There is absolutely no doubt as to whether you should create a mobile app or not, because it has become the latest frontier in doing business. Earlier, businesses were content with making mobile-friendly versions of their websites or incorporating cool e-commerce facility within their websites. But now, the story doesn’t end there.
Entrepreneurs have started developing smartphone apps in order to enjoy better reach with their customers. However, the point is not in just creating a few apps, the point is to make them useful to the customer.
If you open Google Play or App store, you can see hundreds of apps that have no use to the customer. It is indeed a waste of time, money and resources if the apps that are developed have no use for the end user.
So here are some inspiring ideas for people who are developing apps for their customers.
Create a content app
You can configure a content-based app for customers who would like to share their views about using your product. They can add videos about your product, get customers to write testimonials, sync your app with social media channels or invite contests for people.
Such moves would definitely attract more people to your website. You can even create an FAQ section in your app so your customers can get all their doubts cleared. You can also allow them to connect to YouTube, Instagram and Pinterest through your app.
Make a vacation guide app
How about configuring a vacation app where you give out information on vacation spots, hotels, restaurants, local events and even taxi fare? When you give them information and make it interactive enough, your customers would enjoy it. You can also go a step further and invite your customers to air their views about locations and vacation spots.
An app that helps you find schools
You can create an app that would help your customers find the best schools in a particular neighborhood. This would be more applicable to people who sell school supplies or are in the real estate business. Make it interactive, so people can ask questions and get them answered.
The more opportunities they have to make it interactive and customized, the more your customers are going to enjoy it. By taking a closer look at your customers and observing their needs, you would be able to the give them the apps that they want.
An orientation guide app
When you are moving to a new city, you would naturally be confused about the facilities and amenities offered in and around the city. You can create an orientation app which would give your customers details about restaurants, shopping malls, museums, zoos, recreation centers and so on.
You may be tempted to add in a hundred features just to show off your capability. But it is always advisable to incorporate only those features for which your customers have use for.
Figure out the features your customers would be using and include them, instead of making the app slow-to-perform by adding several useless features. An ideal app should allow the customer to access what they want in just less than 15 seconds.
Upcoming events
You can create an app dedicated to all the exclusive happenings that are happening in your city. It could be music events, games, plays, events, popular movies, arrival of celebrities and so on. You can send push notifications as well, but do not overdo it.
Push notifications are fine, as long as they remain within the realm of delivering a unique experience. Based on customer preferences, you can send your notifications.
Daily inspirations
How about creating an app that would send daily inspirational quotes and thoughts? Mood changing messages, messages with positive thoughts, even jokes and thought-provoking stories are always in great demand.
The user can always read them while they are stuck in the traffic, waiting at the bus stop or travelling. In fact, they would start looking forward to these messages.
A traffic app
You can devise an app that would predict traffic jams on certain roads and inform people about the same. Perhaps, you can also include a feature that would help regular commuters to communicate with each other, so they can advise each other on possible routes to avoid traffic blocks.
Since internet access might not always be available while travelling, how about integrating the app to perform several actions in the offline mode? Making an app with offline capabilities can be a difficult experience, but not entirely impossible.
Conclusion
In short, it is imperative that you design apps that would provide some sort of fun or value to the user. As the competition between companies is quite high, any app that provides values to user would be successful and instantly accepted.
This article is authored by Sunu Philip, the Inbound Marketing Head for Cabot Technology Solutions – an IT consulting firm specializing in web and mobile technology solutions. Cabot offers progressive end-to-end business solutions, blending a solid business domain experience, technical expertise and a quality-driven delivery model.
