Quick Guide to Mobile App Development for Small Business

According to a new report by App Annie, an app store analytics firm, mobile applications saw a record number of downloads and revenue in the first quarter of the year. IOS and Android witnessed an increase of 15 percent year-over-year downloads to reach nearly 25 billion worldwide. As businesses are going mobile today, mobile application development has become the need of the hour. Mobile-first is not a luxury, rather a business norm. It is not just about having a mobile-friendly website as online activity continues to shift to mobile.

It is about connecting with your target audience or prospects on-the-go. Smartphone usage has been on a steep rise of late. Three-quarters of Americans check their mobile phone once in an hour. Americans spend more time looking at mobile phones instead of watching television.

Smartphones have already transformed the way brands reach out to consumers. Apps offer a direct marketing channel in terms of push notification, geolocation technology to detect the nearest customer to in-app offers, and more.

If you think mobile apps are only for big-name brands to increase business, you are sadly mistaken. In 2017, more and more companies will start to leverage mobile platforms such as iOS and Android. The increasing quality of app builders and mobile app Development Company makes it easier to build your mobile application for small businesses.

Mobile App Development for Small Business

Mobile app development for small business is not an easy task. It is essential to chart out specific details before taking a plunge into small business mobile app development with a clear project brief, project timeline, and check in regularly to monitor progress. Before getting started, determine the purpose of your app. What are you trying to achieve with your app? Is the app part of a service offering or eCommerce platform?

Always understand your app developer and talk before starting the project to get started. Ensure that you set the expectations right and collaborate about important milestones for your project.

Testing

Once your developer is through with the first test version of your app, test it thoroughly to ensure that there are no flaws. Start with the skins; do they look appealing enough? Does the user interface look precisely as you want? Does the app respond quickly to requests? Does it incorporate all the components of the flow-chart you drew earlier? Will the app provide users will all the intended benefits? Are there any malfunctions? Do the graphics and colors blend with your brand?

Be sure to test everything about the app. Ask as many other people as possible—including some of your existing customers—to also check the app from their ends. Report any flaws to the developer so that they can be fixed. Then test and test again until you end up with the perfect mobile app development for small business.

App Approval

Once you have developed your mobile app, review the submission guidelines. It is about the time to prepare for the submission process. Both iOS and Android have strict guidelines in place. Whether it is the Apple Watch Human Interface Guidelines or the App Store Review Guidelines, review the instructions thoroughly. Failure to adhere to Apple and Google guidelines will cause delays with the approval process.

App store optimization (ASO)

App store optimization (ASO) is the art of increasing mobile app downloads and optimizing mobile apps to rank higher in an app’s store search results. App store optimization results in increased visibility and traffic for your app’s page in the app store.

ASO requires a meticulous analysis of your target audience, including keywords your target customer will use to search for downloads. For small businesses, a customer might look for terms directly related to your core business’s products or services.

Main Factors:

Right App Name: Selecting a unique name for your app is not just about building a brand. The title of your app could yield the best results in ASO. It is essential to include keywords within your title, as this text forms the basis of app store search results. Typically, the keyword placed in the title should be the one with the most massive search traffic.

Put in the time to research keywords because changing titles often to include different keywords can harm your rankings.

Remember, once your app starts ranking high and gaining more reviews, changing titles can make it challenging to traction your app. It is helpful to monitor competitors to realize how you compare week to week.

Downloads Number: Your number of downloads are significant to ASO, but you don’t have complete control.

Ratings and Reviews: One factor that is important yet difficult to control.

There are several companies offering mobile app development services to create an app for your business. Once your mobile app goes live, you can push out mobile coupons to all app customers or provide deals/offers.

Many small businesses are concerned and skeptical of the cost associated with building an app for their company. However, with tools available, you can develop mobile application to enhance your brand, promote your product or service.

App Pricing

Counting your expenses before launching an app is just half of the process. It is essential to know how to bring that money back, and here we get to the app monetization.

Think about what kind of application you want to make: paid or free. You could already notice that many successful apps don’t have the required payments. How can you monetize your app?

• Advertisement: You can get various types of advertising in your app. It will alter in size, position, and even form. For example, you can possess static banners or video ads. Your revenue from advertising will change due to the type of users, country, a reaction to ads, and more. You can get ads by combining with vast advertising networks like Google’s AdMob, Unity Ads, Chartboost, and others. Their task is to connect you with advertisers and make that advertisement beneficial for both parties.
• In-app purchases: Depending on the number of clicks or impressions, there is a more durable way of generating revenue from your app – additional or paid features. A great example is games where one can pay for getting extra time, energy, or any other paid items. Your customers can get those options forever or just for a limited period.
• Direct selling: Your app can sell products or services directly and make you money that way.
• Pro-version: You can have two versions of your app: free and paid. Users who chose to pay for the app can get added features or get rid of ads.

Improve Customer Engagement

To actively sell your products to your customers, you need to find a method to reach them. Having a help desk feature in your app can provide secure communication with your customers. This aids in boosting the number of customers for your product because all they have to do is to book in your app as it keeps more time than physical appearance, which may be challenging due to your schedule.

Conclusion

We’re living in a mobile world and spend more time on our smartphones compared to our desktops. Even if your customers might primarily use desktop, a mobile app can bring to your business. But the wrong app can also hurt your business’ brand credibility. Be clear about development expectations and understand app submission rules.

And once your app is approved, don’t be under the impression that customers will flock to download the app. You’ll need to optimize the app store listing for maximum visibility. With the right strategy in place from day one, small businesses can stand ahead in the crowd and compete with large organizations.

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Albert Smith

Albert Smith, Marketing Manager at Hidden Brains, drives brand growth with innovative strategies in web, mobile app, and software development.