Not every business needs an app. But when it does, the app becomes the most direct channel to the customer.
A mobile app is not for every business. If a customer visits you once a year, a good website is enough. But if they come back often, order, book or expect notifications, the app becomes the most direct channel you have with them.
When it is worth it
- Repeat orders and bookings: restaurants, deliveries, salons, clinics
- Events and communities: programme, map, real-time notifications (like the Hardhfest app)
- Memberships and loyalty points: the customer always has the card with them
- Field staff: reports, photos and signatures straight from the phone
When it is not
When content rarely changes and the customer has no reason to open the app every week. In that case the money is better invested in the website and SEO.
What to know before you start
The app is published on the App Store and Google Play, which have rules and review times. It needs a server for the data and an admin panel for the content. And it needs maintenance: operating systems update every year and the app has to follow.
With one shared codebase for iOS and Android, development and maintenance costs drop significantly.
Source: Apple App Store Review Guidelines · Photo: Unsplash