The initial rush to build mobile apps is settling down, and none too soon. The world has endured the release of a whole lot of mediocre, or even useless, mobile apps. App stores everywhere are chock-full of them. Many companies were gripped by a burning need to create mobile application development for little more than bragging rights. What such apps did for users was often an afterthought. As a result, many corporate apps have languished in app libraries with very few downloads.
Some organizations will probably let it rest there, but others may learn from their mistakes and set out to create better apps. Here are some best practices that your company can employ to ensure that any apps you develop in the future are more intriguing to users:
1. In order to succeed, a mobile app must solve a problem, deliver important functionality, save time or money, entertain or enlighten, or offer a novel service. To put it another way: Successful mobile apps deliver useful benefits to the user.
My favorite example of an app that does something useful comes from Bank of America. Available in Android and iOS versions, the software lets you deposit a paper check by taking pictures of both sides of the check. The entire process takes about two minutes.
As a rule of thumb, anything the Web already does well doesn't need an app. That's why delivering your content, creating a marketing brochure or engaging in e-commerce are not especially useful benefits for a mobile app to deliver. Bottom line: Don't start building an app until you have a rock-solid idea.
2. Focus on one thing and do it well. My experience on more than one planning committee for mobile apps leads me to believe this may be the most important recommendation. It's far too easy to go feature crazy, which could wind up derailing your project later in the process. Brainstorming is good; let the ideas flow. But when you have exhausted that process, pare the ideas down to the best one or two.
source:http://www.infoworld.com/d/mobile-technology/5-tips-developing-successful-mobile-apps-210777
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