As the demand for mobile apps continues to rise your business is in constant threat of being left behind if it hasn’t ventured in the mobile app market. With consumers all over the world downloading millions of apps, it’s becoming increasingly important to stay abreast of the improvements and trends in mobile application development so that your business can capitalize on them.
Sandy Shen, research director at Gartner Inc., said that, “mobile applications will be highly competitive marketplace that attracts the interest of many stakeholders”. “Increasingly, mobile apps will define the user experience on high-end devices and device vendors that proactively integrate innovative apps and technologies at the platform layer will have the competitive edge”. Smartphone apps will not only generate good revenue but will also drive hardware sales, advertising spending and technology innovation.
Here are some tips to consider in order to develop easily accessible, quality apps that prove profitable as possible for your business.
Targeting and Personalization
The use of mobile devices allows businesses unique access to information that helps target marketing to specific consumers. Location based services strive to deliver features and functionalities in tune with the user’s environment taking into account the user’s location. In-app advertising targets consumers based personal preference, gender, age, profession, and so on, thus offering a more intelligent user experience.
Easy Access to Social Networking
Mobile apps that can connect to social networks like Twitter and Facebook is nothing new but the astonishing numbers of companies that use OAuth means that its easier than ever for developers to add support to the most popular social networks. They are becoming portals, transit hubs and cloud storage for increasing amounts of messaging and email, sharing photos, videos, information and status updates to a variety of networks is becoming the norm.
Integration with Cloud Services
The moving trend with smartphones is to make data accessible across platforms and keeping data locked in your mobile devices. Using cloud storage tools, developers can find better, more innovative ways to use the data.
Apps Aren’t Just For Customers
Mobile apps just don’t have to be business to consumer. It can be business to business, business to employee and you’re only beginning to uncover the potential of mobile application technology. Smartphone apps can modernize business procedure and make life easier for employees by letting them be continuously connected.
Mobile Commerce
More and more consumers are buying on their smartphones and want to be able to access streamlined apps that make this secure and easy to do. The development of uniquely mobile functions, such as the ability to “check in” to a store to alert the retailer that you are logged in could improve brand faithfulness and appreciation. Linking this ability with social networking sites is also a great marketing tool, allowing a consumer to broadcast his location and shopping habits to his peers, or in other words, potential customers.
Do you have other tips to create a profitable mobile app for your business? Share them in the comments below.