The Do’s and Don’ts of Building an App for Your Business

People may joke that there’s an app for anything, but the reality is that many businesses do need one. It may let customers place orders in a secure manner. It may help you engage with customers on an ongoing basis, allowing them access to subscriber-only content. Or you may need to set up an app to streamline work for employees. However, there are some crucial mistakes that you need to avoid before and after your launch if you want your app to be safe, functional, and successful. Here are some of the dos and don’ts of building an app for your business.

Do Spend Time on Initial App Development

Before you start creating an app, think about why you’re creating it. Do an analysis of the business case for the app. Will it help you sell more products to customers? Will it allow you to service customers at a lower overall cost? Will it help your team get more done each day? Do think about which functions can be done on a mobile device and which are best handled via a tablet or PC.

Do not try to port an existing desktop application to a mobile app. Just build a new mobile app from scratch. This will generally save you time and money in the end. Do your research before incorporating third-party apps, since this can reduce the initial development effort but may increase the complexity of updating the app later.

Don’t Make Your App a Light Version of Your Site

One of the biggest mistakes you can make when building an app is just making it a mobile version of your site. For one, you should already have a responsive website that will allow you to fulfill this need. But your clients might not actually want all the functionalities of an online store either.

You should use your app to help people perform the action you want them to do the most. If the point is for them to place orders, you have to streamline the whole process and allow them to get from point A to point B as soon as possible. This means simplifying navigation, making buy buttons as big as possible, and making the sign up and cart system as simple as possible as well.

Do Consider Working with a Third Party

While some companies may have the talent and resources in house to build an app, in many cases, it’s better if you work with a third party and outsource the development. Even when companies have their own teams create the app for them, there may be significant skill gaps that can be a roadblock and lead them to release an incomplete project.

App development teams like Appetiser, for instance, can create a world-class app for you and have a team of over 100 employees spanning 4 continents. They will be able to handle every part of the project and will make sure to build an app based on our specifications with a great design and user experience. Not only that, but they can handle marketing as well, and increase the visibility of your app on the App Store and Google Play.

Hiring a freelancer is now easier than ever, and if your project is relatively simple, you could always go that route. If you’re looking for something more serious, you’ll have to hire a real agency that will help you with both development and maintenance.

Don’t Neglect the User Experience

User experience is key to the success of any app. Don’t ignore the ease with which customers can use the app. Do test the app on any and all devices so that you know it works on whatever your customers choose to install it on. Remember to take resource usage into account, because a great app that consumes all their memory or bandwidth isn’t worth it. Furthermore, do your research regarding what your customers want. For example, real-time updates on inventory or news feeds may be valuable to the user. Don’t turn your app into an extension of your mobile website.

Do Understand the Importance of IT Security

It is easy to lose a phone, and they can be stolen, too. They’re also targets of hackers. This is why you must do everything you can to protect the security of your customers’ data. This means prioritising mobile app security from the very start. For example, don’t save passwords or credit card information in unencrypted text files. Do encrypt information at every step of the transmission process. Be careful about what files and data are accessible to your employees. Don’t collect data in the mere hope you’ll be able to use it one day.

There are many reasons to build a mobile app for your team or your customers. Recognise the requirements of good app development so that you see the benefits you were hoping to achieve.