Tag Archive for: Mobile apps for business

8 Ways The Right Mobile App Can Boost Lead Generation

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Every organization needs to boost lead generation to remain profitable in the long run. If you’re finding that your business has trouble attracting prospects, you’re likely seeking solutions right now. While there’s no silver bullet for this problem, effective solutions do actually exist. 

Regardless of the nature and size of your organization and industry, you can increase lead generation with the right mobile app. Your sales team requires tools to make them effective at finding new leads and gradually driving them down the sales funnel. While there’s no shortage of turnkey solutions that do this, your business can benefit by building a custom mobile app solution. 

A custom mobile app will free your sales staff from their desks and allow them to operate without feeling confined by the workflows imposed by the big-name lead generation apps. Here are eight ways that the right mobile app can change the game. 

 

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1. Build A Lead Management App For Your Sales Reps

If you have sales reps operating out in the field, it can become prohibitively expensive for them to chase after unqualified leads. Instead, you want them to be closing deals quickly and cost-effectively. But this is only possible if your sales reps can effectively qualify, segment, and nurture leads. Moreover, you want them to score and track every stage of the lead generation process. 

A great solution is to build a lead management app to empower your sales staff. But what does such an app entail, and how will it boost lead generation? One of its most powerful features is its ability to tap into your existing customer database. Mainly because your database already contains a plethora of customer data that reveals who your cold, warm, and hot leads are.

The lead management app will let sales staff filter the most qualified leads. Now, staff won’t have to take any wild guesses on which leads to focus on. By removing the guesswork, your staff will inevitably save time while decreasing travel costs. Furthermore, the lead management app will contain the contact details of prospects who have expressed interest in your brand, products, and services. 

Sales staff may further drill down on this data based on customer demographics, geographic locations, and purchasing habits. Also, they can use the lead management app to close, track, and cancel appointments. You can also view this data in real-time and access detailed reports to help you best allocate performance bonuses and pinpoint sales strategies to improve.

2. Boost Lead Generation With An AI-Powered App

Your business may already use customer relationship management (CRM) tools. You could even be using one of the popular cloud-based solutions like Oracle NetSuite CRM, Salesforce, and Zoho CRM. And while these turnkey solutions are great, your staff may experience workflow issues.    

No matter how good off-the-shelf solutions have become, they seldom fit every organization perfectly. That’s because some solutions suit mid-sized and larger enterprises since these have more rigid structures. If you have a smaller sales team or have specific needs and workflows, it’s wise to go with a custom solution. And even if you’re using an off-the-shelf CRM, you can integrate it with your custom lead generation app. 

But how can you improve workflows on top of what popular solutions offer? Start by surveying your sales staff to determine what pain points they currently experience. To make this process easier, work with an experienced studio like NS804. We’ll draw up wireframes to map out the entire user experience (UX) so that your team will have a point of reference. 

But don’t stop there since we can radically improve your new lead generation app with artificial intelligence (AI). While AI is big news lately due to the popularization of tools like ChatGPT, AI is hardly novel. In the mobile space, AI-powered apps have enjoyed popularity for almost a decade. Yet, only recently are companies embracing AI for their mission-critical apps and software infrastructure. 

Your sales staff can boost lead generation by running powerful sales campaigns created almost entirely by AI. AI can help staff build marketing funnels, assist with neglected or cold leads, and accurately segment your target customers. And since your AI-powered app will save staff so much time, they can focus on prospecting leads and closing deals.

3. Power Up Your Email Marketing Campaigns

Even if your sales staff regularly conduct face-to-face meetings with customers, they probably use email for their marketing campaigns. After all, email remains a powerful channel for connecting with customers, even with the wide use of social media nowadays. The primary reason is that users retain their email addresses for long durations. 

Also, it’s common for users to quit social media due to physical or mental health issues. Some users neglect their accounts, reduce engagement, or flock to the latest trending social media platform. While your sales staff should never ignore social media, they can’t ignore email since it’s a more sustainable and direct channel. The best part is that email can radically boost lead generation if combined with a custom app.

This app will assist your sales staff to automate, personalize, and schedule all email campaigns. Then, you can seamlessly integrate your custom app with your favorite email clients and marketing platforms. Sales staff can effortlessly run campaigns from their smartphones while in any location or time zone. They can also collaborate with your office-bound and remote teams and share progress reports of all campaigns. 

