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an app for apps sake

The term “market-changing” has been used a lot lately. It seems that every six months or so our interactive life is revolutionized. Not free from this is the app phenomenon. Mobile platforms like apple’s iPhone and iPad and Google’s Android are creating a niche in the interactive realm. And every market is interested in playing in that new niche. But the difference between playing and thriving is vast.

As design thinkers, marketers and strategists, we are well versed in the “seduction of now.” Clients come to us and say they need something because it is cool or it is creating a buzz. We need to understand the new market and know how to respond. The questions communication teams need to consider include what are the best practices for developing in such a new arena? Can we base strategy and rationale on technologies that have not been around long enough to post solid numbers?

In the early days (think covered wagons) the app craze presented a lot of useless apps. I am sure your device is full of them, collecting dust seven screens in, 10 updates behind. Luckily, we have moved beyond that and utility + relevance are taking over with the emergence of apps that provide information and services. With the average price of an iPad app slightly higher than $4, users are less likely to spend money on an app that allows them to decorate a Christmas tree and forward the photo, and more likely to purchase a medical or health tracker.

ROI cannot be ignored and stakeholders need to know that the money they invest in apps will be worth it. Whether it is through increased traffic, sales or clicks, an uptick in numbers needs to occur. The best response to this is strategy. Firms that are grounded in strategy have a leg up against turn-and-burn shops because of their ability to think large-scale and to provide insight into multiple channels. Further, they understand that apps need to fit into the overall strategic goals for the business or campaign, and should be presented alongside other options that reinforce the multichannel strategy.

Perhaps the most important element is honesty. If a mobile app does not fit into the goals, or make sense for a particular business, strategically-based companies are able to come back to the table with a better solution.

Bottom line? Approaching app development from a multichannel strategy allows a technology with less data on record to be coupled with more steadfast tactics. This then allows the ROI question to be folded into those responses.

As a relatively new entity, app design and development will present new challenges. As more companies engage in this channel, their strategic partners must stay grounded in the principles that have proven successful. Apps will continue to grow and become even more relevant and useful to end users. We must guide the way.

This is part of an ongoing series. Stay tuned for more insights into apps as this technology evolves.