If you’re reading this, it’s likely that you’re an end-user of multiple mobile apps. It might be consumer-facing like your favorite retailer’s convenient and personalized shopping app, or it might be an app that facilitates remote working or coordinating plans with your colleagues.
Businesses of all sizes and models are dependent on mobile apps; some of the most successful new brands in the last ten years have even been driven by an innovative mobile app and have used mobile app development companies like Darwoft to make them come to life.
So why are so many businesses hesitant or unwilling to embrace the cutting edge in mobile-first technology when ultimately, creating a mobile app is just as achievable as building a new website?
Convincing the key stakeholders to jump into the mobile app space isn’t always an easy task. But if you’ve got a great idea for a mobile app solution, we’ll walk through how to qualify it as a business-savvy mobile app opportunity, and not just a pipe dream.
What’s the opportunity?
Go to your pitch armed with as much first-hand research as possible. It’s best to start with the end user of the app. You want to find out what they struggle with day-to-day, or what they can only dream of doing on the current platform.
The feedback can be collected through live chats, support emails, the development backlog, or on-site feedback forms. You might be surprised by the kinds of frustrations your end users deal with, and a mobile app could be the best solution. For example:
Poor employee retention
95% of employees believe a mobile-first workplace is essential for healthy employee retention.
Wasting time on repetitive tasks
Computers are very good at doing repetitive and precise tasks, but humans aren’t. Are your end users tired of tasks that would be better automated?
Wasting money on subscriptions
Adobe‘s research says 69% of companies use two to five separate apps. Could you be overspending on subscriptions that could be replaced by an owned app?
What if you don’t adapt?
Once you’ve identified what’s draining profits away from your business, what will happen if things carry on the same way? Will your mobile app competitors continue to grow and leave you behind?
Focus in on those pain points and establish how your solution can fix them, as well as how it will future proof the growth of the business. For help diagnosing challenges and qualifying your mobile app opportunity as realistic, you may need to consult experts such as mobile app developers.
Produce a roadmap
A roadmap then outlines the strategic direction of the project. This is vital to show how the mobile app opportunity compliments the short, medium and long-term business objectives and vision of the brand. This is ideal if you’re able to launch a minimum viable product (MVP) as you can clearly show the return throughout the project.
Delivering a successful pitch
This is what all your hard work comes down to. But if you’ve covered all of the above, incorporating these last few tips should leave your mobile app innovation utterly irresistible to your audience.
Focus on rewards instead of cost
If your mobile app opportunity will cost 1million, but the return is 10million, then the issue isn’t cost, it’s cash flow and timelines. Your roadmap should address this challenge so that your pitch focuses on the rewards of the project.
Use imagery and demonstrations
The mobile app marketing has only boomed in the last 10 years, so your stakeholders might struggle to understand how a mobile app will function without visuals, a demo or even a prototype. Simple mock-ups will make your concept seem a lot more realistic.
Use storytelling
Brands that use storytelling in their marketing outperform competitors by 64%. The same strategies can be used to make your mobile app opportunity more compelling. Share a real account from your research of the struggles your users have, or show how a similar project has transformed a competitor’s business.
Try using this method as you construct your pitch, and imagine all the unique possibilities a mobile app solution could offer.
Author Bio:
Sam Furr, Tappable Founder & Head of Product Strategy
Sam has been developing apps for over 10 years and founded a successful award winning, international app development & product design agency; Tappable. Whether you’re after a commercial, enterprise or consumer facing product, Tappable will help turn your opportunity into a mobile-first solution that delivers.