But this is only basic functionality that’s enough to help your team get started. You can add additional features later to make your app an all-encompassing solution for your email campaigns. 

For example, you can add templates that allow sales staff to create impactful landing pages without the assistance of a designer. An additional A/B testing component will let your team fine-tune their split testing efforts. And with a live chat implementation, your team can communicate directly with leads to drive them down the sales funnel.

4. Enhance Sales Proposal And Contract Agreement Procedures 

Your top sales representative probably dislikes writing sales proposals and contracts. But you can reduce the paperwork and drudgery with the right mobile app. Nowadays, there’s little need for your sales reps to spend considerable time writing sales proposals and traveling across the country to have contracts signed. 

Instead, they can use templates that contain the company letterhead for proposals and contract agreements. Better yet, these documents can accept electronic signatures, meaning that clients can sign these directly on their mobile devices or PCs. This paperless approach is more environmentally sustainable and makes it easy to keep track of all documentation. 

Another benefit of this approach is that documents get to customers fast. This is crucial because leads often go cold if they wait too long for a proposal or contract. If your sales staff doesn’t get this documentation through quickly, customers may have second thoughts about doing business with you. Worse still, a rival may approach them during that time and offer a better deal. 

Your custom app can keep track of all outgoing and incoming documentation and issue alerts when customers view or sign these. The app must also have an auto-reminder feature to nudge customers to take action if they haven’t looked at or signed the documentation.

5. Use Mobile Surveys To Boost Lead Generation

Whether you’re targeting regular consumers or business-to-business (B2B) clients, you should survey them regularly. Not only will you gain plenty of valuable customer data, but surveys offer an opportunity to engage leads and drive them towards your brand.

Of course, not everyone enjoys completing surveys, so you’ll need to get creative. Ideally, create a fun and engaging app that your target audience will find appealing. 

If you’re targeting a younger audience, add quizzes and gamification features that remind them of their favorite video games. But if you’re targeting business professionals, ensure that your surveys offer fascinating tidbits and practical advice about the industry once they complete specific milestones.

You may also include polls to identify what interests your target audience the most. Furthermore, keep track of all these polls for longer-than-usual durations to determine changing trends. The more interactive your mobile surveys, the easier it becomes to boost lead generation due to greater user engagement and exposure to your brand via your mobile app.

6. Centralize All Contact Details

Keeping all the contact details of leads and customers in one place is challenging. The reason is that most organizations record customer contact details using several platforms like CRMs, databases, and email clients. Sales staff may note down contact details on Post-it notes or their smartphones. Under such circumstances, it’s easy to lose contact details and have duplicate entries. 

Therefore, it’s essential to have a central hub to keep an updated record of all contact details. A good solution is to build a mobile app that pulls all contact details across all communication channels within your organization. Sales staff should be able to review and update contact details directly on their mobile devices. They should also segment, filter, and list the customers and leads more likely to make a purchase. 

The app should also alert sales staff about customers or leads they haven’t contacted in a long time. Once a sales representative contacts a lead, the app must alert the other sales staff members so they don’t inundate and annoy the same lead with phone calls or emails. The primary goal of your app is to centralize and streamline contact management.

7. Add A Scanning Capability In Your App

Conferences and trade shows are often the best places to meet B2B leads. Visitors at these events usually carry business cards, conference badges, or other identifiers. If you regularly visit these events, you’ve probably become accustomed to collecting and giving away business cards. 

But you can simplify the process by scanning another visitor’s card. Your lead generation app will retain a copy of the scan and extract the text and contact details to store in your address book or contact management app. The scanning capability will prove a time saver if you usually collect business cards en masse. 

However, the app’s most powerful feature is its ability to disseminate these new contact details among your sales staff. Then, they can follow up with warm and hot leads within minutes if necessary. Or if you’ve placed specific instructions, sales staff will email prospects later about the products, services, or topics you’ve already discussed with them at the event.

The ability for your sales staff to create personalized emails based on your face-to-face interactions with prospects will help boost lead generation. Moreover, there’s a higher likelihood to win them over and drive them down the sales funnel rapidly.

 

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8. Track Cross-Channel Behavior 

Your customers and leads engage with your business both offline and online. They also interact with your business on multiple channels like email, social media, and company websites. But are you keeping track of all these engagements? Why you want to do this is to identify the channels that have the most traction and affect your bottom line. 

