(Newswire.net — December 24, 2019) — Look up from you phone for a second. What you see shouldn’t be a surprise. Everyone else has their eyes glued to their screens also.
According to a recent study, U.S. residents check their phones about every 12 minutes. And, nearly of all of this time is spent in apps. Specifically, 90 percent of all mobile usage comes from apps. Users bury their heads into these programs for over two hours daily.
Showing no signs of slowing down, there is a huge opportunity for small businesses to capitalize on this trend. But, where should you begin?
Deciding to jump into app development can be overwhelming. To be successful, it requires a defined purpose, clear understanding of your market and strong brand awareness. And, that’s all before you even begin the design phase. That’s why it’s imperative to choose the right strategy when you are ready to start building.
Weigh each of the three options below to determine which approach is best for you and your business.
Invest in-house
The solution may already be under your roof.
Existing employees know your company inside and out. They should already know your brand, your goals and your culture.
For this reason, most small businesses choose to develop apps in-house. Long term, this is much more cost effective and allows total control of the project from start to finish.
However, having the talent to pull this off may be a challenge. This approach only works in companies that already have the technically-proficient talent on staff. If not, recruiting outside resources may be needed. This only increases the start-up costs.
Hire outside help
Your dream app may simply be too much for your team to handle.
For complex development, many small businesses chose to hire outside help. Freelancers, consultants and app development agencies provide high-skill levels with minimal time investment. With this approach, an external company is doing the heavy lifting.
But, you can’t just sit back and relax. There is a learning curve when working with an outside firm. Any agency will need time, guidance and education to learn your business and your desired results. In addition, once the initial app is completed, it may be difficult to release future updates without additional costs.
DIY to D-O-N-E
DIY app builders deliver results.
A blend of both in-house and outside options, these programs allow your staff to create simple, inexpensive apps. Not every business needs (or can afford) a custom-built app.
Using pre-set templates, app builders offer drag-and-drop functionality that’s easy to use and at a reduced cost. Better yet, these programs require no coding experience. While these development tools may have their limitations, the cost savings alone make them worthwhile to try initially. App builders are an easy entry point for start-up apps. As your business grows, you can always expand and add new features later.