Mobile apps have become part of everyday life. People use apps to shop, communicate, schedule appointments, order food, manage accounts, access entertainment and complete countless other tasks.
That can make business owners wonder whether their company should have an app too.
The answer depends on the business. Not every company needs a mobile app, and an app should solve a real business or customer need rather than exist simply because apps are popular.
What Is a Business Mobile App?
A business mobile app is software designed for use on mobile devices such as smartphones and tablets.
Depending on its purpose, an app can provide customers with access to products, services, accounts, appointments, content, loyalty programs, communication tools or other features.
The better question is, “What useful problem would the app solve for my customers or my business?”
A Website and an App Are Not the Same Thing
A website and a mobile app can both support a business, but they serve different purposes.
A website is typically accessed through a web browser and can be discovered through links, search engines, social media and other online sources.
A mobile app is generally designed for a more focused experience and may be installed or accessed directly on a customer's mobile device.
For many businesses, a website should remain the foundation of the digital presence while an app provides additional functionality for customers who need it.
🌐 Website
Gives your business a public digital home where customers can learn about your company, products and services.
📱 Mobile App
Can provide customers with a more focused mobile experience built around specific features or repeated interactions.
🛍️ Commerce
Depending on the business model, an app can support shopping, ordering or account related experiences.
⚙️ Custom Features
Apps can be designed around workflows and features that are specific to the needs of a business.
1. Customers Interact With Your Business Frequently
A mobile app may make more sense when customers interact with your company regularly.
For example, a customer who uses a service every week may benefit more from an app than someone who only needs the business once every several years.
Frequent interactions can create opportunities to make repeat tasks easier and more convenient.
2. Customers Need Accounts or Personalized Information
Some businesses provide services that require customers to access personalized information.
Depending on the application, users might need to view account information, manage preferences, access saved content or interact with personalized features.
An app can potentially provide a dedicated environment for these types of customer experiences.
3. Your Business Uses Appointments or Reservations
Businesses that depend heavily on appointments, reservations or scheduling may benefit from making those processes easy to access from mobile devices.
Depending on the system, customers might be able to view availability, request appointments or manage certain scheduling information through an app.
4. You Have a Loyalty or Membership Program
Businesses with memberships, rewards or loyalty programs may have recurring reasons for customers to interact with the company.
An app can potentially provide a central place for customers to access eligible membership information, rewards or program features.
5. Your Customers Order Frequently
Restaurants, retailers and other businesses with repeat purchases may consider whether an app could simplify the ordering experience for returning customers.
The usefulness of an app depends on how often customers order and whether the app makes the process meaningfully easier than using the website.
6. Your Business Needs a Specialized Digital Tool
Some apps are not primarily designed for shopping.
A company might need a specialized calculator, customer portal, educational tool, internal workflow, booking system, service tracker or another type of digital functionality.
In those situations, the value of an app may come from the specific problem it solves.
7. You Want a More Focused Customer Experience
Websites often serve many different audiences and purposes. They may contain company information, services, products, policies, articles and contact information.
An app can be designed around a narrower set of actions that customers perform repeatedly.
This focused experience can be useful when there is a clear reason for customers to return to the app.
When Might a Website Be Enough?
Not every business needs both a website and an app.
If customers primarily need to learn about your company, review services, contact you, request a quote or make an occasional purchase, a well designed responsive website may already provide the experience they need.
Building an app without a clear purpose can create additional development and maintenance responsibilities without necessarily creating meaningful value for customers.
Questions to Ask Before Building an App
Before beginning app development, business owners should define what they want the app to accomplish.
- Who will use the app?
- What problem will it solve?
- Why would customers return to it?
- What features are actually necessary?
- Does the business already have a professional website?
- Will users need accounts or personalized information?
- Who will maintain the app after launch?
- How will customers learn that the app exists?
- How will the app support the overall business strategy?
Answering these questions can help turn an app idea into a more defined digital project.
Start With the Most Important Features
An app does not necessarily need every imaginable feature on the first day.
Businesses can identify the most important customer need and build around the features required to address it.
Additional capabilities can potentially be added as the business learns how customers use the product and what features provide the most value.
Your Website and App Can Work Together
A mobile app does not have to replace your website.
Your website can remain the public digital home for the business while the app provides additional functionality for customers who want a more specialized experience.
The website can explain the business and introduce the app, while the app can support repeated customer interactions.
A professional website gives your business a strong digital foundation. A mobile app can build on that foundation when customers have a clear reason to use it.
Think Beyond Having an App
The goal of app development should not simply be to put your business in an app store.
A useful app should have a defined purpose, a clear audience and features that support real customer or business needs.
When those pieces come together, a mobile app can become another part of a company's broader digital strategy.
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Techy Chicks Digital builds websites and develops digital solutions for businesses ready to expand their online presence. Tell us about your website or mobile app project and what you want it to accomplish.
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