Perhaps your sales staff spends too much time on email marketing and lead magnets when most of your target audience is on social media. If you’ve identified this issue early on, your sales team can prioritize your social channels quickly. But if you’re unaware of this, your sales staff will miss out on lead-generation opportunities crucial to the profitability of your business.

Your lead generation app should have the capability to track cross-channel behavior. Understanding how leads behave across all channels allows your staff to fine-tune their marketing efforts, target qualified leads, and focus on prospects likely to spend more. But your app should also contain analytics that measure the effectiveness of your sales team’s actions.

The Bottom Line

Lead generation is somewhat of an art form necessary for the long-term survival of just about any business. And nowadays, there’s no shortage of solutions that facilitate lead generation. You can combine off-the-shelf solutions with a custom mobile app or go completely custom if that best suits your business. Contact NS804 today to learn how we’ll help you build an app to boost lead generation and take your business to new heights!

Lead Generation In 2023: Why App Development Is Mission-Critical

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The overall success of your business-to-business (B2B) endeavors rely heavily on lead generation. But you may have noticed that generating valuable leads is incredibly challenging nowadays. Over a decade ago, you only needed a reasonably presentable website and some social media presence to grow your leads.

But in 2023, a website and social media aren’t enough for lead generation. And the reason this has happened is due to the way the Google Search Algorithm functions, which is complex but impacts whether or not potential clients will find your website. 

Furthermore, social media platforms have become walled gardens that severely limit the amount of traffic leaving these platforms. Instead, they strive to keep users engaged for long durations, causing them to be less interested in visiting websites unless there’s a compelling reason to do so.

But where does that leave your B2B efforts in light of all these developments? Well, you could launch advertising campaigns for the sole purpose of generating leads. Yet this is expensive, with plenty of trial and error involved to achieve optimal results. And while we’d never dissuade you from running ad campaigns if these can help your business — we also want you to consider other options!

Consider that mobile apps still engage users and drive innovation in 2023. A good example is TikTok, which has radically transformed how users consume and interact with video content. It’s had such a huge impact that it forced YouTube to introduce short-form video content via Shorts to remain relevant. That’s a testament to how powerful and mission-critical app development has become, which we’ll discuss in more detail below.

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Mobile App Development Shows You Mean Business

Not every business invests in a mobile app, which will place you in that rarified space of leading brands with their own custom apps. Not only will it increase the prestige of your business, but also its trustworthiness.

And if you’ve created an app with an excellent user interface (UI) & user experience (UX), a well-integrated chatbot to respond to inquiries, and watertight security — lead generation will become significantly easier. Besides, it’s more convenient, personalized, and safer for users to interact with your business via your mobile app than through your website.

Qualify Your Leads

One of the most crucial things about developing and releasing a mobile app is that users will ultimately download it. And while that may seem obvious, it’s one of the most powerful aspects of having a mobile app. Once prospective leads download your app, you’re in a position to take things further.

After all, what’s the point of lead generation if you don’t qualify those leads? You can request their contact information or even for them to create a profile. To reward them for completing these actions, you can give them access to exclusive content or features. Thus, you’ll likely impress them and drive them faster down the lead funnel.

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Automate The Lead Generation Process

It’s likely you’re on a tight budget and must limit the number of staff to interact with prospective leads. And considering that the global economy faces a recession in 2023, it’s wise to streamline business operations. Fortunately, mobile apps are ideal for automating the lead generation process.

A well-implemented app can consistently keep prospective leads interested in your products and services. The app can offer suggestions and special offers based on a lead’s preferences, purchase history (if any), and app usage. It can also send reminders when necessary and commence with the follow-up process. The latter is crucial as leads often turn cold when businesses fail to follow up.

The Bottom Line

Mobile app development facilitates the lead generation process but also supercharges it like no other methodology. And given how it enhances the status of a business, streamlines its business processes, and automates lead generation — it simply can’t be ignored in 2023. Contact NS804 to learn how we can help you build apps that will grow your leads exponentially!

5 Myths About Mobile Apps for Business, Debunked

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Mobile apps are marking a new frontier in the digital mobile revolution. The penetration of smartphone devices alongside internet infiltration extends limitless opportunities for mobile users.

