Does your business need a mobile app? Don’t make these 5 mistakes.

Let’s say you work for a van hire company. Before and after every rental you have to inspect the vehicle, write down details on a sheet of paper and get the customer to sign it. Then, when you can find some time, you have to enter the same details into a computer system so they are associated with the customer’s details. Then you have to save the paper record as well as the digital records, since the paper record has sketched locations of defects. 

Now imagine you get given an iPad which you take out every time you do an inspection. You open the inspection app, enter the details, take photos of scratches and dents, get the customer to sign the screen, and press a button. It’s instantly sent into the system and automatically connected with the customer’s details. No further work needed, no paper filing to maintain. 

It’s a simple example, but once you start thinking about how a mobile app could help a business, the more the opportunities multiply. The benefits for businesses are typically greater productivity, higher throughput, more accurate data, more engaged employees, happier customers, new opportunities for growth… all essential to a successful business. 

So what could possibly go wrong?

If the app is poorly designed, all those benefits can be compromised or lost. Over years of experience we have identified the most important mistakes you can make with an internal business app. 

1. Failing to address user needs

Without a clear understanding of the user needs and the problems that need solving, the app will usually end up being a poor tool that wastes users time and frustrates them. 

2. Not fitting your workflows 

If the mobile app is to have a real impact, it needs to fit closely with the actual work you do. The chances are that an off-the-shelf app simply won’t fit, unless you work in ways that are the same as many other businesses. A really useful app needs to be specifically designed to match the way you work and processes you follow.  

3. Poor user experience (UX)

Getting the workflow right is only the first step. The app also needs to be easy to use. A failure to focus on good usability can result in poor navigation, slow load times, confusing layouts – and frustrated users. 

4. Over-complicated features

For app developers the temptation is always to add extra features, just because ‘they might be useful’. But in reality an effective app is a simple app. The interface should be instantly understandable and users should be guided through the process one step at a time. This not only makes it easier to use but also ensures greater accuracy. 

5. Locking yourself in

Technology is progressing fast. If you commit to a particular off-the-shelf application, or a single operating system, you could find yourself having to change course in a few years. Better to have a bespoke app built for you by a company that can adapt, evolve and enhance it exactly as needed.

Mobile devices today are mature technologies in a way they weren’t just five years ago. They are lighter, cheaper and more robust, and increasingly have a host of useful features like built-in barcode/QR scanners (which nowadays can actually scan properly) and astonishingly high resolution cameras. 

So if you’ve been considering a mobile app as a tool for your business, now is a great time to go ahead. Just don’t compromise on quality. And if you’d like to discuss how to get hold of an app that fits your business like a glove, let’s talk about it.