They dot our mobile devices. They're used to do just about everything: reservations, entertainment, business communications. We download and install them almost without realizing it anymore, we are so used to their presence and use.
Despite this daily use and the confidence with which we handle them, we know almost nothing about their nature.
What is an App?
The dictionary tells us that an app or computer application is "a software program, intended for an end user, so called because it has a practical application for those who use it".
That is to say, an app is a program which, installed on mobile devices, helps to use functions that would otherwise be difficult to use, in a simple and fast way.
To be more technical, an app is software that simplifies and improves the functionality of a hardware.
Why use an App for your business?
At the base of each app there are two concepts, that of ease and that of immediacy. Of the benefits that in turn generate others:
- simple and intuitive to use
- higher speed compared to the site
- contain plus which usually the site does not have
- they occupy less memory space of the device, thanks to a lower use of megabytes
- allow for accurate planning andottima user experience
- compatibility with different browsers and devices on which they are downloaded.
In general, an app allows direct and fast contact with the company, saving users time and energy. Customers will certainly appreciate it.
What are the main types of Apps?
native app
Native apps are the ones you download every day and they look great on your mobile devices.
They are apps created for a specific operating system, therefore developed with a specific programming language. What does it mean? That an Android application won't work on iOS. Of course, the opposite is also true.
Find native apps in dedicated stores, such as the Google Play Store and Apple Store. Once you have selected the ones you need, simply download and install them on your smartphone.
At this point the app will be able to interact with the various elements present in the device, such as address book, geolocation and image gallery.
Native app development allows:
- speed and reliability of the app itself
- un simple access the functionality of the mobile device
- a 'ottima user experience, both for the resolution of the app and for the adaptation to the different platforms
- the use of Push notifications to update users
- publication in the storeresulting in increased visibility
- use even without internet.
Web App
Difficult to distinguish them from native apps, since they behave in a similar way. In reality, they have nothing in common either in terms of structure or costs.
Web apps are born with the aim of making different types of content available on mobile devices as well. However, they cannot interact with hardware and software.
They are closely linked to the web, as the name itself tells us, and this aspect makes it difficult to control, due to the rapid changes in online content, the impossibility of publishing them in stores and the impossibility of functioning without an internet connection.
Finally, not being specifically designed for a certain operating system, they are less adaptable and slower.
On the other hand, they maintain some relevant advantages:
- store approval is not required
- very short development times
- cost approx three times lower to a native app.
What are Progressive Web Apps?
PWAs are apps designed and created as if they were web pages. In practice, they work like native apps, despite being web apps.
The result is very interesting: all the functions of an app combined with the different possibilities offered by browsers.
In short, positive consequences for everyone. On the one hand, the user will be able to enable specific additional features. On the other, companies will be able to offer an unforgettable user experience for users.
A hybrid app
Halfway between native apps and web apps, this type of app is also called cross-platform and brings together all the positive aspects of the two types of apps.
A good middle ground that allows you to create native apps as if they were web apps, so that they can also be used on different platforms.
- greater quickness compared to native apps
- more flexibility compared to web apps
- offline operation same as for native apps
- present an version only regardless of the number of platforms
- easy maintenance, thanks to the possibility to update only one version for the different platforms
- less expensive to develop native apps.
However there are some small contraindications. An app of this type can be characterized by less stable performance precisely because, having to adapt to multiple operating systems, it does not adapt perfectly to anyone.
What is a Business App?
In the technical classification we have just made, we started from an assumption: that a brand or company has an app for its customers.
In short, whether they want to offer a simpler and more immediate shopping experience, or provide information in real time, communication is directed towards the outside.
However, there is also another possible use for this tool. In fact, every company can exploit the potential of an app to optimize its work and make internal company processes leaner and faster.
In this case we are talking about business apps. Developed specifically for department or business process management, a business app:
- is meant for a targeted use
- is raimed at a specific target and not to a large audience
- it is not downloadable from a store.
Over the years, this type of app has become increasingly popular. A spread like wildfire especially thanks to the transition from desktop to mobile also for work.
Furthermore, in recent years, the need to work remotely and to keep control over some processes quickly and easily has contributed to a further push for the creation of these apps.
Types of business apps
We have just seen that these apps are intended for organization and internal management of companies. Their purpose can be to improve communication between departments, speed up processes or simplify the administrative and financial aspect.
The objectives may be different depending on each company and its needs, but let's see together 5 application examples of these apps:
How do you create an App?
It's time to put the programmers to work. To design and develop an app, of any type, you have to rely on professionals capable of handling codes and tools.
They will be the ones to direct you to the most suitable type of app based on the type of activity and goals you want to achieve.
As in many other sectors, also in this case we start with an analysis. Creating an app means defining:
- target. Who is your target audience?
- obiettivo. What is the app supposed to do?
- requirements. What special features must the app have?
- content. What elements need to be categorized?
- budget. How much do you want to invest in the project?
This small list allows you to lay down the foundation for your app. Do you want to address a very large audience without operating system limitations? The choice will be towards a web app. Is your focus, on the other hand, on high quality, maximum reliability and excellent resolution? Then you can't help but focus on a native app.
From this first overview of apps it is already clear that the sector is as vast as it is complex.
Every entrepreneur is faced with a series of possibilities both to improve internal processes and to increase the relationship with customers and therefore sales.
The choice of direction to take depends on the main objectives to be achieved. And you, which do you think is the most suitable app for your type of business?