Already, the mobile app uptake is on the rise accounting for over six billion mobile app users globally. Because of the rising popularity of mobile apps, organizations are gradually upscaling their uptake and streamlining their operations through mobile apps.

Below we debunk five myths surrounding mobile apps for business:

1. Mobile apps fall way cheaper than web

There’s a popular myth that mobile apps are cheaper to develop and maintain than web applications. This myth is because mobile phones are physically smaller devices and have less computing power than computers. Unfortunately, most people don’t realize that mobile app development is as complex as software development. Indeed, software developers collaborate with many professionals – designers, analysts, programmers, and data architects – to develop mobile apps.

2. Cross-platform app conversion is faster and nominal

Most clients assume that converting an app from iOS to Android and vice versa is a simple process. Unfortunately, they fail to understand that cross-platform app conversion is a complex, time-consuming, and strenuous process involving code rewrites and re-programming. Cross-platform app conversion is not an automated process; the programmer has to code from scratch.

3. I don’t need an app

Most users presume that their phones contain all information and applications they need. Unfortunately, this is not true. Today, we live in a world that’s interconnected and where everything is digital. For instance, things like communication, shopping, social interactions, entertainment, news, and education are being conveyed via the web. That automatically means that users must adopt applications that support these diverse functions.

4. Apps crash or slow down your device

Software crashes are caused by many things, including bugs, hardware issues, and viruses. However, things like outdated codes, malicious attacks, and hardware failures can cause delays and crash your device. . Regardless of the cause, poor app performance isn’t always a result of a poorly-designed app. Sometimes, crashes and slowdowns can happen because you installed a malicious app. It’s advisable to be vigilant for malicious apps disguised as add-ons.

5. Mobile apps don’t need promotion

Individuals and organizations do the hard work of investing in a mobile app but fail to promote it. Like any other product – a shoe, an electronic, a commercial building, an entertainment hotspot, or a new brand – an app needs to be marketed and promoted vigorously.

Proper planning and promotion are a must-have because of the stiff competition. It’s not enough to invest in your app and post it on a platform like AppStore or PlayStore. It takes an intensive investment to promote your app to the relevant markets.

For instance, an app like TikTok leveraged digital marketing strategies and worked with brand activation agencies to promote itself. Influencer marketing and public campaigns like FightTheDarkness, GarBaithoIndia, and Chipotle: Boorito Challenge are some of the earlier promotion campaigns by TikTok. Your app also needs rigorous campaigns and promotion to reach the right audience.

You can contact NS804 for mobile app development and promotion solutions.

Creating An Enterprise App That Focuses On Security And Compliance

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Building an enterprise app that’s secure and compliant should be the priority of every serious developer. Users need enterprise mobile apps that won’t leak sensitive information or be at the mercy of hackers. We’ll briefly touch upon why security and compliance should never be an afterthought.

1. Why Security Matters In An Enterprise App?

Nowadays, many enterprises use collaboration apps that allow their employees and remote teams to get work done. A few examples include Google Docs, Slack, and Trello, which are cloud-based SaaS (Software as a Service) offerings. Furthermore, these apps make life easier for IT managers since they no longer need to maintain and manage their own servers.

While a typical enterprise app offers convenience, it’s not entirely secure. Hackers love to target small or large enterprises through their collaboration apps. For example, a savvy hacker can launch a phishing attack via an enterprise’s messaging app instead of relying on email. And since employees trust communications within the company’s messaging app, they’ll likely click an URL or download files containing malware or malicious code.

The malware may contain a keylogger, which records user keystrokes such as login passwords and sends them back to the hacker. Thus, the entirety or part of the company’s online infrastructure will be compromised. The hacker can now steal valuable company information, install viruses, launch a ransomware attack, and that’s only the beginning. That’s why all applications, including enterprise mobile apps, should have enhanced security features from the get-go.

2. How To Ensure Enterprise Mobile Apps Are Compliant?

With 38% of iOS mobile apps and 43% of Android applications having high-risk vulnerabilities, it’s time for developers to take security seriously. The most common problem is insecure data storage, which puts correspondence, financial data, passwords, and personal information at risk.   

So how should you tackle enterprise app development with security in mind? You’ll need to focus on the client-side since 60% of vulnerabilities are found on the client, and 56% can be exploited without administration rights. 

