Most companies today are moving towards enterprise mobility and many of them seek to have mobile applications of their own. While mobile applications provide a great opportunity to engage the audience and communicate with them, it may not always be the best option for every company. Sometimes, the business of the company might be such that an application may not be required.
In a different scenario, a big budget app may not be required but a simple one might do the trick. There is also a tendency these days to erroneously assume that apps replace websites. This is not true. Enterprise mobility is not only about mobile applications but it encompasses a lot of other areas. Yet, companies choose to go the app direction, and it is not always an advisable thing to do.
Apps are made with specific purposes under specific circumstances. They need to be viable for the business and its objectives. Unfortunately, too many companies have tried to develop apps that lie ignored and unused by intended target audiences. This does not mean apps are not required, but they may not be necessary for every organization. Consider these questions before settling on a mobile application:
- Do you have the budget?
Apps cost money. It is not easy for a small company to invest in a top notch application and expect that everything is going to go smoothly. Apps need updates, their security needs to be very high, and they also need to be very intuitive. All this costs money and if companies do not have the budget required for an app, it is probably a good idea not to venture into this space, as a sub-standard app is only going to place the company in a poorer position.
- Do you really need it?
A lot of times, you may not need an app. Your company probably just needs to invest in web development. Maybe your website just needs a mobile website and not a mobile app. There are a number of situations where you will not need a mobile application. Consider your situation wisely, and only then must you make a decision.
- What purpose does your app serve to you or your audience?
List all the benefits and advantages of the proposed app. What business purpose does it serve you? Is it going to bring any value to your consumers? How is it going to help them? Can’t this be solved just by adding features to a mobile website? There are a number of questions you need to ask yourself before you decide to have an application.
Do not hurry up.
As you can see, there are a number of reasons why you may not need mobile applications. Most importantly, you need to consider if you are going to really make any profit from the mobile app. Otherwise, you might just be crossing your budget and investing in something that may not be urgent. However, investing in web development, lead generation, social media campaigns, etc are more urgent. Even more urgent is the need to automate and move most of your data and processes to the cloud.
