Mobile apps are becoming more and more popular as people make more use of their smartphones and tablets. If you aren't a web designer or app developer yourself, it can be tough to know what to focus on when you want to create an app for your own business customers. Use these tips as a short guide.

Give Customers a Reason to Use it Regularly

It's important that you're not developing an app just because so many other companies seem to be doing it. One study showed that some 26% of apps are opened just one time and never used after that. Don't waste company resources and time on something that customers won't be using; ensure that you and your app developer come up with reasons that customers will make regular use of the application. For instance, you may upload a new discount each week or have them play a short trivia quiz to unlock a free prize.

Test On All Platforms

While you may have done internal studies of your customers and found that most of them use a particular operating system when they use their smartphone, it's vital that you test your app regularly during development on all kinds of platforms to ensure that it renders properly. Even if most of your customers use a system on their smartphone, they might have a tablet that uses another system. New customers may use yet another system. Being able to use your app on all kinds of devices makes it more user-friendly for everyone.

Avoid Adding Too Many Features

Depending on your own personal use of apps, you may lose track of the fact that most people using mobile applications do so because they want a fast, easy-to-use, simple experience. When you add too many features, the app might load much more slowly on older phones and can confuse and overwhelm people who just want something easy. Remember, mobile screens aren't that big; too many options can clutter the screen and become frustrating.

Make Sure You're Running Analytics

After the app itself is done, the work is not. You need to have analytical tools set up for the applications so that you're able to track information such as the number of times the app has been opened, how long customers are staying in the app and other information. This data can help you and your developer tweak the app so that it is a better experience for the customers. It can provide some feedback so that you know what is working and what can be taken out.

With these tips, developing your own app for your small business can be done in a way that suits your customers. Work closely with professional mobile app developers to ensure that it is done professionally.