IOS 7 Release

Here are five quick questions to ask yourself to see whether or not your company is ready for a mobile app.

1. Who is your target audience? Defining your audience is one of the most important questions when deciding whether or not to develop a mobile app for your company. It's not just the younger generations that are always connected to their mobile devices; 45% of U.S. adults now own a smartphone, according to the Pew Research Center, and two-thirds of them sleep with their phones right next to their beds.


2. What type of app are you thinking of? Many people only think about games and novelty apps when they first think of mobile app development. However, enterprise apps are skyrocketing in popularity as more and more companies are adapting a Bring Your Own Device policy, and as personal technology continues to integrate with business.


3. Does your company's product or service benefit from having an app? Don't make a mobile app just to make one. Make sure your company can improve its customers' user experience with an app. If you choose to develop an app when the mobile aspects of the product or service aren't needed, customers may doubt your original value and look for alternatives. Be smart with you development and choose when and where to implement your brilliant ideas.


4. Which side will you choose? The battle of mobile devices truly boils down to two options, Android or Apple. Having an app that will be available on both sides of the mobile battle will prove invaluable as it allows for optimum market reach for your new application.


5. Is you app design optimal for all devices? Most people without app experience just assume that if the devices have the same operating system, i.e. iOS or Android, then it doesn't matter what the hardware or size of the devices are. This couldn't be further from the truth; some apps designed for smartphones look terrible and function horribly on tablets. Make sure to be aware of this in the design and development of your next mobile app.