Consider This Before You Build a Mobile App

Mobile apps….you probably use them on a daily basis to read the news, explore social media, or check the balance of your bank account. Apps give us bite sized pieces of the internet with just a couple presses of the touch screen; they’ve essentially revolutionized the way we use the internet. Mobile apps are also crucial to gaining a larger audience among millennials So how can you use this information to build a kick ass mobile app…

Know Your Audience

Before you can determine the value of building a mobile app it is important to determine what your audience wants from your mobile app. Check your website analytics, where do your users go first? Where do they stay longest? Once you’ve determined the most valuable areas of your website, you can develop an app that is sure to please your audience.

Consider your Goals

Think about where your association wants to be six months from now, one year from now, even five years from now. What are your goals? A mobile app can help you achieve the goals of your organization. For example, if your goal is to increase community interactions and engagement you might consider building an app that takes the user directly to community. Your app doesn’t have to be a miniature version of your website, in fact, it’s better if it is not. Do your research, know your audience, set your goals and make that app work for you!

The best type of app “really depends on the association’s membership and organizational goals.”
–Kevin Leonard, association and nonprofit engagement manager at Breakthrough Technologies, LLC

Showcase Your Strengths

Be wary of any company that tries to sell you a “one size fits all mobile app” and promises that it is exactly what your association needs to become more relevant. If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is. Each association meets the needs of their audience in different ways. What is the strength of your organization? Is it your conferences, continued education, or community? Mobile apps should showcase the best elements of your organization, putting them front and center for mobile access through your app.

In order to determine the best types of app for your organization, take some time to clarify what is most important to your audience and the goals of your organization.

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