Is making an app a good idea?

I’m sure you’ve seen amazing statistics like this one before

Mobile users are spending 87 percent of their time in apps, versus just 13 percent on the web. (ComScore)

and sure enough, you’ve also seen the success stories of companies that completely transform their business through their app or digital transformation strategy:

These really seem to make the case for startups and businesses investing in app development, but have you also seen these statistics?

25% of apps downloaded around the world are only ever used once. (Statista)

or:

More than 50% of smartphone users in the U.S. download zero new mobile apps per month

Have you paid close attention to the huge percentage of apps that fail before finding their first user?

Even in apps that are free for users, imagine their cost not as how much money they’d spend on it, but also how much time they spend downloading, signing up and exploring an app before they know what value they’ll get in return. If they don’t perceive enough of it, or they can solve the problem your app claims to help with in any easier way, they won’t bother.

So at the end of the day, is making an app a good idea? Well, like every answer to any good question: it depends!

Here are the 5 questions I’d try to answer before producing an app:

Is there an easier way to solve the problem?

This, especially if you’re a startup, is particularly important. Thinking of creative ways to solve a problem before investing in technology is a surprising trend in successful innovators. A community of users with no app will generally be valued more than an app with no community. So think of creative ways that can solve the same problems with less investment, like for example, bringing people together in Slack, or developing the first version of your booking platform with code-less platforms like Squarespace or WordPress.

Will users want to use my app at least daily/weekly?

If the honest answer is yes, then making an app might be a good idea. But let’s imagine you want to make an app to sell car batteries. Do you think your users will go through the trouble of downloading an app just to search for a specific product? Might they (and you) not be better served by a website?

Will my app use some of the native functionalities of a phone that are usually not available on the web?

A very good example of this is offline functionalities, something apps do very well. Twitter’s app, for instance, lets users read previously downloaded content and keep track of where they were in their feed while on the subway or offline generally. This is a significant advantage over going to their website to load content every time.

Apps also have a significant advantage over websites on design, user experience and animations, which tend to be a bit clunky when experienced on a website.

Do I have loyal customers or followers?

Do I have customers that trust me and will go to my app knowing I will be providing something valuable on it I cannot provide otherwise?

Getting people to download an app can be as hard as selling your products. If you think developing an app will make people more likely to buy from you, think again! It might very well be the case that it makes it harder since you have to invest in taking them to the app first, and then convert them to paying customers!

Is it clear how the app makes money, and how you get people to know about it?

These two questions are part of our three-pillar strategy to validate app ideas: Production – Monetization – Distribution. Although it might seem straight forward, a lot of people defer on the question of how their app will make money, and how they will get people to download them (Generally they will have an over the top idea, but not a coherent strategy).

If it’s not clear to you how your app generates revenue, cuts cost, or how people will become aware, and intent on downloading your app, then rethink your strategy. Just because apps are this decade’s buzz word is not a good enough reason to make one.

In conclusion…

It must be weird to hear an app developer talk about NOT making an app. But when you’re thinking about whether to invest significant amounts of time and money to make one, remember: we’re not in the business of making technology, we’re in the business of solving problems.

If making an app is an effective way of doing so, then let’s get innovating!