Almost everyone has a smartphone, and as a new business, developing a mobile app should be your foremost priority. According to Statista, the number of smartphone users will increase from 3.6 billion in 2020 to 4.3 billion in 2023.
Image credit: Statista
With this in mind, businesses worldwide are migrating to digital to keep up with this evolving trend. The reasons for this are not farfetched. Apart from the fact that smartphones are gaining more popularity by the day, people spend hours on their devices performing several functions.
A research by TechJury showed that Americans spend an estimated 5.4 hours on their phone and can check their devices about 63 times daily. As a new business, this is an opportunity you should maximize to the fullest by creating a user-friendly mobile app for your customers.
What you should do when building a mobile app for your business
Know the difference between a mobile app and website
For starters, you need to know the a difference between building a mobile friendly website and a mobile app. A mobile app contains more unique features that are more engaging and better developed than a website. By creating an app, your business will evolve with its ever-increasing mobile-centric customer base.
Mobile apps come with push notifications, and they often load faster than regular websites. In addition, your customers can use your mobile app offline while you can’t do such on a website.
Consider building several app versions
When you make several versions of your app, you’ll have access to major platforms, giving you more reach and inclusivity for your business. At least, try making your mobile app compatible with Android and iOS. This way, you won’t miss out on offering your services to people on these platforms as they have the most extensive user base.
Choose between In-house or outsourced development
In-house development implies that you’re using your staff to create your app according to the specific requirements of your company. Outsourcing, on the other hand, is employing a third-party contractor to handle your software development projects.
Native or non-native
Native apps are created for specific platforms and programming language and are installed on specific devices. However, hybrid or non-native apps are web-enabled apps available on a mobile device or web browser.
Pricing models and mobile app features
The features your mobile app comes with can affect your customer retention rates and traffic. For instance, loyalty programs encourage customers to use your app more often.
Also, price structures like subscription, premium, and freemium models can affect your customer base depending on your service or product. Ideally, the pricing model you should go for is free downloads, but you should offer subscriptions and in-app purchases.
References
1. How Much Time Do Americans Spend On Their Phones in 2021?. TechJury. https://techjury.net/blog/how-much-time-does-the-average-american-spend-on-their-phone/#gref. Published 2021. Accessed May 16, 2021.
2. Smartphone users 2020 | Statista. Statista. https://www.statista.com/statistics/330695/number-of-smartphone-users-worldwide/. Published 2021. Accessed May 16, 2021.
3. Businessnewsdaily.com. https://www.businessnewsdaily.com/9049-small-business-app-benefits.html. Published 2021. Accessed May 16, 2021.
