It’s been hard to escape the rise of mobile apps over the last few years. With the rapid succession of iOS devices – iPhones, iPod Touches and iPads – and the advent of Android-based Smart Phones and Tablets, as well as some later entries by Blackberry and others, the app stores are filled with apps. “There’s an app for that” has become part of popular culture. With this trend, companies have started to look at apps as another channel for engagement. Some brands have been quick to take the plunge and offer an app of their own in the hopes of reaching customers and potential customers. Many firms are still contemplating making the leap pondering if the benefits are worth the costs.
With Smart Phone usage poised to overtake the less sexy “feature” phones in market share by the 3rd quarter of 2011 (according to NielsenWire), the pressure is on. Before a company jumps into the app fray, there are a few things to consider. Most early-adopter brands have not been overly successful with launching apps in terms of getting a high level of adoption and usage. It is also a bit of an investment to get an app up and going, usually up to $100K for development and additional cost to promote.
How do you ensure your investment is well spent? You can help your chances of success by doing some upfront planning. Many companies don’t do the due diligence necessary to ensure an app is well thought out and pay for it later. Here are a few planning questions to ask yourself before jumping into the app pool:
1. Is our target audience using apps?
Is your audience technophile Millennials who live on the web and breathe social media or is it square-dancing octogenarians who might feel more comfortable with a TV remote control? Note, it’s useful to not just focus on age or technical savvy but also how people are using devices. Are your targets using their phones for emails, texting, games, etc? Spend some time talking to and researching their mobile app usage and find out if they value time spent with apps.
2. What value would our target get out of an app?
This is often referred to as the WIFM (What’s in it for me) Factor. Am I going to find this app interesting, useful, or entertaining? There has to be something that’s going to grab users. If you are a content creator, entertain me. If you offer services, help me to use them better. If you sell products, help me shop, compare, discuss, and transact.
Some companies simply take information off their website and repackage it. Not cool. If people want a website, they use their web browser to get there. You’re being given screen real estate on individuals’ most personal device, their phone. Give them something that makes them want to keep you on their device and make it something they want to use regularly.
3. What value would our company get out of an app?
It seems like it should go without saying, but definitely make sure the app will provide value to the company. Sometimes a firm will focus on something that is completely foreign to their brand, positioning, and services. I recall a popular social media application a few years back developed by a car manufacturer that provided movie reviews. It had a great following and usage but did absolutely nothing to move the brand forward. Unless you are trying to reposition your brand, if the concept doesn’t fit your firm, don’t do it. If it’s not going to enhance your message, don’t do it.
4. How do I make it easy and fun to use?
A company may come up with a brilliant idea for an application only to fall short in the execution. Long past are the days that someone might actually read a manual to learn how to use an application. Mobile users expect simple, intuitive interfaces where they can learn as they go. If the interface requires any type of guess work, users will move on. It’s worth the time to prototype and test with potential users. What may seem incredibly obvious in the board room may not translate for the average consumer. It’s also worth the effort to collect feedback on the app after you launch it. Your users in the field are your best focus group of all since they are using it in a real world situation. Think about adding a feedback form directly to the app.
5. How do I create a sense of security for users?
The recent discovery that iPhones create a record of their owners’ movements has brought the issue of security to the forefront. A recent Harris Interactive and TRUSTe survey in February 2011 indicated that 38 percent of mobile application users are concerned about privacy and 26 percent are concerned about security. To attend to these concerns, consider adding privacy and terms to your app. Also, consider what information gets stored or passed to remote servers and inform users of those actions. Safeguard the users’ interests, and they will appreciate you for it.
6. How do I guarantee people will know about it and find it once I launch it?
Just dropping your app into the app store isn’t enough. There are hundreds of thousands of apps. Instead, take a multi-channel approach to informing the world about your app. Look at the channels you currently use to communicate with customers and determine if you can use those to create awareness around your app. In addition, if you’re not doing it already, consider paid advertising, a microsite for supporting search engines and traditional and digital media outreach. This integrated approach will help to guarantee your app gets the proper visibility.
There you have it, six questions to ask yourself as you plan an app. Proper planning will ensure a successful return on your company’s investment.
In a future article, the FH mobile team will identify best practice examples of branded apps.
