How does one go about marketing their mobile application to emerge from the crowd?
The following are 5 important mobile application marketing considerations:
Now again, how long does it really take to build a mobile app? It takes a lot of effort to build both the front end and back end of an app—so it really depends on what kind of application you want to make.The entire process will take around three to six months—or more—depending on the complexity of the app.
But the development process does not stop there. Even after the initial development process is done, your development team will still have their work cut out for them. Bugs that were not found during the initial testing will surface once the app has been launched. Additional features for better usability will be added for a wider customer reach and base.
The bottom-line is, development never stops—but that should not scare you. You and your development team will make an amazing app that can keep improving so that your customers will always have more to look forward to.
In essence, location based services allows a company to target customers in specified areas and engage with them through various promotional or information alerts.
In the event that you require more detailed guidance in understanding the sort of questions to ask or the information you should seek, it is beneficial to take Steve Blank’s free online class on the Udacity website.
Outsourcing will reduce, if not minimize, mobile development costs while allowing a company to maintain laser-like focus on the development of their products and delivery of their services directly related to their core competencies. In our quickly moving technological climate, it is unlikely that a non-technology based company will be able to efficiently and effectively develop technology as opposed to outsourcing their needs. As such, it is wise to outsource mobile app development to save money maintain bonus focus, and mitigate risk.
2. Wearable technology for specialized professional use
Although certain wearable technology such as Google Glass is not widely worn, such wearable technology may garner more wide usage within specialized market segments through the development of more specialized apps. For instance, Google Glass has been incorporated by some medical professionals within their medical practice to tap into the benefit of a hands-free source of medical information. Similarly, the DAQRI Smart Helmet is a helmet that displays work instructions right on their visor so that a worker can observe exactly what needs to be completed. The helmet also contains a 360 navigation camera with HD video recording, photography, 3D mapping. The Smart Helmet also provides the potential for data mining, compliance optimization, and maintaining construction records. Another example of wearable technology is the ProGlove, which is a wearable glove benefiting production procession. The goal of the glove is to enable quicker and more efficient handling by integrating working steps into the natural movement of your hands.
3. Using wearable technology for collecting personal health data
With wearable technology like the new Apple Watch, a user has the capacity to collect personal health information such as sleep-related information, heart rate, calories burned, steps walked and so on. This information provides users with an accurate and objective measurement of personal health information that will allow a user to create the change they wish to see in themselves, hold themselves accountable for achieving targets, and to track their progress. The utility and ease of use of such wearable technology makes monitoring personal health both fun and convenient helping to facilitate better commitment and more informed health and lifestyle decisions.
4. The augmented reality headset for education and practical training
Irrespective of whether it is educational material or hands-on tasks, simple or complex matters, and the age of users, augmented reality sets are establishing to be difference makers in education and training. Augmented reality headsets have been utilized to unlock a child’s imagination, transport a child to new and undiscovered worlds, and teach children lessons through role play. For young adults and professionals, augmented reality apps have a wide array of utility spanning innumerable industries. Educational material and practical hands-on training can range from biology students and professionals dissecting anatomy, chemistry students and chemists delving deep in studying, manipulating and combining elements, structural engineers building simulated prototypes of various architecture, surgeons performing various surgery, and pilots learning through flight simulation. The learning and training possibilities are virtually limitless.
5. Headsets for recreational activities
Patrons of movie theatres have long cherished the pastime of catching a movie on the silver screen. Nonetheless, the experience of attending a movie theatre was enhanced with the introduction of 3D glasses. Moreover, movie theatres later revolutionized the theatre experience with technological advances to allow viewers to enjoy 4D experiences. Similar to movie theatres, roller coasters have also continuously evolved to delight thrill seekers. Today, theme parks have elevated the thrill of roller coasters by combining the roller coaster experience with virtual reality headsets. As riders speed through the roller coaster with their body jostling side to side, they observe their natural surroundings enhanced through the headset, which display unique attributes such as frightening creatures jumping out at the rider or the rider being placed in a fighter jet within a battle scenario.
The Reacon Head-Up Display is another example of wearable technology enhancing an already cherished activity. This headset looks no different than standard headsets worn by skiers and snowboarders. However, the headset provides a display that allows skiers and snowboarders to stay connected while on the slopes. Moreover, the display reveals the user’s speed and allows the user’s to keep track of one another on a map.
With the booming growth of wearable technology, wearable technology is bound to become an integral part of one’s everyday life either in addition to smartphones or perhaps eventually in lieu of smartphones. Companies would be wise to creatively tap into this industry to gain advantage and stay ahead of market trends to not only secure a new revenue source but to also benefit from the advantages of incorporating wearable technology in facilitating employee productivity, safety, and advanced learned and training.
1. Reduce the cost of business
A mobile app can reduce business costs by increasing the productivity of employees. A mobile app can be developed to simplify tasks and or create efficiency. For instance, productivity may be improved through enhancing the business processes and increasing accessibility of resources and training to workers. This may in turn allow employees to complete a greater volume of work in less time. Thus, the benefit of having more productive employees translates to not only more economical value out of each employee but also the opportunity to rely on fewer employees, which equates to a reduction in business expenses.
The use of mobile apps may also reduce the traditional expenses of office supplies and communication. For instance, mobile apps can be developed to not only gather information, attendance, and feedback from employees quickly and efficiently without printing costs but also distribute or make available to employees training manuals, policy manuals, company news and so on. This helps to control printing costs yet still provide up to date materials and information and collect information. Less printing also translates to having a reduced impact on the environment: an added benefit that is internally rewarding and at the same time able to be externally marketed.
