You probably have your very own smartphone filled with downloaded apps. So why is it that you haven’t tapped yet to the mobile platform to promote your online biz?

These days, almost everyone in the world are carrying around their mobile devices and accessing various apps many times every single day. Imagine how much exposure you could have if your app was being used by each and every one of your targeted consumers in different countries. This is essentially why you need to come up with a mobile app for your e-store. Make your brand into a household name— or rather, an app store name that everybody’s scurrying to get.

Step 1: Decide on Your Purpose.

Before you rush into getting this app built, you must take it one step at a time. Begin with the end in mind, as they say.

What’s your purpose? Is it to interact with customers more, to boost sales, to strengthen brand exposure, to inform people about up and coming products, or all of the above?

Part of knowing your purpose is also knowing the message that you would like your app to convey to its users. When you’ve got these all settled, you can then narrow down your ideas and focus on just a few that would help you accomplish your objectives.

Step 2: Study Your Audience.

Even if you’ve already studied your audience before launching your business, it pays to delve deeper into their mobile gadget usage.

Let’s say you are targeting typical teenagers. These are avid app users and many of them like to play games on their electronic tablets and smartphones. You shouldn’t stop with such info. Find out what time they usually play, how often they do it, what kind of challenges they enjoy, and more. These will all provide better insight and thus guide you in planning an app that they would appreciate and love.

Step 3: Choose a Suitable App Type.

Once you know your purpose and audience, the next step is to choose the app type. Given the example above, it’s obvious that you have to establish a game app that would eventually lead these teens to your online store.

But what if your products are for busy professionals and executives? Perhaps an organizational app will be better, one that they could use for work or for managing time.

Indeed it’s essential to pick a suitable app that fits your purpose and audience in order to ensure its success.

Step 4: Plan Your App Well.

Now it’s time to get down to planning proper. How do you visualize this app? Naturally, it has to match your branding— the colors, the entire look, the overall feel, the language, etc. Take note of the graphics and text, the story behind it (if there’s one), the challenges or levels in a game, the features, the rewards. There’s certainly plenty to consider.

In a game, for instance, it would be good to give special discount codes as prizes for completing levels. And in a time management or weight loss diary app, you could lock some features that could only be opened upon sharing the app on social media.

Release your creative juices! There are tons of gimmicks you can incorporate into your app without hard selling your products and services.

Step 5: Pick a Great Developer.

Remember this: your amazing plan will go to waste without a great developer.

Don’t just grab a random stranger advertising on the classifieds unless he’s got valid samples to truly show his expertise. You need to carefully look over your options, given the budget and design you have in mind. Also please take the time to check out a developer’s background and portfolio while also going over reviews on this person or company.

Step 6: Promote Your App.

When your app is finally ready to be released to the public, then you need to promote it. No matter how marvelous it is, it will remain sitting in the app store and getting ignored if you don’t market it sufficiently.

Building a mobile app doesn’t end with the finished product. It’s as good as zilch without active users and without fulfilling the purpose for which it was built.

You can utilize your website and existing social media networks to promote your app. You may also want to feature it in paid ads, spread the word on forums, and incorporate it into your ongoing or upcoming marketing campaigns.

Step 7: Measure the Performance.

The process is not over until you measure the performance of your app. You have to build it up until it’s considered effective. Hence, you need to employ some analytics tools in order to determine if your mobile app is actually doing what it’s supposed to.

For instance, if you designed the app to grow your email list, it should be doing such. If you planned for it to help your customers get to know your brand better, then you must conduct a survey, unveil a poll, or use a feedback form to find out.

Measure the performance. It doesn’t matter if your app has a million users. If it was built to boost your sales but your sales reports show the same results, then the app is not effective and might have to be redesigned.

Eager to try out your own mobile app and see what it can do for your business? Follow the steps above and walk down the right path— toward a fruitful online business!