Start building your mobile sales app now

Creating mobile retail apps that engage consumers and increase sales is not easy. From creating a strategy to getting the right features,  mobile applications have become nearly synonymous with business innovation.

According to a Forrester Technographics Survey, 43% of U.S. firms with over 500 employees say sales is the most important department to focus on for mobile software. Over 61% of firms in this survey said they plan to invest in mobile for sales.

Given this, it’s no surprise that retailers are eager to produce mobile apps. Unfortunately, many of the companies eager to produce mobile apps make mistakes that result in apps that neither engage users nor increase sales. So here are some tips that might help you create successful mobile sales apps.

• Create a united mobile strategy – Unfortunately, few organizations have an enterprise strategy for mobility. Instead, mobility often begins organically in separate business units under pressure to release apps, resulting in a collection of apps without a cohesive strategy. This can create an inconsistent experience for a customer using multiple apps. It also adds complexity and expense because developers do not leverage or re-use common elements.
• Consider current technology – Many organizations have outdated technology that may limit what they can actually deliver. Whatever your mobile strategy is, you need to look at the underlying technology. You need to have a solid service orientatated architecture with a data layer, API layer and a front-end layer to be scalable and flexible.
• Know your mobile app user – Often times, retailers waste money and resources by relying too heavily on market research to create mobile apps instead of reaching out to consumers.  They look at historical data, but they don’t actually go out and ask people how they use the tools. Truly understanding user needs and get to the “why” of the equation will help you create better apps.
• Understand the cloud requirements – More and more companies opt for the cloud for their mobile initiatives because of its scalability and flexibility. But cloud comes with challenges when connecting cloud to on-premise systems.  This is why organizations must make sure they choose the proper architecture and design to take full advantage of the cloud.
• Keep it simple and intuitive – Many retailers do not make it easy for consumers to quickly find what they need and purchase it using an app. A mobile sales app is not about throwing everything you can at the user. It’s about keeping it simple, ensuring it is an intuitive experience for the user, and enabling the customer to buy more and doing it more frequently.
• Focus on the right features – Successful sales mobile apps share some common features, all of which focus on helping consumers quickly find and purchase what they want. They include push notifications, which can be used to deliver targeted offers relevant to the consumer; image zoom/alternate images,  which give users the ability to look at products from many different angles; and one- or two-click checkout. Keep in mind it’s all about speed and convenience
• Go native – While Web applications offer some benefits such as broader mobile device coverage, native apps offer a far superior user experience. At the end of the day, the purpose is to sell product. Native apps have the advantage of better performance, including accessibility, interaction, responsiveness and, most importantly, access to device functionality.

The right sales tools can go a long way toward boosting your business, and the ability to develop effective mobile applications gives an organization a strategic advantage in the market. So start building your mobile sales app now.

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