“What type of App should our Business Have?”   - Client Question

I got this question one time while sitting with a potential client.  Initially I was a little confused by the question.  The first thought that popped into my head was “You want a cool app because no one wants to download something that’s bad”.  Yes this type of insight can only be offered by a true industry expert!  After further discussion I realized my client was really asking me:  How do we leverage what we do well and build an app for our business.  Ok I understand now.  

The client, like most, was very excited by the iPhone and the app store and wanted to have some presents in the mobile space.  The excitement is warranted because of the explosive growth in the mobile platforms and the emerging trends.  The client was also understandably nervous because the technology was new and changing.  We discuss platforms, benefits, challenges, and opportunities associated with creating a custom app for their business.  After our discussion it was easy to answer the question:  What type of App should my business have?  The client has a rich database of content that they wanted to distribute on the iPhone and Blackberry platforms.  The marketplace and their customers were asking for their content to be distributed in a new and innovative way.  Ultimately we partner together to build several daily news and information apps that included podcasts, RSS feeds, and featured products.  Additionally the apps were built to have a return on investment by using advertising as a revenue generator.

Every business is different but think about what information your customers would benefit from seeing on a mobile platform?  Web Content, Tweets, Blogs, Facebook Posts, or YouTube Videos?  Would being able to call or locate you right from your app significantly assist your customers and help bring in new business?  


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