By Ritika Puri
When it comes to the business value of mobile, the growth and engagement numbers speak for themselves. According to one study from Cisco, traffic from wireless and mobile devices are expected to outpace wired devices by 2018. Not to mention, mobile data traffic will grow three times faster than fixed IP traffic.
No matter the size of your company, the time to invest in a mobile strategy was yesterday. With audiences becoming increasingly reliant on their mobile devices for social media, productivity, and their most important research touchpoints, your business cannot afford to lag behind.
But getting started isn’t easy. This trend represents a major paradigm shift for established organizations. As a new channel, there is always a perceived risk about whether or not a mobile app strategy will work. Your company could very well launch an app that generates very little traction.
Even this challenge, however, is something that can be overcome. The solution is simple — get close to your customers, identify their core pain points, and build a clear roadmap that adds value to their lives. Here are four ideas ways to get you started:
1. Simplify information for your audiences
Both B2B and B2C audiences rely on their mobile devices for real-time access to information. The challenge, however, is that these same audiences are incredibly time and resource strapped. Instead of sifting through volumes of information, they’re relying on trustworthy experts to distill and simplify the information that they need.
One way that your app could add value is to give audiences the immediate access to information that they’re craving. Provide a resource that gives your customers a reason to check your app each day.
2. Solve a problem in a way that makes your app a staple
Build an app that’s more than a ‘nice to have.’ Solve one of your audience’s most pressing challenges, instead. Far too often, companies develop apps as ‘one-off’ campaigns that have little connection to the solutions that target customers actually need.
When building a mobile app, it’s important to start with your customers. Figure out their most pressing needs and how mobile fits into their buyer journeys.
Know what’s bogging your customer base down. Then, use mobile to tackle that pain point. Following these two simple steps, our app will be indispensable.
3. Amplify your core brand experience
B2B and B2C customers take their investments seriously and will typically undergo an extensive research and planning process. Often, they’ll turn to third-party sources and review platforms for guidance — an opportunity cost for brands that are eager to build stronger relationships with their target customers.
4. Look beyond your core business
Your business is the sum of multiple parts. Your next great app idea may come from a source that is outside of your core product — and that’s okay. A new idea can potentially spark growth in ways that you haven’t imagined.
At the end of the day, there are many touch points that influence your internal and external business operations.
Final thoughts
Mobile empowers brands with new opportunities and ecosystems. There are many different ways that your company can jump in and participate – and as a result, there is no ‘right’ solution.
Start with your customers’ needs and passions, and work backwards. That’s the heart of a successful mobile app strategy.