Page 366 - Social Media Marketing for Dummies

Deciding When to Build a Mobile App

It’s reported that in 2019, iPhone users download an average of 60–90 apps onto
their device. Deciding whether your app could be among them is a tricky question.
To make it easy, make sure that most or all of the following are true:

» You can reach your target market.
One important question to ask yourself is whether your target market is using
mobile and is on the platform(s) you are targeting. This is critical to your
success. You need to be sure that your audience is present to consider your
app. In other words, fish where the fish are. Does your audience use an
iPhone or Android? Do they spend much time on mobile devices? Answer
these questions to your satisfaction before you go any further.

» You have established goals.
As with any good plan, you start with your goals. Understand what you want
to accomplish by creating this app. Make sure that you’re not creating it just
because your competitors have one. If it doesn’t meet your company’s needs,
it’s a waste of time and money.
» You can demonstrate monetization potential or other value.

Your app should solve a customer problem and provide real value. Apps
aren’t the novelty that they once were. Your audience won’t use an app just
because it’s available. Also determine whether the app has value to advertis-
ers. If it’s appropriate to advertisers, you may be able to entice some of them
to be on your mobile app. According to the Wall Street Journal, in 2013, apps
had already captured $25 billion in sales, and lots of advertisers continue to
jump in.
» You have the resources and the budget to make it happen.
This one should be obvious, but often gets obscured in the excitement to
build an app. If you don’t have internal staff to create it, you’ll need to
outsource it. That requires a budget. Also, make sure that your IT group has
evaluated the linkage required between your app and your e-commerce
solution on the web. If you are selling a product that the customer needs to
link to, you don’t want to create a mess because the app and your site don’t
work together.

» Your content reserves are available and new content is being created.
No one wants a static mobile brochure. If you don’t have good content and
the promise of more on a regular basis, don’t think it will magically create
itself.

350 PART 5 Old Marketing Is New Again with SMM