Introduction
Welcome to this week’s edition of the DigiF9 blog series, talking all things development. For avid readers of the series, our previous blogs have discussed websites – the value that they can bring an organization no matter what the size and maturity level, as well as tips on how to create, secure and optimise a website. Whilst websites are a key part of the DigiF9 product portfolio, this week’s blog will focus on another element we have strong expertise within – Mobile Application Development.
In 2020 a report by the Radicati Group calculated over 14 billion mobile devices across the world – nearly twice the population of the world [1]. On top of this a further study conducted at the start of 2021 identified over 200 billion downloads per year of mobile apps from app stores [2]. The key lesson to take from both statistics – we are well and truly in the digital age and a number of businesses are taking advantage of it.
It is quite rare in the modern age to find an organisation with absolutely no digital presence, given the digital world we now live in and the endless list of devices capable of accessing the internet. However, most organisations will stop at a website, and will avoid delving into the mobile application space, primarily for one of two main reasons;
- The cost of developing and maintaining a mobile application
- Not being convinced of the value a mobile application would bring to your organisation
At DigiF9 we want to smash down barriers to entry by not only demonstrating the value that a mobile app can bring, but offering a fully transparent, highly competitively priced and fully optimised end product to all of our customers, to help them truly transform their operations. Interested? Get in touch at sales@digif9.co.uk today for a completely personalised quote, fully bespoke to your requirements.
Digital World
So. Many. Screens.
For people that hate screens, and everything they stand for, you must be loving the 21st Century. When you count a mobile phone, laptop, television, external monitor, smart watch, an average person can have upwards of four personal smart devices, featuring a major role in their life. And what do all of these smart devices have in common? You guessed it, Apps. A study conducted by Statista in February 2021 calculated the two largest app stores Google Play and Apple App Store, contained 2.87 million and 1.96 million apps respectively [3].
Whilst having a website is a strong start in building your company’s digital presence, your users will have to search for and load up your website every time they wish to view it. Whereas with a mobile application, once the user has downloaded it, it is now on their home screen, meaning that not only are they more likely to open the app and be prodded to interact with it, they will also see your brand and logo on their device, even when they are not directly interacting with your app.
Brand Recognition
Wait I recognise that logo…
This leads on to another key benefit and area of immediate interest for growing companies – brand recognition. In highly competitive markets, particularly as a start-up or SME, it can be particularly challenging to develop a widely recognisable brand image. Incorporating a mobile app into your marketing strategy can help to tackle this challenge and help drive brand recognition through your campaigns.
Your logo will appear on the App Store, and any user device that has downloaded your app, but through push notifications, updates, and other reminders to users, they will continually come into contact with your brand. So you are subconsciously reinforcing your brand image with your customers on a daily basis.
COVID Secure
The word everyone is sick of hearing (pun intended).
The Coronavirus Pandemic has highlighted a number of business challenges in society, and organisations that have previously avoided delving into the digital space have tended to be the most affected by it. Many organisations have reacted to this by offering new digital services to be as contactless as possible, which highlights a key modern benefit for mobile apps.
Whether it is through ecommerce activities, scheduling or contacting services, providing a ‘COVID Secure’ option can be a significant improvement for a company’s fortunes and provide that stability in the face of adverse scenarios. Embrace the challenges of modern society and even take advantage of market trends – customers will feel more comfortable with contactless services. So give the people what they want!
Go Global
Disclaimer: We at DigiF9 are not flat-earthers, the image is just in 2-Dimensions.
Building up a mobile application allows you to market your company online and access 24/7 capability, without having to employ staff to work every hour of the day. Going digital may seem natural for an ecommerce outfit, but it is also crucial for any organisation providing services to clients.
So, what can you use your mobile app for? Think in the context of your primary service offering. You can provide a comprehensive overview of your products and services, allow customers to purchase, book or enquire about service capability. Don’t limit your company to service hours, get online and access true 24/7 capability, and service users across multiple time zones simultaneously!
Offer Premium (And Freemium Services)
This is the Lite version, if you want full functionality you should upgrade to the Premium version.
For those of us that regularly use mobile applications, a number of company’s identify an additional source of income through their mobile application. They do this by offering a free or lite version with limited functionality, or a preview of the premium package which then comes as a paid version. In line with most of the main application providers, these are typically offered as a regular subscription with a monthly cost, as well as a discount if the user commits to an annual license.
This not only allows you to gain an additional source of income to help offset the development costs of the mobile application, but also helps to build your connection with your customers, and clearly identify which users are loyal. This way you can offer special discounts and other promotional material exclusively to your loyal customer base, helping you to retain these customers and benefit from repeat business.
Customisable Experience
The customer is always right (except when they are not).
The most powerful and successful mobile applications on the market are successful not only because of the content and product offered by the company, but the user experience that they provide. In most cases mobile phones go with the user everywhere they go and are a key component in their daily life (even if they don’t realise it!). So how can you be more successful with your mobile application?
Offering a customisable user experience is one of the quickest ways to ensure that not only does your application get initially downloaded, but it receives higher ratings and climbs the rankings in the app store, and persists on that user’s device. When that user starts running out of storage space and needs to free up some apps on their device, make sure that your app is not one of them, by allowing the user to customise their experience, such as the layout of the app, the colour scheme (light / dark mode) and other features that can make the difference for some users.
Push Notifications & Instant Updates
You have 350 unread emails.
The most common method of notifying and updating your users with website changes and content revisions is through email. Whilst this will work for some users, others may be overwhelmed with emails, or simply not check them and potentially miss out on your content updates.
However, a mobile application allows you to configure Push Notifications which alert the user directly in their home screen – no junk mail, no grouping with other companies, your app notifications will all fall under their own section on the user’s device. This way you can be confident that the user will receive regular and timely updates for changes to the application.
Ease Of Access
All about that user experience.
Think about that first statistic again. With so many users around the world possessing a smart phone, tablet or other smart device, the general public are becoming more adept at interacting with technology, in particular mobile applications that they are using on a daily basis. This emphasises a key point in the app development process – ensuring that not only is the app impressive and feature rich but has a streamlined user experience at the core.
Reduce Pressure On Human Resources
Your call is very important to us, please stay on the line.
Companies offering services to customers as opposed to a physical product itself are often the slowest to embrace the digital age, with a common misconception that a website or mobile app is all about selling a product. In reality you can deliver key aspects of your service or customer experience through mobile app functionality, not only making it a much smoother process for your customers and increasing the chances of repeat business, but also reducing the burden on your physical resources.
Integrating features such as a shared calendar, allowing customers to book an appointment at the earliest available slot, download content, track their previous activity and any loyalty points that they have accrued are just a few examples of how having a mobile app allows the customer to query technology instead of a physical asset, freeing up your employees to work in other areas. You can also make use of chat bots, Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ’s) and digital support teams to provide in-app support to your customers, as if they are texting on their phone as normal.
Conclusion
Whilst not an exhaustive list, we hope that this article has demonstrated some initial areas where a mobile app can help transform your organisation and truly offer that digital presence in the market and provide that competitive edge. Ultimately, a mobile application is so much more than just a fancy bit of development work. If you incorporate your business strategy into the design phase of the app, you can align the development to your strategic goals, and help maximise the return on investment.
Concerned with barriers to entry such as price, development time or being unsure of how to incorporate a mobile app into your business strategy? Contact sales@digif9.co.uk today, for a completely personalised, bespoke quote. Our highly experienced team of developers, security professionals and business strategy specialists are on hand to be a true extension of your team and transform your digital presence, providing the platform for your company to make a significant statement in your market.