Look at your insecure interprocess communication (IPC) and reduce its usage. And don’t use third-party keyboards in your enterprise mobile apps, as these can leak sensitive information, such as user passwords. Finally, mask sensitive on-screen information with a custom background image or filter.

3. Why Should You Use A Professional App Development Company?

Don’t make the mistake of trying to build your enterprise app for free. While there are many app builders and resources to help you make an application, you won’t get the desired result. You may not complete your app, or if you do, it may cost you more than anticipated. 

Whether we like it or not, enterprise app development is a serious endeavor. You’ll need to work with a professional app development company that will deliver an app that functions properly and meets all safety criteria. Contact us today to learn how NS804 can help you build secure enterprise mobile apps.

What Features are Worth it? Refining Your App Ideation and Scope

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When solving a problem, it’s tempting to want to solve every problem. Replacing your car battery? Might as well change the washer fluid. Have a routine check-up with your doctor? Might as well get that flu shot.

While it’s pragmatic to perform routine maintenance on your car, addressing tangential pain points when designing your app can bloat your budget, muddle development, and reduce your app’s user experience. Before deciding what features your app should use, figure out the main pain point you want your app to address.

“I always ask my clients to describe what their app does in two sentences,” said Nick Jones, CEO of NS804, a Richmond, VA based app developer. “If they can’t do that, I know we need to work together to create a concrete, straightforward idea.”

The key to successful development, and in turn, a successful app, is to identify your primary pain point, and then focus on solving that, and only that. All other solutions will stem from your original pain point. It’s like writing a thesis statement – your overall idea needs to be summed up in a few sentences – later, you can get into the details.

“Do your one thing right,” said Jones. “and do it well.”

So, you’ve done your market research, and have identified your main pain point. How do you implement your findings into a successful set of features? Are there certain app features that will provide the functionality your users need at less cost than when compared to another? What even is a feature?

First, let’s go over just what an app’s features entail. Widely used features are as follows:

  • Mapping/GPS/Navigation
  • Social Sharing
  • Back End Management / Reporting
  • Game Center
  • Push Notification
  • Augmented Reality
  • Virtual Reality
  • Real Time Updating
  • Third Party Tool Integration (API)
  • Graphics

The more features your app includes, the more time your app spends in development, and the more money you will inevitably spend. Out of this list of features, graphics (including AR and VR) and back end integration are the most time-consuming and expensive features to include in your app.

Keep in mind that certain features can be used, but in a sparing manner. Your app might need a back end to manage data, but it might be manageable without website integration. Your app may need to use graphics to convey ideas to users, but icons might suffice instead of 3D graphics. Find ways to trim the fat from your app’s features, and in turn reduce your budget.

Features are the core of your app, and they include everything from simple fields for users to select, to massive back end infrastructure to manage cloud data storage for millions of users. There’s a wide range to choose from, so make sure you choose wisely.

How do I implement my findings from my market research into a successful set of features?

Building Apps with Strategy

Let’s say you run a farmer’s co-op, and based on market research, you want to offer your customers an easy way to select their choice of produce to be delivered each week.

That’s all you should focus on for now; providing your users with a simple interface for selecting your currently offered produce, and fields for inputing their delivery address and contact data. To achieve this, the only features your app would need to function are:

  • Simple graphical fields for selecting produce
  • Simple fields to input user address and contact data
  • Back end management for storing and accessing a user’s address and contact data

Believe it or not, that’s really all your app needs to complete your goal. Adding quality of life features – such as a produce rating system used to give customers product suggestions based on food they like – can be added in the future.

Your delivery drivers can input delivery addresses directly into their own phone’s navigation system, so there’s no need to implement navigation in your app. Need to contact a customer? You can use the contact data provided to call or text. In the future, internal app messaging might be something to consider, but you’re not making a messaging service. Don’t be afraid to rely on other apps’ functionality – your users aren’t downloading your co-op delivery app to check the weather.

The more features your app has, the more time is needed to test and debug. When you focus on solving one problem, you reduce your development and testing time, which saves you a lot of money. The less features your app implements, especially at launch, the more robust its user experience will be, as new users will not only be introduced to a simple, easy to understand UI, they also won’t be confronted with as many bugs (or optimally, none at all).

