Don't Just Create a Mobile App... Create a Mobile Experience to Avoid Getting Deleted

How many times have people asked you if you have a mobile application for your business?  There are thousands of mobile apps out there and probably 80-90% of them are completely missing the point (see the image below).  A mobile application is not just something/anything at all that happens to run on a smart phone.  It's about creating an experience that meets your users where they are (on the go) and makes it easier and more convenient for them to engage with your organization.  It's about a mobile experience as a whole and not just about whether or not your organization has something, dare I say anything at all in iTunes or Google Play.  

Did you know that 80 to 90% of the apps that get installed end up getting deleted from the device?  So getting users to install your app is not enough and another reason why you shouldn't just throw any old app out there.  Here is a great infographic on this subject:

The reality is that most of us have a reasonable amount of what I call app fatigue... We are tired of downloading apps just to be disappointed by the lack of functionality and/or just to get something that meets a single use/one-time need.  If you really want to engage users your app needs to go above and beyond the basics.

Ask your self the following questions:

1. Why would someone want to download this application?  Does it solve a problem that they can't solve another way?  Does it solve a problem in a unique way?  A more efficient way?  What reason are you giving someone to download and keep your app on their device?
2. Is this application for a single use?  Why would a user want to keep this app on their device (since we know that most apps that are installed get deleted)?  Finding a unique way to engage with a user is probably the hardest part about creating an app.  Is the app how they will interact with customer service for instance?  Is the app where they will get some exclusive offers and/or functionality that they cannot get on your website or in your store?
3. What makes your application stand out from the thousands of other applications out there?  Do you have a niche audience?  Are you leveraging the features of the device in a unique way?  Is the application easy & fun to use?  Does the application have a familiar interface and follow common guidelines?  Does it feel like a real app and not just a responsive website?

There are many more questions that you can ask but I think the most important thing to keep in mind when developing a mobile application is the end user.  Whether they are a client, a fan, a customer, etc...  Don't build an application that YOU think is cool.  Build an application that solves a problem for your users in a unique and fun way.  If you don't start with that in mind then you probably are going to be disappointed with the use and engagement of your application.  It's not about just throwing any old code together and creating an app to release in iTunes or Google Play.  It's about much more than that.  Create a mobile experience not just a mobile app that a user will install, look at once, and then delete.