If you’re wondering how to develop an app for your business, you’ll want to decide if having an app is the right move in the first place. Let’s review a couple of important considerations and ideas to consider before you head out on the path to creating an app for your business. First, take a look at the business itself.
If the app you have in mind for your business falls into one of these categories, then your business might be the type to benefit from an app.
Given those objectives, we find that service providers are generally great candidates for mobile apps. They can give customers access to data on the go and empower their team to generate business in the field through quotes, orders, estimates, and more. A great example of creating revenues with your app is lead capture. We developed a kiosk/lead capture option for one client, and we're rewriting another client's existing product suite to better connect with CRMs and handle lead capture. Leads turn into revenue, so using an app to capture those is a great idea.
If you’re considering an app to manage internal data or productivity, then an actual mobile app may not yield the results you’re hoping for. Again, unless the app is directly tied to the revenue stream or provides a better customer experience, it won’t be necessary.
An app is a custom piece of software. Costs to develop the app will vary with the project. Typical costs to develop an app can range from $40,000 to well over $100,000. A service-provider mobile quote system will be in the higher price range. A mobile app for a new product or digital service comes in a little less to begin with. In that case, you’re looking at a lower budget to get a barebones minimum viable product (MVP) out. However, that number will continue to rise in order to get to a scalable product. The numbers might be shocking at first. Just don’t expect to build the next Facebook for $1,000.
Developing the app is just one step in the app’s business plan. Marketing the app is a completely different phase of the business. The budget numbers above will get your app built and ready to use. Costs to market the app are above and beyond that. Lots of businesses forget to consider costs to market their new app. So plan a launch around your app just the way you would for a new product or service.
If you have an obvious way to capture new revenue or new business through your website, but you don’t have the ability to drop that functionality into the site, then an app might just be the solution you need. For example, when a plugin on a WordPress site can only get you part of the way there, then you need an app. Capturing leads, as we mentioned above, is a great example. Consider whether the goal is to get those leads into a CRM/custom application or to just get an email into your inbox. That answer will help determine if your website can handle your needs, or if a business app is the right solution.
If you think your business has new revenue potential or a way to create a great user experience through a business mobile app, then set up a time to talk with us. We’ll review your situation and see if an app is what you need, and we can best develop an app for your business that helps you meet your business goals.
Contact us now to start the conversation.