First, we had the personal computing revolution when PCs and
LAN largely replaced bulky mainframes and minicomputers. Then we had a portable
computing revolution, when laptops, notebooks, netbooks and ultrabooks largely
replaced desktop PCs. Now we are right in the middle of a mobile computing revolution.
Tablets and smartphones are rapidly replacing all these
‘–books’. For more and more computer users their tablets or smartphones (or
both) are the primary tools that they use to go online. Or – as many do – live online.
Mobile computing paradigm is radically different from the PC
paradigm. While a PC accesses the Web site via a Web browser, a smartphone or
tablet uses a wide variety of applications (mobile clients) to access a mobile
version of a corporate Web site (server). There is a mobile edition for every
Web browser there is but it is usually substantially less convenient and
comfortable than a dedicated application such as YouTube, Facebook or LinkedIn.
Therefore, in order to be able to communicate to your
clients and other stakeholders (to motivate them to purchase your products
and/or services and to get valuable feedback), you have to develop at least one
dedicated mobile application to access a mobile version of your Web site.
More likely, you will have to develop a whole portfolio of mobile applications which
might include – in addition to your mobile Web site – your mobile Internet
store, free services and the like. Like any other portfolio, this one must
exhibit the highest possible synergy
between its components – your mobile applications.
And you must develop a version of each of your mobile apps
for three dominant mobile operating systems on the market – Android, iOS and
Windows Phone.
Functional requirements for and analysis of your mobile
applications (including the CBA questionnaire) are similar to those of your
‘classic’ Web site.
Fundamentally, each of your mobile apps is a money-making machine for you and your
company – and, therefore, must be perceived, analyzed and managed as such. Its
key objective is to generate sales, profits, free cash flows and financial
value.
Consequently, the two key components of description and
analysis of your mobile app (1) its financial
valuation model and (2) the corporate process
of generating financial value with your mobile app. Obviously, this
description must be comprehensive, well-structured, accurate and up-to-date.
And thus requires services of a highly competent financial analyst.
In other words, you must treat your mobile app
design/development (or redesign) project as an investment project. With all usual KPI – free cash flows, payback
period, NPV, IRR/MIRR, WACC and economic profit. Plus basic financial ratios – sales, profits and
cash flows per unique visitor, per visit, per page view, etc.
All other KPI – number of unique visitors, page views,
usability, etc. are only as valuable as they help you understand, design and
optimize financial value generation process and maximize financial value
created by your mobile app for your company.
Which means that the key (and absolutely vital) requirement
for you mobile app is that it must motivate
your customers to maximize their
purchases of your products and services. Motivate with both appearance and
content of your mobile app; both irresistible logic and equally irresistible
emotional impact.
But first you must make sure that your clients launch your mobile app on a regular
basis. Because you can influence your client with your Web site only if he or
she is looking at it. And – as the great Dale Carnegie teaches us - the only
way to make your client come to your site, look at your site and stay on your
site is to make him want to do that.
And the only way to make him/her do that is to offer something of aggregate value –
financial, functional and emotional. A free
product or service, free and valuable information, etc. Which, obviously, must
be easily accessible. And, no less obviously, must motivate your clients to
purchase your products and services.
But in order to make sure this freebie is, indeed, valuable
to your client, you must know for a fact that it does satisfy financial,
functional and/or emotional needs and desires of your clients. Which means that
you need to know these needs and desires very well.
Obviously, to satisfy these needs and maximize your overall
(emotional and logical) impact on your client, you must ensure that your mobile
app is well-structured (in terms of both structure proper and its content),
logical and exhibits the best possible usability.
Which, in turn, requires a perfect match with behavioral patterns (perceptions,
thinking, decisions and actions) of your clients (your mobile app visitors). Which
are different from behavioral patterns of those who access Web via their
‘-books’ and desktop PCs.
A good (although not 100% perfect) way of obtaining this
information is by soliciting feedback
from your clients – actual and prospective. Either directly – via surveys, online focus groups, etc. – or indirectly (by offering interactive
functions such as forums, user blogs, maybe even specialized, narrowly-focused
social networks with limited functionality).
However, you must always keep in mind that this feedback is
seldom (if ever) statistically significant. To obtain statistically significant
(and, therefore, the most accurate and reliable) results, you must conduct the
appropriate market research.
SEO for mobile apps is fundamentally different from SEO for
Web sites. Over 90% of all mobile apps are distributed (for free or at a
certain – usually very small - price) via only two online stores. Apple store
for iOS applications (51.6%) and Google Play (40.7%) for Android apps.
Therefore, in addition to traditional SEO,
you will have to invest into Mobile SEO (for Android) and Apple SEO (ASO) for
iOS. This will inevitably require services of very experienced outside SEO
professionals.
And, of course, you must not forget your ‘traditional’
communications campaigns. And to embed into each one a message (textual and/or visual) that
will create the ‘itch’ to download your mobile app (via the appropriate store)
and to launch it.
Your mobile app essentially has four fundamental components
– structure, content (which needs to be always accurate, and up-to-date), style and interactive features.
Obviously, all four must be (a) perfectly
balanced and (b) exhibit the maximum possible synergy.
Every potential client has a choice – which mobile app to
launch. In order for him or her to choose your
app, it must be competitive – overall
and relative to each individual competitor. Competitive overall and in every
component – structure, content, style, usability and interactive features.
To accomplish all the abovementioned objectives, you will
need a highly competent mobile app design and development team (almost
always outsourced). Who must follow a solid Web site management methodology and
business process.
As your mobile app is functionally a mobile edition of your
Web site, the structure and style of your mobile app are typically managed by
the corporate Web site manager and content – by corporate Web site content
managers. No administrator is required for your mobile apps.
Like your corporate Web site, your mobile apps must match
your KEF (especially technological and social/cultural), your DCI, your
corporate mission statement, your corporate vision statement, your marketing
and information management strategy, your UVP, your corporate culture and code
of conduct. And, obviously, there must be a match with your Web site.
To maximize its impact on its visitors (and therefore
financial value generated), your mobile apps must be highly adaptable to changes in your corporate environment and in
behavioral patterns of your stakeholders (which happen even faster than those
concerning Web sites). And sometimes you must change your mobile apps simply to
prevent it from becoming boring.
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