“Do I really need a mobile app for my business? Can’t people just go to our website we had created a while back?”
We get asked these types of questions quite often and the short answer is yes, your company should explore creating a mobile app but only with a clear and concise plan of action.
The fact of the matter is mobile users still prefer consuming their everyday news and social urges via the use of a app on their mobile device over visiting a webpage. There are numerous reasons for this but we feel strongly it is for the experience offered. Generally most users don’t want to be bombarded with information they’re not interested in while searching for what they’re after. There are other advantages to apps as well, the user interface, when properly written, will give the user an “at home” feeling of comfort when things are where they expect them to be and the app behaves how they expect it to. This is the balance we speak about frequently concerning the ratio of UI (User Interface) to UX (User Experience). Understanding these concepts can determine the success of your app and could very well determine the success of your company.
When it comes time to take the leap and create a mobile app for your company make sure to do your research and create checklists you’d like to follow to assist in your mobile app’s success. There are numerous checklists available at your disposal so feel free to search around and choose wisely.
“Can’t I just write it myself?”
Of course you can if you’re willing to put the time and effort into developing the skills necessary for your success. Creating mobile apps is our passion and if you can become passionate about doing the same then we applaud you. However, we understand time is $ and while it is possible to be a jack of all trades we also realize focusing on what you do best is the key most businesses. A skilled mobile app professional will not only look at the mobile app itself. They’ll explore your entire company to create a theme and feel for your product so a fluid experienced it achieved by the end user.
“Should I just hire an in-house developer or team of developers for my product?”
This is tough to answer and based on my own personal experience I would have to say hire a passionate team of developers as contractors. And here’s a few reasons why contractors outshine in-house developers in our opinion.
- They are not distracted by your day to day activities.
- Keeping a developer 100% focused on what they are there to do is a rarity.
- Many times a developer will lose focus if brought away from their tasks (people do not multi-task well).
- Phones and other distractions easily disconnect a focused developer.
- They can collaborate in their own comfortable environment designed for production with their own tools.
- They choose their size, not too large, not too small. A select few GOOD developers can outshine a very large team of “ok” developers any day.
- They’re passionate about what they do and realize they’re “on the clock”. Many times in-house developers either lose interest or simply become lazy knowing they are getting paid no matter what they achieve.
- They are working on their own equipment.
“Well, I don’t like the look of the mobile apps today so I want it designed like this instead.”
This is way more common in the small business world than most people would choose to believe. Mobile app design does not reflect one specific developer or graphic designer’s idea. Rather, it encompasses a consensus of the entire team as to which direction the mobile app should take to appeal to it’s target audience based on many criteria. To be completely blunt, we don’t care if you don’t like the design of mobile apps today and neither should you. LET GO. The #1 key to success in business is understanding and engaging your customer. Let the customer decide if they like or dislike a design and stick to what you do best which is operate your business. Running a business is stressful enough so please leave the “flat design” and “it has to pop” syntax to the professionals gurus that live, eat and drink the stuff. They are fully aware of trends in modern design, app flow and can detect fads much quicker through gained knowledge and past experiences. A good design group will show you mockups of how your app will look before any real development takes place so iron out these details as soon as possible.
“Ok, I’m ready. I want my company to have it’s own mobile app.”
Simply writing your mobile app does not guarantee it’s success and a professional team that’s passionate about bringing your mobile app idea to fruition is key. Contact a professional. Ask around. Go with your gut. Start gathering requirements since this is generally a large portion of the initial mobile app development process. A clear and concise plan will not only make your chances of success much higher it will also leave to a smoother development cycle for your mobile app. If you have any questions about creating a mobile app for your business or would simply like to get started, contact us to get started today.
– The Edibu Team
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