Does Your Brand Really Need an iPhone App?
Everybody has an iPhone, and every corporation thinks they need to have an app! However, the real question is, "does your brand really need it?" With the increasing rise in popularity of the iPhone, its easy to think that the only way to reach the consumer is through the latest and hottest trend. Sounds good, but before you run off and spend thousands of dollars having an app designed for you, it would help to answer a few questions.
5 Vital Questions to Answer Before You Jump
- What are your business goals?
- What goods, products or services are you currently offering your consumers?
- What would be the purpose for the consumer to have your app?
- What advantage would the app give your brand?
- Are your consumers using iPhones?
- Is your current site optimized for mobile?
Often times, a good way to segment into a full blown iPhone app is to optimize your current site for mobile. Check out the Canadian Broadcasting Channel for a simple and well built mobile web site. You can even check out this site (thesocialenthusiast.com) on your mobile device to see it optimized for mobile.
The mobile site is a good way to allow your consumers to gather information, engage with your content and even purchase your products from your current web site. Some of the more popular content management systems have plugins that will optimize your web site to be viewed from a mobile device. With a little programming it can have the same branded feel as your web site.
While it would great to unveil your new iPhone app, you may want to start with a optimized mobile site. Monitor and measure your mobile activity and then build from there. After watching how your consumer is engaging your content from a mobile device, you can take that data and use it to plan the development of your iPhone app.
What do you think, mobile app. or mobile web site?