A company’s competitive edge can rarely be reduced to a simple formula. Despite this, a company’s prospects for long term success is unquestionably improved with reasonable increases to productivity of personnel and appropriate reductions to costs of business.
2. Improve customer experience
A significant benefit of mobile apps is that they enhance interaction and communication between a company and its existing and prospective customers. A mobile app will provide businesses the opportunity to assist their customers and prospective customers with issues they may experience with a company’s products, services, or even technological issues such as difficulties ordering products or service. The convenience offered to customers to get access to customer service with the touch of an icon will help to bolster the quality of service. It is important to understand that it will be critical to have sufficient staff to provide prompt and professional responses to customers inquiries as a swift response rate is associated with high customer satisfaction and ultimately, increased sales for the company.
3. Increases interaction with workers
Mobile apps provide a platform where the company and workers share relevant information. Communication of real-time information about business news and various activities is enhanced by the use of mobile apps. For instance, apps can provide a secure channel with team members and departments located in the same or different geographies. This can reduce communication costs as well as printing and paper costs. As previously mentioned, mobile apps can also be developed to not only gather information, attendance, and feedback from employees quickly and efficiently without printing costs but also distribute or make available to employees training manuals, policy manuals, company news and so on. Moreover, a mobile app focused on internal company communication can be personalized depending on location, position, department of both employees and management. In this manner, management and employees can collaborate with department members at large or only those working on a particular project. In the same token, company news can be distributed to an entire company at large or through specific departments, positions, project members etc .
4. Enhances decision making
Although enhanced decision making could have been specified in the previous paragraph, we felt that its significance warranted independent attention. Information is crucial when making decisions in a company. Accessibility of all pertinent information at any time or place is vital in decision making. Since the majority of individuals keep their cellphones on them most of the time, cell phones are an excellent hub for critical information. Mobile apps provide decision makers with a convenient and reliable medium to get real-time information required for critical decision-making. The implications of incorrect decisions due to lack of available information is unforgivable in today’s modern age and competitive business climate. Management and employees suffer a real disservice by being uninformed when having to make routine or critical decisions. Real-time information aids company management and employees to make the best decision in the circumstances helping to ensure company success.
When organizations and persons contemplate between a mobile app or a mobile friendly website application, a strong consideration in the decision-making process is providing a modern and relevant platform to provide customer service and an opportunity for engagement with one’s most loyal clientele as well as prospective clientele. A mobile app will provide businesses the opportunity to assist their customers and prospective customers with issues they may experience with a company’s products, services, or even technological issues such as difficulties ordering products or service. The convenience offered to customers to get access to customer service with the touch of an icon will help to bolster the quality of service Mobile apps are also a powerful tool for increasing retention of your loyal customers by offering exclusive benefits such as discounts and promotions, as well as breaking news.
Knowledge is wealth and in particular, the more you know about your customers or those interested in your products and services, the better position one will be in to grow their income. A mobile app also carries the considerable benefit of providing an additional wealthy source of user data. Not only can the data from app usage help to understand the customer psychology of the mobile app users but by comparing the data from different platforms, it will also help understand the psychology of the wider breadth of one’s customers. Collecting such data will allow one to better understand their customers and prospective customers, which in turn, will provide for more appropriate marketing.
3. More session time on mobile apps in comparison web sessions
In comparing data collected to determine engagement levels of users of mobile apps versus websites across more than 600 brands, Adobe Digital Index found that tablet users spent an average of 24 minutes per mobile app session, while smartphone sessions were much shorter (nearly 13 minutes). Interestingly, Adobe Digital Index found that compared to those browsing websites, however, the mobile app sessions were 3 to 4 times longer. Moreover, the study found that consumers, on average, utilize mobile apps more than twice as often as they visit the typical mobile website. Given that users are spending more time on mobile apps then websites and are utilizing mobile apps more than mobile websites, it is worthwhile to investigate what sort of mobile apps users are utilizing.
When is a HTML5 App Most Appropriate?
A HTML5 app should be chosen over a Native app when a person or organization wishes to adopt a mobile strategy, albeit, one that is of moderate importance of their overall marketing strategy and as such, wishes to be employ a conservative budget. For instance, a company operating an e-commerce website may wish to develop a HTML5 shopping app to capture surging mobile traffic and mobile shopping consumer behaviour.
NATIVE APP
Native apps are installed through an application store such as Google Play or Apple’s App Store. Native apps are developed specifically for a single platform, which proves to be more costly. Nonetheless, Native apps have a greater scope and depth of programmable capabilities and can tap into a mobile device’s core features such as its camera, push notifications, calendar and so on. Moreover, a Native app allows for a superior user interface and an enhanced user engagement capacity providing a true mobile experience.
When is a Native App Most Appropriate? A native app must be developed if a person or organization wants to develop an app that necessitates greater functionality. For instance, if an app needs to provide greater interactive functionality to allow users to more effectively communicate with a company or engage with content, a Native app is by far the more appropriate app solution.
True Mobile Experience
App-Scoop’s research reveals that most mobile users prefer utilizing a Native app in lieu of a HTML5 app. The rationale behind this assessment is that in addition to quick and convenient accessibility, mobile users enjoy the greater functionality, user interface, and engagement proffered with Native apps. Although a Native app may be more costly, the value it creates for users when functionality and user experience is essential will invariably materialize as an excellent investment.