If you’ve been staring at the desktop version of your site, wondering how you can tinker it to get even better results, then you might want to look away now, because: desktop web traffic is on the decline, and mobile traffic is soaring. As a business, you need to follow wherever the people are going, and they’re going toward mobile pretty quickly. You should absolutely already have a mobile version of your website (if you don’t, do it NOW), but how about a mobile app? More and more companies are releasing apps, and you should too. It’ll open up a whole new world of possibility.

Make it User-Friendly

Your app won’t exist for your business; it’ll be for your customers, both present, and potential. Everything about your app should be built with them in mind. There might be a few details you need to incorporate for your own benefit (such as sign up sheets), but even these things should be with an eye on the customer, so as to ensure they’re handled properly. A smooth design, easy to use interface, and reliability should be your three main starting points.

Outside Help and Your Skills

You’ll be able to have a say, of course, in the development of your app, but it’s important that you play up to your skills, and let the experts take care of the actual development. You’ll have an idea of the kind of language and images you need to include for your customers, and they’ll know how to put all your ideas into something that’ll work on a smartphone. It’s all about balancing your skills and those with the technical know-how.

Works Perfect, Every Time

There are many things that can put a user off an app. Annoying popups, invasive notifications, and unnecessary menus are just three examples. Few will make people hit the delete button faster than an app that simply doesn’t work. Before launching, make sure your app is thoroughly tested for bugs and has the code it needs to be flawless when people are using it. This means having strong exception handling and making sure that it can run smoothly without lag. If an app runs perfect, your customers will be comfortable using it again and again.

Start Small

When you initially launch your app, you might consider doing so on just one mobile platform, iOS or Android. Doing so will give you the time to iron out any kinks before you launch for all mobile users. You might also want to consider offering the app to select customers to see whether they enjoy it or not.

Measure the Results

Once you’re launched proper, you should always be keeping one eye on the performance of your app. There’ll be plenty of data available, which should inform any small tweaks you want to make to the app. For example, if people aren’t using one particular part of the app, it might be worth deleting it. In any case, understanding what’s going on will help you move your app forward in the future.