts, see tracking information, and more for your business.

Five things to ask first

You may be thinking, “Yeah! Let’s get an app!” But you will need to think through a few things before doing it, according to Entrepreneur. Here are five things to ask before getting an app put together:

1. Should you outsource? If you hire someone else to develop the app, it is pretty cheap, but you won’t have a lot of control over what happens. If you hire an in-house staff, it can cost a lot more money, but you’ll be able to make every decision.
2. What device should you use? Are you developing the app for a tablet? Smartphone? Computer? Each of these devices have their own positives and negatives. For the most part, you’ll want to stick with smartphones where you can get the most traffic. Of course, if you can create an app that is compatible for both Android and Apple, which would then make it available for most tablets as well. Start with smartphones and move to other devices if you so choose.
3. What is the purpose of the app/what should it do? This is the next most important question. Obviously, you can’t build an app unless you know the purpose. Maybe the app should help monitor accounts. Maybe it is informational. Maybe it is for shopping. It all depends on what your business does.
4. Can you handle more traffic? If you aren’t prepared for more website traffic and more business, you may want to put things on hold. Your app creation and mobile advertising will bring in much more business, so you need to be prepared to handle it. Otherwise, with too much business, you’ll end up giving bad service making customers unhappy and unwilling to return.
5. What about design? Are you going to make design a priority? Some people forget about design because they are so focused on what the app does. Make sure you consider design and look. If people don’t like the way it looks, they might stop using the app. Design is important and is something to consider when developing an app.

Source: Entrepreneur