MY FAVOURITE TECH: DO YOU NEED AN APP

Without question every brand, organization, event planner or business owner has visualized the creation of a much-need an app to deliver an experience or a solution to their ideal consumer. And while there are several apps that do deliver exactly that, there is an overwhelming “app fatigue” amongst most people as our lifestyles evolve but also as technology evolves.

Privacy, security, and data protection sensitivities are on the rise, only further adding to the hesitation for consumers to download external apps to their devices that will likely connect and communicate with other data on their smart devices. All this aside, consumers are still looking for valuable solutions and have an expectation that they should be able to conduct a vast majority of tasks from the convenience of their exceptionally powerful smart device.

We offer you three primary questions to consider when determining if your organization should continue down the path of planning and investing in full app development:

1 Does my app fall within the business, education health, or fitness categories? Research shows that these categories deliver a lower churn rate, making it a safer choice when considering the hefty investment in development.

2. Will my app provide an additive function or solution to my consumers that cannot be experienced via a mobile version of your website? If the answer is no, is the limitation technology based or resource based?

3. Will my audience have the need to interact with my brand/service/ product on a daily basis? If the answer is no, the lower frequency of use will likely result in forgotten passwords and consumer frustration to access your app which may discourage engagement.

Aside from understanding the complexity of data that will need to be exchanged, the answers to these questions are the most important considerations in deciding whether an app is the wisest expenditure or if exploring alternatives to delivering your intended service experience in a mobile-friendly, easily accessible, and secure manner.

A recent term worth investigating is a new standard referred to as Progressive Web Apps (PWAs), which are being leveraged in very powerful ways to deliver app-like experiences without the need for a natively downloaded app.

Regardless of the device or network condition, the front-end technology is geared to deliver quickly and reliably. While receiving lots of attention, the concept of PWAs is relatively new to most people.

A noteworthy and recognizable example of a native app that is now available in a PWA version is Spotify. The PWA has reportedly faster speed and prompts users to add Spotify to their home screen making it just as accessible and easy to use as before. If one of our favourite music powerhouses can deliver a superior experience through a PWA, we highly recommend that everyone looking to design the next best app carefully review the considerations shared and utilize the information to craft the best strategic approach to deliver a seamless consumer experience.