In today's digital world, building a mobile friendly website for your business is more important than ever. More and more internet users are accessing the web with their mobile devices on a daily basis and this can translate into real value when it comes to marketing your business. However, before you jump into the mobile world of online applications, consider the following: a mobile website is not the same as a mobile app. You don't want to miss an opportunity to engage the consumer market, you need a smart strategy. That's why you need to avoid making these five critical mistakes when it comes marketing your mobile app.
Mistaking a Mobile Website for a Mobile App
Don't think that creating a mobile app is the same as creating a mobile friendly website. Too many companies approach app development as a launching pad for their mobile site, but this only leads consumers to search for an alternative. If you want to gain a strategic position in the world of mobile apps for your company, you need to go native. Native apps are specifically designed for the platform of the mobile market, and are built for a world of spotty internet connection. Mobile web apps rely on internet access and are typically accessed through a mobile browser. Before taking the leap into the world of mobile applications, learn the difference and decide what's best for your company.
Treating Mobile like Desktop
Thinking that mobile is just a smaller version of what exists on desktop is a bad strategy. A mobile app is an entirely different platform and should be treated as such if you want to create an exceptional user experience. Avoid trying to pack as much content as possible into your app, as such designs, which can be completely overwhelming. The point of a mobile app is to get the customer to focus on what is truly important. You don't need to impress them with fancy details, and trying to only makes matters complicated. Keep it simple.
Building a Mobile App without a Marketing Plan
Creating a native app for your mobile friendly webpage simply for the sake of having it on the market is a waste of resources, time, and energy. You need a strong marketing plan that provides a reason for customers to use your app in order for it to launch successfully. If you already have a healthy stream of traffic visiting your website, don't be afraid to let users know that you have a mobile app. Create a distribution plan and make it easy for consumers to find you in the app store by utilizing your landing page and social media to advertise to your target audience.
Taking Consumers for Granted
Simply getting consumers to download your app is not enough in this mobile age of information. In fact, 90% of all mobile users discard an app within the first six months of downloading it. Thus, the goal you need to focus on is user retention. Successful mobile apps utilize strategies that keep their consumers engaged.
Ignoring Consumer Behavior
Don't forget that customer feedback is critical to your mobile application's success. Part of the consumer engagement process is to create two-way communication so that you know what your customer base is thinking and so that you can study their behavior. Create an interactive feedback system and install an analytics dashboard in order to learn how you can keep customers coming back!
Remember avoiding these critical mistakes will help you gain a strategic advantage over your competition.