First impressions are important, and it’s no different for your app. If a user downloads your app, and finds they are inundated with various options, numerous fields, and a lengthy learning process, they’re much less likely to continue using your app. Keep in mind that your app most likely isn’t the only one on their phone, so don’t try to do everything.

Another benefit to focusing on solving one pain point is smaller file size. Apps take up space just like any program, and 1 in 6 users delete one app per week to free up storage space. If your app isn’t taking up too much space, it’s less likely to be deleted to make room for another app.

Your app only has to do one thing, but it has to do that thing better than anyone else.

How do I know I’m providing my users with enough features to satisfy them?

Satisfied Users

After solving your initial pain point, this question is solved by listening to user feedback.

User reviews and feedback are fantastic channels to understand your user’s mindsets. This direct-from-customer research is a goldmine for you; use the reviews and feedback to develop features that improve your app’s user experience and functionality.

When you listen to your users’ requests, you not only develop your app based upon free market research, you strengthen your relationship with your user base. Your users requested push notifications to alert them when your co-op has delivered produce to their door? Do that. It’s a tangental solution, but it still circles back to the app’s main pain point – hassle-free produce delivery. If a user requests a game to keep them occupied while they wait for their delivery, don’t do that. It’s a simple example, but some user requests can be off-track from the main pain point your app solves. Learn to distinguish the bad from the good.

Here’s a litmus test for determining a good feature from a bad one; if the extra feature provides a more complete solution to, or enhances the user experience when solving your main pain point, it’s good. If it doesn’t directly relate to your main pain point, you can decide whether or not it’s truly needed. There’s no definite answer when determining if a feature is bad, but it is easy to figure out if it’s the right fit for your app.

It’s almost like writing a novel. Does your newest chapter fit within the story’s theme? Does the dialogue progress the plot? It works very similarly with app creation – if a feature expounds upon the central solution your app provides, it’s most likely a useful feature. If you’re finding it hard to justify why a character in your story wears flip-flops in the winter, it might not be integral to your plot. In the same vein, if a feature isn’t easily justifiable when held up to your app’s main pain point, it might be better to forgo it.

It’s always better to pick a manageable number of features to focus on – and to execute those features as best as possible – than it is to cast a wide net in an attempt to catch users with multiple functionalities. Venmo, for example, does one thing – money transfers – and it does them well. The average smartphone has 35 apps installed on it – you’re not competing to provide the answers to every problem your user has – you’re focused on providing the optimal solution to one problem out of those 35.

When you provide your users with an easy-to-use app that solves a specific pain point in their lives, they won’t mind if your co-op produce delivery app doesn’t provide real-time map updates, as long as they receive their delivery at the scheduled time and date. Build your foundation first – then add the decorations.

Measure twice, cut once

Plan Ahead

It’s an old adage, but it rings true. Before taking any steps in developing your app, identify the pain point you want to solve in your target audiences’ lives. Then research that pain point; How many people does this effect? How do they handle this problem currently? What are they asking for? How can you capitalize on this need? What are the most efficient ways to accomplish this?

The first webcam was used by programmers to livestream a coffee pot, so they wouldn’t waste a trip to fill up their mug; it solved their individual pain point, but it didn’t solve the true need millions of other users had. Before executing an idea, ask yourself; is this the root, or a branch?

When you have a solid foundation, and a main focus, build your app around that and only that. If there’s another pain point you discover that isn’t in line with the solution your app is designed to provide, make another. That’s another revenue stream for you.

Do your one thing, and do it well.

Interested in learning more about efficient development techniques? Check out our Minimum Viable Product page.

Not All Apps Are Games & Marketing

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Mobile Application Uses

When you consider the use of smartphones in your company, it’s easy to see how you’d view them as a business tool first, but also as a potential instrument of distraction that can be a drag on productivity in your organization.

At the same time, you and your fellow stakeholders have heard that there are some benefits when it comes to the internal use of business apps in the enterprise environment.

Business Apps For Efficiency, Communication & Collaboration

Rather than merely being used for games and marketing tools, apps have a place in the business environment to improve efficiency and foster more communication and collaboration among your employees.

Before you start brainstorming about what needs to be included in your own app, here are some options to consider:

App Integration with Business Software You Already Use

Your first consideration should be how the new app will work with the business software already in place. Standard office suites including a word processor, spreadsheet, email and presentation software should connect seamlessly with the app.

