Would You Use Your Company's Mobile App?

By Author: Susan Smith
Total Articles: 132
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When developing a mobile app for your company, it is easy to lose sight of your target market. In the trenches of programming code and design layouts, it can be exceedingly easy to forget about the actual users you are making the app for. Whenever you find yourself doing so, try to regain your focus on the core purpose of your app, and if all else fails, ask yourself one simple question: Would you use your company's mobile app?

Regaining Focus

When you ask yourself, and subsequently answer the aforementioned question, try to keep an open mind. In other words, while it is probably unlikely that you are a Harley-Davidson riding biker in your spare time and you do not own a mobile device, try to open your mind to think like someone that does. Sometimes all it takes is adopting on a different persona in order to fully gain the perspective of your target market. Every marketing genius that has ever lived, made their living by getting in the minds of other people. So, the next time you find yourself all wrapped up in your own thoughts and the overwhelming task of creating a profitable mobile app, simply ...
... try on someone else's perspective. Doing so will surely shed new light on the project and give yourself a much needed break from, well, yourself. With that said, sometimes trying to take on the perspective of your app’s target market can weigh heavily on your mind, in some cases, perhaps too much. For such reason, you may want to look outside of yourself for inspiration — friends and family can be invaluable in this regard.

Would Your Friends And Family Use It?

After trying on someone else's perspective without avail try seeking advice from a friend or family member. Loved ones are great resources to gain insight from, especially if any of them are apart of your target market. For instance, say your best friend, Rob, is a thirty-something bachelor with a college degree and a well-paying job. In addition, he is a big sports fan. Coincidentally, your app that is in the works is set to be a score tracker for various sports and teams within each league. Although not an avid fan of sports, you can still appreciate the games, but have been having trouble tapping into what design and interface aspects your target market would want from your app. Needing insight, you ask your friend Rob, who is a perfect representation of your target market. He gives you valuable insight into what sports fans look for out of a score-tracking app, which in turn inspires you to add several additional features to your app.

Conclusion

As you can see, sometimes getting out of your own head and gaining insight from someone else is all it takes to refocus the design phase of your app. So, whether you are designing a sports app or a social media suite, try the previously mentioned techniques to either branch out your perspective to your target market, or find a friend or family member that fits the mold and pick their brain for awhile. Both methods can be useful when different obstacles arise while designing your app. Use your intuition to figure out which will serve your project best, and if you fall short, then just keep trying different angles until you finally gain the insight you have been looking for.

The author is associated with one of the leading enterprise app development companies, iPad developers and mobile app development Dallas company