In a previous post I mentioned that I was partnering with another businessman with a long history of sales experience and keen to build a marketing business based around web design, mobile app development and specialised marketing services that could be provided in various packages to help clients build their businesses online.
Over a period of a few months last Summer we started promoting mobile apps for small service businesses such as hairdressers, restaurants and taxi firms etc. However, as it turned out, there were very few small businesses interested in having an app due to the cost involved, so it was difficult to justify the time being spent in trying to source new clients. But the one good thing that came out of the experience was that I can now build mobile apps at a fraction of the cost that specialised app development companies charge.
A custom built app can literally cost tens of thousands of pounds which most small companies will not, and cannot justify the expenditure. Custom built app with special features that cannot be incorporated into websites are certainly useful and profitable in the right circumstances, but do small companies really need their own app?
There are definitely some benefits to having an app for your business, even a basic one, but the first thing to consider is will your customers download the app and actively use it? If not, then it's probably going to be a waste of time and money having one built. But there are certain types of businesses that will see good results and a good return on their investment.
I believe PWA's are going to be the future of mobile apps for all types of business. But for now, it's a little bit early to say how successful these new type of apps will be in the world of online marketing.