But it should also integrate with your CRM application as well as software being used in the human resources department.

For best results, ask IT and other department managers to report on what software they consider essential to daily operations. Then, you’ll have the details to make a case for inclusion or not when you determine what internal software should integrate with the app you wind up developing.

Company Issued Smartphones and “BYOD” Policies

The use of smartphone apps in the enterprise environment has increased in recent years, noted in a recent report from CIO, which described an emerging trend of Bring Your Own Device or BYOD activity.

The smartphones may be company-issued equipment or personal devices owned completely by the workers.

In either case, if workers are using these devices to access proprietary data, you’ll want to issue guidelines to protect your confidential information as well as intellectual property. Best practices will call for your company to build an app that includes the latest in encryption and other security measures.

You can include a customized dashboard in your app that will be cross-platform. That way, it won’t matter if some workers carry iPhones while others rely on Android models. The app will appear and function the same on either type of device.

Supporting Employees While They’re on the Road

Think of all the workers who leave your premises to go out on sales calls, attend trade shows or make presentations to investors. You may want to give them access to the same tools as those used by employees who remain at headquarters. You may also want to support local employees who work from home or even members of the team who participate from disparate locations.

A customized app that you create for your employees can help them do their jobs more easily. For example, “If one of your salespeople is at a conference, and he or she starts networking and picking up new potential leads, how do the details of these leads make it back to your internal database?”

That’s a question posed by a report from TechCo, which described the traditional way of taking care of this problem would be to take local notes out in the field, only to type them into the system once they get back to the office.

That’s a tremendous waste of time. No workers should ever have to enter the same information twice. Instead, a company app will let them enter this information directly into the CRM remotely.

It will be much more efficient for salespeople to update leads in real time, while the details of the encounters are still fresh in their minds.

Cloud Computing Integration

Keep in mind that your employees’ smartphones will have limited storage capacity. What’s more, it would be foolish to rely solely on their internal memory to keep crucial files that your company uses day-in and day-out. With that in mind, you will want to make sure that the new app you develop will have the ability to integrate with cloud computing.

For example, let’s say an employee has notes about a new customer to enter into the CRM. Being able to do this while in a remote location instead of waiting to get back to the office will do wonders for your efficiency.

Another common situation involves digital contracts that headquarters want to see ASAP. When everyone in the enterprise can save files to the cloud, you have an easy path to maintain backups of crucial data.

Do you frequently send workers out into the world to put on demonstrations for interested buyers or members of the media? An app’s access to the cloud can provide access to files that might normally be too large to store on employee devices.

You also don’t need to make low-resolution versions of photos and videos for use on a smartphone. Accessing these demo files wirelessly will be a snap when you serve them from your cloud computing services provider.

What’s more, with a cloud computing feature, you can resume operations quickly even if data is inaccessible locally because of server issues in your own data center.

Collaboration and Communication

It’s common for people to think of mobile apps only as customer-facing, often with some aspect of marketing and lead generation built into the software. Or, the apps are designed for entertainment and distraction. But your new app can be a tool that promotes communication and enables members of the team to work more effectively together.

You’ll want to ensure that the app lets employees access all the same files from the central server. The files will be updated, so workers won’t be concerned that they are looking at obsolete information.

Include communication channels in your new app, such as text messaging and audio or video conferencing. Employees can even meet virtually without the need to book time in a conference room. Social media and email integration can further strengthen employee communication via the app.

No Need to Rely on Off-the-shelf Apps

The demand for enterprise smartphone apps will increase to five times the demand for development resources, according to CIO. This highlights the need to begin development with a solid strategy. “Part of that strategy should include getting stakeholders on board, defining the ROI and clearly illustrating who the app will help, and why.”

Furthermore, you’ll need a “go-to-market” strategy to promote the enterprise app internally, seeking feedback and otherwise encouraging engagement with employees.

It’s easy to see how relying on off-the-shelf apps may not be the best approach for your company. However, if you lack the internal resources to develop an app on your own and see no clear path to hiring experienced developers to join your effort, you can always partner with experts. It is probably more cost-effective than you’d think…

Interested in a mobile app for your organization? Read our resource about “The Hidden Costs Of Building Mobile Apps” to continue learning. Or, give us a call at 804-451-6016 with questions.