A guide to mobile apps
Due to a recent survey as much as 65% of Google searches took place on a mobile phone or a tablet, 57% of smart phone and tablet users were shown to go straight to the branded app. The app market has exploded onto the mobile marketing scene. The Apple app store is reported to have had over 1 billion downloads in the last year and this figure is set to double, with apps being downloaded on other platforms such as Android and Blackberry as well.
Why does your business need an app?
Business owners are becoming more aware of the huge growth in mobile marketing but are still unsure as to how it can work for them and their customers. Are you the same?
It is so much easier for your customers to just tap a button on their phone and load up an app, rather than search for a website using a browser. People want to get to information as quick as possible, so an app is a great way of customer retention and not letting them stray off to the competition.
How much should you pay for a mobile app?
Most business owners I speak to say they would love to have an app for their business, however the impression they have is that they are really expensive to develop. The good news is that they are not as expensive as you may think, in fact if you cast your mind back to when you first got a website for your business, you will remember there was a huge difference between a 4 page website and a e-commerce shop selling 200 thousand products. Even back then in the early days website development was much different to what it is now. Suffice to say, it really depends on what you want the mobile app to do, in order to determine what budget is required for the development of it.
Which type of app would be most suitable for your business?
There are many different types of apps, which can be developed. From very basic templated information apps, to the more complex development apps such as games. Here are a few pointers to help you understand mobile apps:
- When apps first came about they where quite pricey to develop from scratch. However, like most things as time has gone by, the price has come down.
- There is a lot more competition out there now than there was five years ago, so you need an app that is different to your competitors' to make you unique.
- You need to decide which platform you want the app to work on i.e. Apple's App Store or on Android (Google play). Both have a different load up structure, and both have different pricing. You may of course want them on both!
- One of the biggest selling phones of all time is the well known, IPhone, but what not many people know is that there are more Android (Google play) users than Apple.
There are many different categories for mobile apps. Here are just a few:
Basic table functionality: These types of apps are good for sharing content and information with your existing clients/customers and providing good, inexpensive customer service at the same time. These are the most popular types of apps for the early adopters of business applications. They allow you to develop your own identity at a reasonable entry price.
Games: Most of us have downloaded games to our phones and have been guilty of getting hooked on them. If you want to develop a game app, then your budget will depend on what type of game you want. For example a basic1980's style Ping-Pong game will cost a lot less than a complex 3d platform game. Be prepared to invest big if you want such a huge development program.
Database driven apps: Similar to fully dynamic apps, these types of apps rely on external information. For example, the social media and information apps such as Twitter, Weather Channel, Flipboard. These types of apps need a lot of development work, as they are database driven. Therefore it is safe to say these types of apps will require an increased budget/investment.
Utility apps: These apps are designed to make your life a little bit easier. They can work out how much your bill payment will be, convert temperatures or baking weights, work out how much tip you should leave at the restaurant you’ve just ate at and much more. Budget apps can help you with your finances each month and even convert foreign currency. Like with games, the budget is determined by the complexity of the app.
When it comes to knowing what to pay for a mobile app just consider the following: The price of most goods like Websites, Tv,s, Computers, Cars all depend on your preference. The more you want the product to do, the more you will pay for it. Mobile apps are exactly the same. But don’t sit there wondering – talk to an expert who can help you decide. Put your thoughts to paper and find out exactly what a mobile app could do for you and your business.
Article by Dan Orton
photo credit: William Hook via photopin cc