You Don’t Need An App For That!
Do I need an app for that?
A potential client approached Pagio Digital saying that they desperately needed an app that calculated pension savings for their customers. Basically, they were a pension broker who targeted people over the age of 55. Their current method was not working, and to be honest, we weren’t surprised. Here’s why…
This client was getting customers to go to their website, download an excel file and then fill in a formula to calculate pension savings. It would then populate a nice chart for them to easily understand and show the increase/savings for their pension funds.
The reason for “needing” an app was the fact that no one visiting their website (using a mobile or tablet) was filling in the information. Overall, 62% of the users on their website used mobile and tablet devices, and they were missing out on them. Our immediate thoughts were’ “You don’t need an app for that” and “who on earth has Microsoft Excel on their tablets and phones?”.
They were fixated on the fact that they “needed” an app as it’s the new thing every business needs, and their research showed that the majority of their customers were using a mobile device. As an app development company, we would agree that apps can help most businesses, but for this task, it just wasn’t necessary!
Let us explain why!
- Just because 62% of users are on a mobile device, it does not mean that you need an app. You just need to make sure your website is a mobile friendly website and is easy to navigate for your customers on all screen sizes.
- Making users use excel is the wrong method as they may not even have access to it, or understand how to use it, especially on a mobile device! Yes, we love excel, but many people do not know what it is, let alone have it on their tablet or phone.
- 55+-year-olds are not exactly the target market for mobile apps, especially for single use. Yes, the older generations are using Facebook and embarrassing their grandchildren or having a search on PlentyOfFish, but not for something like this. Mobile apps should help users perform regular tasks that save time and are useful to them such as banking, shopping, travel, dating, to do lists and so on.
- This can easily be done on their website and for cheaper than it would cost to develop this in a mobile app. Yes, you heard us correctly, we convinced a potential client to go with a cheaper option based on what was best for them, not our bank balance. We could have sold them an app and increased our revenue, but the solution was not right for them and it wouldn’t help their business. Pagio Digital is here to help businesses, not ourselves, which is sadly sometimes the case in our industry.
Doing what should be done
The potential client did not think this could be done on their website as their previous website providers had told them it wasn’t possible. 3 months down the line, our client is now taking full advantage of the mobile users on their website, with a mobile-friendly calculator that is converting those visitors. We developed a calculator for them, which uses their algorithms and formulas, which populates live on site and gives the user the results instantly. The user can then enquire directly to our client regarding their pensions.
Our client is happy, and yes they did indeed give us permission to write this about them as long as we didn’t mention who they were. Sometimes, “you don’t need an app for that!”
If you are thinking that you need an app for yourself or your business, why not ask and we can tell you our honest thoughts? Not hard sell, just good honest advice. Feel free to call us on 01772 393989 or email daniel.fisher@pagiodigital.co.uk.