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Development ServicesWhy mobile? It’s no longer a question of if, it’s a question of when and how. Since 2011, smartphones have had greater market penetration than PC’s, and in the US alone, there are over 184 million users with that number growing globally every day.
Your mobility strategy isn’t just about your mobile app portfolio and your public facing presence, it’s about deep integration into your business strategy including marketing, technology, operations and finance. Mobility has become integral to how businesses run, remain relevant, stay competitive and to the overall organizational success. Read about mobile app development.
Simply put, go mobile or go! It’s a little punny because mobile is the on-the-go platform! Today’s blog will scratch the surface of the many facets that require consideration. It’s inspired by Intersog’s Mobile App Strategy Workbook!
Business Goals
Start at the top of the organization at the highest level with your overall business objectives. Be sure that they are thoroughly analyzed, documented, measurable and clear. Bottom and top line movement is often a general key objective which can be broken into further evaluation parameters such as greater profit margins, increased sales, improved customer service ratings, new user acquisition, market expansion, reduced operational expenses, consolidate systems/operations, etc.
Next, boil down the objectives into projects and tasks (this blog and our workbook will help you do that). And as it’s 2015, your mobility offerings are most likely at the top of the list in helping accomplish these. Then create the building blocks of mini-objectives, practical tasks and personnel assignments.
360° Assessment
Assess the market, the industry, the competition and your own internal current state. This research will provide clarity and definition to delineate the best direction for you from where you are today to where you want to go! You are better off innovating something that doesn’t exist than trying to catch up to others that are ahead of you. Best to avoid a game of catch up, if you can! If you innovate a need in the market that doesn’t exist, you’ll be the trend setting leader and your competitors will by trying to catch up with you! It’s the risk/reward factor. Intersog excels at innovation. From product ideation and marketing ingenuity to innovative technology solutions, Intersog has accomplished highly rated wearable technology and market leading eHealth programs.
Generate Ideas
Next, generate ideas on all the areas of the company that could possibly leverage the potential of mobile. Prioritize and rank/rate these ideas. Break them down into logical functional or operational groups and segment based on whether it’s best to utilize a stand-alone mobile app solution or integrated app modules. Also consider the existing mobile app products in the market or if you need a custom app. If a custom solution is warranted, dev shops like Intersog have a large library of reusable components that can bring products to life more efficiently.
Define Your Mobility Goals
This is where you start to get specific about why and what you are going to build. Set SMART goals (specific, measurable, attainable, realistic, and time-based) and document them! Include your target audience, integration requirements, desired analytics (user and performance) and your content strategy. Consult with a seasoned partner, like Intersog, for app ideation and ways to fully leverage the device attributes. External partners are an excellent way to infuse new ideas and take advantage of the trends that may not be apparent to you yet!
Platform Approach
Get down to brass tacks about what the organization can and will support. Pin down an MDM and MAM roadmap and determine which target devices and tools will work best for the current and future states of your technology stack. The goal is to future-proof your decisions so you achieve the ROI before the technology landscape changes. So many options are available these days that take advantage of existing investments, so you can get rid of the dirty bathwater and keep the baby. Advisory services from Intersog can help to this end.
Marketing and Enterprise Integration
Define the integration requirements to existing systems and processes. Not only do you want the strategies to align, but you also want the current methods to be incorporated and enhanced without too much disruption. Sometimes these paths are very apparent and easy to identify and others become slightly more complex and obscure. Areas include; security, ERP/Application/Database integrations, internal and external supplier requirements, customer/client requirements, MDM/MAM, data analytics setup and reporting, etc.
Culture Change
Ignoring the required change management and organizational mind shift is a great risk. When the strategies are being redefined, EVERYONE must understand that the change needs to permeate and all participants must address their tasks differently than before. For example, if you are building a mobile marketing engine that changes how you deliver content to your targets, then a revised content strategy will be required. You can’t build educational, informative material in the same way, or you might as well simply publish the same way you always have. Mobile will not bring you many advantages. But if you realize, there is a new way to “speak” to your audience that elicits different responses and emotions, you might be able to capture them in such a way they are willing to share more of themselves with you. Mobile has become “a platform of moments” and understanding this will enable you to truly maximize its potential.
There is More
To learn more about building, applying and measuring your new mobility strategy, please request Intersog’s Mobile App Strategy Workbook. This comprehensive, practical workbook is filled with ideas and ways to generate your custom mobile strategy. Request a copy today.
If you are in Chicago on April 29th 2015, AITP Chicago’s Mobility Shared Interest Group will be discussing mobility strategy with esteemed panelists from Aon, Citi, MillerCoors, Northern Trust and United Airlines. Click here to register.
