{"id":8657,"date":"2014-12-02T10:05:53","date_gmt":"2014-12-02T16:05:53","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.mrc-productivity.com\/blog\/?p=8657"},"modified":"2022-11-22T11:22:10","modified_gmt":"2022-11-22T17:22:10","slug":"mobile-app-roadmap-part-1-5-first-steps","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.mrc-productivity.com\/blog\/2014\/12\/mobile-app-roadmap-part-1-5-first-steps\/","title":{"rendered":"Mobile App Roadmap (part 1): 5 first steps"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Education\"Summary: As more businesses create their own mobile apps (or mobile web apps), they\u2019re entering uncharted territory. Many aren’t sure how to approach mobile app development. In this article, you’ll learn the first steps you must take in your mobile app journey. <\/em><\/span>
\n<\/a>
\nAs explained in this recent Gartner report<\/span>, the future of enterprise applications is mobility. As smartphone and tablet adoption rates climb, businesses must address this new mobile reality.<\/p>\n

For many businesses, this means mobile apps. The problem: Mobile apps are uncharted territory. Many businesses aren\u2019t sure how to create a mobile app strategy.<\/p>\n

How should your business approach mobile app development? Do you need internal or external apps? Do you need native apps or mobile web apps? What\u2019s the difference? <\/p>\n

Today, let\u2019s start with the basics. We\u2019ll uncover the first steps in a mobile app roadmap, and address the following steps in future articles. Sound good? If your business is considering mobile apps, here are the first steps you must take:<\/p>\n

1. Define the problem<\/h3>\n

Mobile is a hot trend. More businesses are building their own mobile apps. We see new mobile case studies explaining the benefits of mobile business apps.<\/p>\n

But, does this mean your business needs to start building mobile apps right away?<\/p>\n

No.<\/p>\n

Before you dive into mobile apps, stop and answer a simple question: Why? Why do we need this? How will it help us? What problems will it solve? <\/p>\n

\n\u201cThe first thing these brands need to consider when thinking about how apps fit into this strategy is “what problem am I trying to solve” or “what added value am I providing to my stakeholders – employees, customers or partners?\u201d explains Sarah Woodward, Director of Business Development at stable\/kernel<\/span><\/a>. \u201cThe best way to do this is by bringing these groups together to find out what their pain points are and what they expect your brand to deliver upon. Does your salesforce need sales tools? Do your B2B customers need mobile solutions to order fulfillment? Do your customers want to interact with your brand on a deeper level?<\/p>\n

Some brands may find they have multiple needs for different apps; others may find they don’t yet have a business case to build an app. The reason it is critical to determine whether or not you have a business case is two-fold. App development isn\u2019t cheap. So if you don\u2019t have a clear understanding of what the ROI will be for your app, you might be wasting your money. Additionally, failure to drive engagement with your first app may ruin any future app ideas that could be critical to your business success. If your customers, brand advocates and employees hate the first one, they may never give you a chance to win them over with a second go around.\u201d\n<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Example<\/strong>
\nSuppose your salespeople can\u2019t check real-time inventory while out visiting prospects and customers. They\u2019re forced to either call your office and have someone check for them, or look it up after they leave the customer site. If they could check inventory on their phones, they could close deals on the spot. <\/p>\n

Is this a problem that a mobile app could solve? Absolutely!<\/p>\n

2. Define the target<\/h3>\n

\"photo
photo credit: Bogdan Suditu<\/a> via photopin<\/a> cc<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>After defining the problem you intend to solve, you must identify your target user. This could be your employees, your salesforce, or your executive team. Or, it could be for prospects and customers. You must define exactly who this is for, and why they need it. <\/p>\n

Now, this goes beyond just choosing your audience. As explained below, you must understand why they need this. Why will they use this mobile app over whatever they use now? What will draw them to your app?<\/p>\n

\n\u201cI believe the most important initial step is establishing a user profile,\u201d says Michael Smith, CEO of Raster Media<\/span><\/a>. \u201cYou already have a profile in place for your company\u2019s ideal customer; now determine the same for the ideal user of your customer-facing app. Which demographic will your app appeal to? What are their interests, their needs, their pain points? What kind of app will they find not only useful, but so valuable as to be irresistible?\u201d\n<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Example<\/strong>
\nGoing back to the previous example, the target users are salespeople. What would draw them to your app? If you could make their life easier and help them close deals faster, do you think they would use your app? Of course!<\/p>\n

3. Define your goal<\/h3>\n

So far, we\u2019ve focused on the users–and with good reason. If your mobile app won\u2019t solve a problem for your target users, you\u2019ll just waste money.<\/p>\n

Next, we move on to your business. How will this help you? Depending on your approach, developing mobile apps can get pricey (especially if building separate apps for each platform). You can\u2019t afford to dive into mobile apps without defining your business goals. You can\u2019t dive into mobile apps without first understanding what value you will receive.<\/p>\n

\n\u201cThis defines the intent of the mobile application, be it to generate more customers or improve efficiency,\u201d says Wendell Adams, CEO at AB Mobile Apps<\/span>. \u201cHowever deciding on the target market is a must when defining your goal, the target market can be your own employees or consumers.\u201d\n<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Example<\/strong>
\nIn the example mentioned earlier, what are the business goals? Faster sales. Better productivity. It may even impress your customers. How much is all of that worth to your company?<\/p>\n

4. Choose your platform<\/h3>\n

When building mobile apps, you have multiple options:<\/p>\n