From a Busy Counter to a Better Customer App: An Austin Small Business Guide mobile app development Austin TX
1. Know what is causing a bottleneck in your day
You're getting the same call 10 times a day asking the same question. Customers turning up for appointments that weren't confirmed, trying to check stock whilst someone else is waiting to pay. These little everyday scenarios will tell you where you can use your digital tool to help make things easier and where a shiny new app will cause more problems. Before thinking about developing a mobile app Austin TX, write down what is causing the most disruption to your customers. Try to note how long it is taking, losing sales or causing frustration.
Don't be tempted into creating an 'everything app'. Not everyone needs a social media platform for people who love your pastries. Maybe you need a reliable pre-order system rather than a social media platform. Or maybe you need a time frame for your customer to turn up and an easy way to approve estimates. Talk to a few regular customers about what is causing them to feel frustrated. Then compare what they say to what you know is happening from behind the scenes. This will give you a great starting point for your mobile app development Austin TX project. If you can agree on what the problem is your first version has a good chance of becoming part of their routine.
2. Think of your Local Area
Austin has a range of local areas, a university scene, live events and businesses with very varied customer schedules. Some businesses (like a coffee shop near a campus) will have peak times in the mornings. Whilst others (like a repair service) may have addresses across a wide area outside of the city centre. Your app should reflect the true nature of your business. When looking into developing a mobile app Austin TX think about what time of day your customers are trying to do something.
You don't need to spend a lot of money on researching. Take two afternoons to go and watch what is happening. If possible get permission to do so. Note down how people are finding your business, what they are asking and what is putting them off. Talk to your mobile app development Austin TX team and ask them what can be done to reduce the friction in these situations. Often a great mobile site can solve the issue. Choosing the simplest solution shows you are thinking clearly.
3. What needs to happen in your first release?
Your first release should have a clear purpose. Maybe you want your customers to be able to select a service, check availability, pay and get confirmation. Or maybe you want your delivery drivers to have a reliable list of stops. Keep your purpose simple and use it to identify any features that could be added. Whilst it may be tempting to add a rewards system, chat function and detailed dashboards these won't matter if they can't book. When writing your brief for mobile app development Austin TX ensure you include what is essential for your customers to do and what is nice to have.
Draw out a rough customer journey. Start with the first screen they will see and move through to completing an action. Where will new customers struggle? What happens if their card isn't accepted or there is no network? Who deals with requests that can't be automated? Whilst this won't be as exciting as choosing colours, it will avoid expensive changes down the line. Get a member of your team to look over the flow and send it to your mobile app development Austin TX provider. You can also do a small release to a few enthusiastic people to identify any gaps.
4. Keep it Simple and Efficient
Great mobile apps don't take too much of peoples attention. They will remember helpful preferences but not ask for extra information. Costs are made clear before checkout. Mistakes are easy to fix. If you are sending any notifications they need to have a clear reason. Maybe they are letting them know their appointment has changed, their order is ready or the driver is nearby. Too many promotional notifications will cause people to ignore everything. Ask your mobile app development Austin TX designer to show how they have handled the boring parts of your app. Like resetting passwords, refunds and no search results.
When talking about accessibility think about font sizes, contrasts, touch areas, screen reader text and people who can't rely on audio or precise movements. A busy customer in a restaurant may only have one hand free whilst carrying bags. Another may need larger text. Neither should struggle to use your app. These should be standard considerations when developing a mobile app Austin TX. When testing give them a task to complete and don't speak. This will help you to see where they are struggling. Record what is confusing them and tackle the biggest issue first.
5. Don't be Fooled by Pretty Portfolios
You may find a development agency with some impressive work but they just may not be right for you. Find out who will actually be doing the work, how decisions will be recorded and what will happen if the developer changes. Your brief should clearly outline what will happen during development. Discovery, design, development, QA, submission to the app stores and support. If they haven't included any ongoing costs like hosting or 3rd party costs then they aren't giving you the full picture.
Ask them to walk you through a common issue they may face. How would they handle if the payment provider was down? What would they do if staff found out the price of a service was incorrect? How are bugs prioritised once it goes live? You don't need to understand all the technical terms but should know who is responsible. Clarify who owns the source code, admin accounts, customer data and design files. When looking at contracts for mobile app development Austin TX ensure you have clear milestones. Rather than saying something is almost complete, ensure they can prove what they have done. It's easier to understand if they have a working booking flow. Don't leave decisions to be made in different places.
6. Plan for After Launch
Although it's a memorable day when your app launches, often the first few weeks will be the most important. People may download once and never come back. Frontline staff may have created workarounds due to too many taps on an internal screen. Plan to watch these issues and don't try to justify your original design. A sensible approach to mobile app development Austin TX will include monitoring, easy reporting of issues and a person who will handle them.
Pick a few KPIs that will reflect the purpose of your app. If it's a booking tool look at how many bookings have been completed and cancelled. If it's for pickup orders look at how many have been completed and how many support requests there are. Just looking at how many have downloaded won't show if it's a disappointing experience. Have a look at any feedback from customers and talk to those who deal with any mistakes. If your app has really saved a few minutes per order this will show in the quality of service they receive. Budget for any fixes and small improvements. Sustainable mobile app development Austin TX will be an ongoing relationship.
7. Make it something they would miss
The best compliment you can get from a customer is that your app made things easier and they would miss it if it wasn't there. As an owner you can ensure this by always keeping the original issue at the forefront of every meeting. Whenever a new feature is suggested ask who's day will it make easier and how will they know. Use this to inform your roadmap.
Austin can provide great learning opportunities with local founders, community initiatives and your existing customers. Be cautious of any excitement that isn't backed up. Keep it simple so you can listen. Ensure there is clear ownership of your systems. Focus on making the parts people use better. This means mobile app development Austin TX won't be about making yourself look techy but having a thoughtful local business. This may mean you have a quiet success which is often what your customers will need.
