One of the keys to successful business mobile app development is making sure that the mobile app you develop is actually of value to your users. A mobile app that is flashy but not really useful may attract some initial interest, but this will quickly fade once users realize that the app doesn’t provide them with any real benefits.
In order to ensure employee adoption of an enterprise-level mobile app, or widespread consumer use of a customer-facing app, the mobile app must provide a resource or tool of real and lasting value for the user. But how do you create such an app?
Business Mobile App Development Best Practices
1. Keep your objectives in the forefront. The foundation of any mobile app must be a solid strategy, developed according to your business’s goals, and aimed at achieving certain specified objectives. Starting to develop a mobile app without clear objectives in place will inevitably result in an app that is not useful to anyone—its users or your business. Set out with a clear purpose in mind, and don’t stray from that goal.
2. Don’t let technology steer your app’s development. It can be tempting to design an app around the latest bells and whistles that cutting-edge technology has to offer. But while doing so might give your app that “shiny new object” appeal for a short time, in the long run, it’s always true usefulness that wins out. If the latest technology serves your app’s carefully thought-out, strategic objectives, then by all means, take advantage. But if you find yourself developing your app’s purpose around technological functionalities, you’re headed down the wrong path.
3. Follow your own best practices. You know your own business needs best. Whatever you intend your mobile app to do, make sure that it’s designed in a way that embraces your company’s best practices, while making the completion of business processes easier, more efficient, and more accurate than it was before.
4. Limit the scope of your mobile app. Apps are extremely good at doing one thing incredibly well. Trying to force them to have more than one, or at most two, functionalities is a mistake. The more capabilities that are built into a mobile app, the more unwieldy it becomes for users. Keep it simple and straightforward, and its usefulness will be readily apparent.
5. Involve end users in the development process. Sometimes the simplest way to find out if a mobile app will be truly valuable is to ask those who will be using it. After the basic design has been settled upon for a mobile app, let a few of its intended users try it out. Since they are the ones closest to the business processes it will expedite, they are your best source of feedback as far as how useful a tool it truly is, and will be able to give suggestions as to how to improve it if necessary.
By keeping these 5 tips in mind as you develop your business mobile app, you will be well on your way to building a truly useful, valuable mobile app that will see widespread use and accomplish its intended objectives.
If you’re looking to develop a mobile app, the team at 7T is ready to help. Our team takes great pride in our ability to leverage cutting-edge technologies in our mobile app development projects. In addition to app development, 7T also specializes in custom software development, data governance, and system integrations.
Located in Dallas, 7T maintains regional offices in Houston and Chicago. To discuss your development project, contact the 7T team today.
