1 July 2019
You don't need an app, you need a solution to your users' problems
by Katie Pohlman
You’re looking for your next big thing, but that doesn’t necessarily need to be an app … Typically we see four organizations that fall into this, “OMG we need an app” camp. Medium sized organizations likely don’t have a CTO or technical leadership, and can have a hard time dedicating time and resources to thought leadership in that space. Non-technical markets have similar struggles and often feel late to the party when it comes to technology. We also see a lot of clients looking for better ways to engage their customers or reach new markets. Finally, as we know, competitive pressure can drive you into wanting an app. Your competitor just launched an app that claims to have shiny features, and all of a sudden you feel you need one too, without really understanding the problem you’re trying to solve.
So, you want to build and app? So does everyone and their uncle.
You aren’t the only one that feels you need an app to stay relevant in the market, but we believe it’s mistaken for table stakes. We’ve overwhelmed our users by asking them to download an app for every tiny task we want them to do. Ever heard of [app-fatigue?] (https://fortune.com/2016/08/16/app-fatigue-is-taking-a-toll-on-smartphone-owners/) Users struggle to see the value from their download, in fact, only 40 apps are used per month of 80 that are downloaded, according to annieapp.com. The average amount a company will spend on a custom app is about one million, that’s quite a bit for it to be deleted after they redeem their free gift. If you do want to spend that kind of money, it better be worth it!
Still want an app? Tell me why … do you simply think it’s cool? Do you think you users will enjoy it? Remember, an app only sticks when it provides continuous value to its user. (Hey, that’s one of our core values). Let’s think about what problem you are actually trying to solve, instead of launching an app that feels a lot like a bandaid over top of the struggle. If your ultimate plan to build an app has been interrupted by us, then we’ve done a good job. But we won’t leave you here with wide eyes, download our checklist to identify when an app makes sense. Maybe an app makes sense for you, maybe not. We challenge you to find a solution to fit the user’s problem, not make the problem fit your preferred solution.
