Not every mobile app is worth the money and resources they take to build, and investing in the wrong app can even damage a brand, says Gartner research director Richard Marshall.
Marshall says while many companies are scrambling to release an app in an effort to be on trend, developing an app can sometimes do more harm than good. "If an app is going to succeed, there must be a good reason for it to exist, and for people to download and use it," he says.
Apps that will be seldom or never used are not worth building, says Marshall. "As smartphone ownership spreads more and more, people are aware of apps and, just like with the Web, there's a belief that a company has to have a mobile app just to have one."
As an example, he mentions an app released by an insurance company that can be used by customers after a car accident to easily record all the information needed. "But nobody ever plans to have an accident - so who'll download an app to help them manage one?"
Weighing the options
Marshall says businesses should, in many cases, rather consider a mobile site that will do the job more effectively and cost a lot less. "Web sites can be found via search, which means you can drive traffic more easily and make your site more discoverable than an app which can only be found within the app store.
"Secondly, not everyone wants to invest effort and time to download an app that might not do what they want - a Web site is the perfect solution for them as they can rapidly see if the required function is there."
He says a mobile Web site also allows access from any device, including feature phones if it is built properly, which makes it more accessible. This is especially important in the African market where high levels of feature phone usage can still be seen.
Marshall says businesses in general are unaware of the costs and maintenance involved with the development of an app. "Mobile development is always ongoing. There is a customer expectation that apps evolve with frequent updates on one side, and there are always new handsets and operating system updates coming out which may require development and certainly testing. Software licensing models are different too.
Careful consideration
"Companies need to take a systematic approach to identifying useful app opportunities and calculating the likely ROI, and to broaden their focus beyond consumer-facing apps."
The first step would be to ask why and when would a consumer download the app and what problem would it solve, says Marshall. "Once the core reason for using the app has been defined, the business needs to assess the benefits it will bring - reduced calls to a contact centre, for example, or increased foot-fall in a retail location."
He notes not being able to find positive factors is a strong indication that the app is not worth building.
"Another good trick is to make sure the Web site is accessible from mobile and then use analytics to see how many mobile users access it and see what they do."
Apps are able to deliver real business value, says Marshall, provided they are well planned and executed, and properly maintained and updated.
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