Frederiksberg
17:04
Getting Started With Your App Journey
Over the past 10 years, we have witnessed more than a doubling in the number of apps available. This has led to an increasing number of organizations considering whether an app can benefit their operations and enhance the user experience. Deciding whether to develop an app and how to build it requires significant effort. Here at Dwarf, we see great value in exploring when an organization should have an app, when it should not, and the most effective strategies for successful app development.
When Do You Need An App?
The decision to develop an app for your organization will always vary from case to case and industry to industry, as several parameters influence the decision. Factors such as the specific needs of your target audience, the type of services or products you offer, the overall goals of your organization, and return on investment (ROI) play significant roles. Here’s why you should consider developing an app if the following factors align with your business needs:
Apps offer a direct and personalized way to engage with users, leveraging features like push notifications and geolocation to create interactive experiences. Apps can help increase customer loyalty, streamline operations, and provide a competitive edge by collecting data to learn more about your users. If your target audience prefers mobile interactions, an app can significantly enhance customer satisfaction, which is crucially important today.
When Do You Not Need An App?
However, all the benefits of developing an app also come with great responsibility. As they say, there is no such thing as a free lunch. Developing and maintaining an app requires substantial investment in both time and money. Therefore, you need to carefully consider several factors before deciding to proceed with app development.
Bug fixes, feature enhancements, and new OS adjustments all add to the costs. If the ROI does not justify these costs, improving existing digital channels might be a wiser choice.
The next thing you need to consider is user engagement. If your organization lacks the potential to engage users actively, a mobile app may not add significant value. In certain cases, a mobile-optimized website can often be more cost-effective, requiring less development and maintenance.
Native or Cross-platform Apps
If you see a great business case for developing an app, the next step is choosing between a native or cross-platform app.
Native apps are written specifically for either iOS or Android using platform-specific languages. They deliver exceptional performance and a smooth user experience by taking full advantage of the device's native capabilities and features. However, they are more expensive and time-consuming to develop, as separate versions are needed for each platform.
Cross-platform apps are built with a third-party framework that uses a common language to develop both Android and iOS apps. This approach is more cost-effective and faster to develop compared to native apps. However, cross-platform apps may not match the performance of native apps and require plugins to access native features. If the feature is very specific or not widely used, the plugin may not be worth maintaining, which could become a potential challenge.
How Do I Get Started?
What’s the best way to get started on your app journey? Creating a business case is always the best approach. At Dwarf, we have extensive experience with both native and cross-platform app development. We can help you understand and analyze valuable market insights, along with gaining a deep understanding of your target audience’s needs, aligning the project with your strategic goals. But before getting started, we often like to help our customers explore a business case for an app, which is always the best way to begin an organization’s app journey.
