Onsharp

Mobile App Development

2 Cups Target Market Consideration

1 Cup Relevant Service

A Large Dollop of Mobile Strategy

1 Great Mobile Development Firm

Mix together thoroughly, test for consistency, and release when done.

Serves: all of your chosen target market 

You may have many questions when you begin to consider offering a mobile app to your customers. What app(s) should we develop? What would our customers like and use? Should our app(s) be free or should we charge? One question that we at Onsharp think has an obvious answer is "should we create a mobile app?" Resoundingly, yes!

According to Nielsen, 40 percent of mobile phone users have Smartphones. In June 2011 there were 322.9 million "wireless subscriber connections" which means there are approximately 129 million Smartphone users in the United States. You can find many other reports of widespread and growing Smartphone use. Just know this-a lot of your customers are using Smartphones.

Consider your target market when thinking about a mobile app. In a recent survey, Nielsen found that nearly two-thirds of 25 to 34 year olds own Smartphones. If this is your target market, you need to have a way to connect with them via Smartphone, their preferred method of communication. http://blog.nielsen.com/nielsenwire/online_mobile/generation-app-62-of-mobile-users-25-34-own-smartphones/ 

You'll want your app to deliver a relevant service. Sure, a lot of people download games, but they also download apps related to weather and social networks nearly as much. Source But what if you're not a meteorologist or a social enterprise? That's where the "relevant" part of the app comes in. Engage your current and potential customers with an application that is related to your products and services. An example for a bank or credit union would be an interest rate finder. The benefit is two-fold; you are engaging current customers in a cross-sell opportunity and potential customers are made aware of your institution. Another example is an app that updates users on wait times at a popular restaurant. Apps that are relevant and valuable to users will get downloaded and used.  

Once you have identified how your app can deliver value and relevance for your business, you need to figure out what it's going to do. This is where a well-thought-out mobile strategy comes into play. You'll need to determine such things as whether your app will be free or available for sale and what operating system(s) your target market is more likely to be using. The answers to these questions will determine how your app will get built and delivered. 

And then you'll be ready for the last ingredient-a great mobile development firm.

A mobile app can benefit any business whose customer base uses Smartphones. It might take some brainstorming and getting input from your customers, but we're sure there is at least one relevant service you can provide through a mobile app. 

At Onsharp, we have perfected the recipe for designing and building great mobile apps. To see how your company can benefit from our experience, contact us.