The adoption of mobile devices continues to grow on the global scale both in consumer and enterprise sphere. As BYOD strategies become increasingly popular, companies strive to provide their employees and customers with functional mobile applications that serve their needs.
To tap into the potential of mobile technologies you need first to develop a mobile app strategy that meets the needs of robust development and guarantees high adoption across the target audience. Here are 5 steps for developing a mobile app strategy that will help your company successfully establish a mobile presence and bring an amazing app to life.
1. DEFINE YOUR CRITICAL BUSINESS NEEDS
Your first step is to understand why your organization needs a mobile app and what type of business processes it will support. You’re building an app for the users, be it internal or external, so take them into account when identifying crucial business needs to which your app will respond.
Decide on the app model too. Will it enhance current technologies or will it replace them with a completely new model? Determine which business processes you want to enable with mobile and you’ll be able to define priorities around which to build your mobile app strategy.
2. IDENTIFY YOUR TARGET AUDIENCE
Who are the people you want to be using your app? The more experience they have with mobile technologies, the higher will be their expectations. Your mobile app needs to meet their needs and requirements – that’s what guarantees their support.
If you’re trying to please everyone with your app, you’ll inevitably fail. Research your target audience to learn what products, services, functionalities and features they would like to access on mobile. When designing for employees, identify which business issues could be solved by your mobile app.
3. ESTABLISH USER ACCESS
Once you know what type of app you’re building, it’s time to consider the issue of user access. Mobile devices run on different operating systems (OS) so you need to choose a platform that allows to implement your functionalities and is in line with the expectations of your target.
You surely remember the times when Blackberry and their OS was the corporate standard. But these days are long gone as iOS and Android rule the scene. Which systems and devices will your app support? This is a critical question you should ask yourself to choose the best resources and tools to execute your mobile app strategy and build a fantastic app.
4. INVEST IN USER EXPERIENCE
Make sure that the user interface of your app is simple and intuitive. You don’t want to create an app cluttered with features, functionalities and pages. Involve UX designers in building an app which is clean, to the point and needs no manual.
Remember that users will be accessing your app on mobile devices so keep typing to the minimum and go for clicks or swipes as the basis of your navigation. Making your app user-friendly is the smartest strategy for ensuring a high adoption rate.
5. TEST YOUR APP AS SOON AS POSSIBLE
Many enterprises develop apps without even asking their target audiences whether they actually want or need it. This is a serious mistake that can cost your company a lot of time and resources lost on developing a product that doesn’t serve anyone’s needs.
Do your research before setting out to develop the app to learn what are the key requirements of your target. Prepare a prototype of your app and test it as soon as possible. It will help you analyze what’s working and what isn’t. You’ll be able to apply these insights in further development and avoid costly fundamental changes.
Take these 5 steps when developing your mobile app strategy to ensure that the finished product matches your business needs and supports your organization in reaching its critical objectives.
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