Does every business require a mobile application?

prashanthi vadla
3 min readSep 7, 2021

As consumers increasingly connect with businesses on their smartphones and devices, many businesses develop mobile applications to connect with their customers. If your business is going the app route, you need to make sure it’s worth your time and money.

While a mobile app development company can be an invaluable tool for many businesses, certain types of businesses may not necessarily need it. Below, members of the Forbes Technology Council share their best insights to help you determine if a native mobile app is right for your business. Be sure to ask yourself these 12 questions before beginning the application development process.

1. Are you considering an application due to “FOMO”?

The applications industry is oversaturated. Since 2013, with apps like Instagram and Whatsapp, people have realized that they can earn obscene amounts of money by creating an app. It’s similar to the dot-com bubble of 2000, where the FOMO (fear of missing something) was established and everyone wanted to create something. The thing is, most businesses don’t need an app and should instead focus on having a mobile-friendly website design.

2. Would it be significantly different from an optimized website?

It really depends on what your company does and how you interact with customers. In many cases, a mobile-friendly website can be just as effective as an app, while requiring fewer developers, less maintenance, and less time and effort to create. Ask yourself what the customer experience would be like in your application. Would it be significantly different from an optimized website? If not, don’t do it.

3. Could internal applications make you more competitive?

Not every business benefits from an app, but every business needs to create mobile apps. All companies are forced to become software companies to compete and are creating hundreds of cloud migration services india internal applications to increase competitiveness. The internal or “shadow” app market is a well-kept secret, as these apps solve internal business problems away from traditional app stores.

4. What would the daily interactions be like within your application?

To understand whether your business or industry would benefit from a mobile app, you need to consider what those Artificial intelligence services companies daily interactions look like from the customer’s perspective. If you’re currently in an industry where those interactions are limited, a mobile app may not get much use and could be more of a headache than it’s worth.

5. Would progressive web applications be better for you?

There is a movement towards Progressive Web Applications (PWAs) and they are getting better and better. Companies like PhoneGap, which used to create tools for those looking to manage multiple platforms, have announced end-of-life, citing PWAs as better solutions. However, there will be applications like games that need to take advantage of system resources directly that could be more efficient applications.

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