Several studies show users spending over 50% digital media time on mobile apps. The small enterprises can use mobile apps as a powerful tool to reach out to more customers, communicate with customers, promote their products/services, and drive digital sales. But a large percentage of users nowadays abandon mobile apps after one use. The small business must explore ways to improve user experience delivered by its app to keep the users engaged and persuade them to use the app regularly.

Unlike large enterprises, small businesses and start-ups lack adequate resources to make their apps available on multiple mobile platforms. Likewise, they find it difficult to persuade customers to download the mobile app, and balance the app’s quality and growth. The small business app development challenges can be tackled by preparing and implementing a comprehensive mobile app development strategy. In addition to addressing common app development challenges, the strategy will also help the small business to accomplish more downloads and boost digital sales.

7 Ways To Tackle Common Small Business App Development Challenges

1) Make the App Available on Multiple Mobile Platforms

At present, Android dominates the worldwide smartphone operating system market. But several studies suggest that iOS apps are more profitable than Android apps. Also, the people using iOS apps are more likely to indulge in mobile commerce transactions. Hence, a small enterprise cannot increase online sales by making its mobile app available on a single platform. It must explore ways to make the app available on both iOS and Android to reach out to more customers and boost digital sales. A small business can always opt for cross-platform mobile app development to make its app available on multiple mobile platforms in a fast and cost-efficient way.

2) Consider Developing Native Cross Platform Apps

A small business may find it difficult to deploy dedicated developers to build native mobile app for multiple mobile platforms. But it can easily opt for native cross-platform mobile app development to make the app accessible to customers across devices and platforms. Unlike hybrid cross platform apps, native cross platform apps deliver personalized user experience by taking advantage of the application programming interfaces (APIs) provided by native software development kit (SDK) of individual mobile platforms. There are also a number of tools that accelerate native cross platform app by providing unified API that supports multiple mobile platforms.

3) Take Advantage of New Tools and Frameworks

There are a number of tools and frameworks that enable developers for cross platform mobile app development with a single and shared code base. These frameworks make the cross platform apps function just like native mobile apps, while delivering personalized user experience. For instance, an enterprise can use Xamarin to make a single app available on Android, iOS, and Windows Mobile with a single code base written in C#. Likewise, Appcelerator Titanium enables developers to make the same app available on Android and iOS platforms with a code base written in JavaScript. A small business must take advantage of these native cross-platform app development frameworks to curtail development time and cost significantly.

4) No Need to Make the App Feature-Rich

A small business can simplify mobile app development by defining its business goals and target market clearly.  It must use the mobile app as a marketing tool to interact with customers and deliver relevant content/message. The enterprise does not require a robust mobile app to interact with customers and deliver the required messages. It can always reduce app development time and cost by defining the primary functionalities required to accomplish its business goals. At the same time, the business must ignore the features which customers will not use. Instead of developing a feature-rich mobile app, the enterprise must explore ways to enable customers to use the mobile app in a useful and interactive way.

5) Reuse Existing Digital Resources

A small business must synchronize its website and mobile app to promote its brand more effectively. Instead of creating brand new content for the mobile app, it must consider reusing the existing digital resources. For instance, the enterprise can develop the mobile app with a variety of resources used by the website – content, images, videos and visuals. It can curtail app development time and cost significantly by reusing the existing digital resources. Also, the resource reuse will make the website and mobile app complement each other.  However, the app must deliver fresh and updated information to customers to drive digital sales.

6) Explore Ways to Shorten Development Cycle

While developing a mobile app, small enterprises must focus on business goals and customer engagement. At the same time, they must explore ways to launch the mobile app as early as possible to beat competition. An enterprise can minimize the mobile app development cycle in a number of ways. But it must not minimize the development and testing process to launch a high quality mobile app. Instead, the business needs to explore ways to avoid lengthy and complex app store review process. It must consider distributing the app as a custom hyperlink or QR code to minimize development cycle without affecting the app’s quality.

7) Choose the Right App Developer

A small business has option to choose from a wide range of mobile app developers. Many IT companies nowadays offer mobile app development services, and launch robust online marketing campaigns to attract clients. Likewise, an enterprise also has option to choose from a large number of freelance mobile app developers. Hence, enterprises often find it difficult to choose the right mobile app developer. A small business must explore ways to sustain relationship with the developers to maintain and update the mobile app smoothly. Also, it needs to compare the developers based on key parameters like app development portfolio, references, and app reviews posted by users.

A small business can easily address these mobile app development challenges by implementing a robust strategy. However, the mobile app development strategy also needs to focus on making the app engage customers and deliver business consistently. A small enterprise can even consider using its mobile app as a robust and self-sustained business channel to drive digital sales over a longer period of time.