Australians love mobile phones (and mobile apps). In fact, we love smartphones even more than we love our footy. We have the 2nd highest penetration of smartphones in the world.

More and more of us have mobile devices that are always with us, always on, always connected. Businesses are quickly learning how to use this trend to interact with customers in a way that has never been done before. Take Woolworths as an example. Woolworths has recently released a mobile app that is changing the way people shop (see http://goo.gl/uwgfV). The phone’s camera becomes a barcode scanner, which automatically updates your shopping list. The phone’s GPS tells the app which store you are in and displays your shopping list in aisle order. The phone’s internet connectivity links to your rewards account and tells you that your favourite products happen to be on sale this week. In a nutshell, it makes customer’s lives easier and simpler - that’s the sort of customer value proposition that drives loyalty to a brand.

Organisations can’t afford to ignore this trend. Customers want to be able to do things wherever they want, whenever they want, and their phones are the perfect tool for that job. Many customers are expecting more from their mobile devices, and if you don’t support it, they will find somebody else who does. So what should you consider when planning out your mobile app strategy? We think there are five key considerations:

1. What do your customers want?
   Think of your customers and consider some of the things they may want from an app. Can you answer their questions, or help them buy something, or provide some service to them through an app? It could be anything from enabling customers to purchase your goods via the app like the Domino’s pizza app (http://goo.gl/bEyNm) or create shopping lists like the Woolworths app. And remember that Australians love phones; if you provide them with an effective, simple way to complete a transaction with their phones, they’ll be interested in it.
2. Apps can be better than websites
   Today, most mobile apps simply provide a subset of what you could get from the organisation’s online website (or mobile website). However, apps are rapidly becoming more sophisticated and are starting to offer things that a website could never do. For example, some apps take advantage of the mobile’s camera, GPS or accelerometer. This has the potential to provide your customers with a richer, more compelling experience while at the same time providing you with more information about your customer. Consider how you might take advantage of this by thinking beyond a simple version of your online website.
3. What’s in it for you (wiify)
   Your app will only be successful if people download and use it. There are thousands of apps out there and you need to give people a good reason to install your app. The key is to clearly explain "what’s in it for you" (wiify). It might be something that makes life easier for your customer (e.g. scan the near-empty jar of Vegemite to have it automatically added to your shopping list). It might be something fun and addictive (e.g. an egg-racer game). It might be something that benefits your customer financially (e.g. saves you money). Whatever it is, you need to have a clear "wiify".
4. Make it personal
   Everything on your phone is personalised – from ringtones to colour schemes to covers. To survive in such an environment, your app needs to be personalised for the customer as well, otherwise it’s just a matter of time before it gets un-installed. One way to make it personal is to integrate it will all of the other data that you have about the customer so that your app presents them with a view of everything they want e.g. their products and services, their account balance, their contact details, their open requests etc. Your app should be aware of and relevant to the individual needs of your customers. For example, if you know that somebody frequently downloads music, tell them about the special deal you have this week on the Top 100 singles. Making your app personal will encourage customers to not only download your app, but continue to use it regularly, while at the same time increasing customer loyalty and stickiness.
5. It’s like speed dating – you have to get it right within the first few minutes
   Users will make a decision to keep an app or get rid of an app within the first few minutes of using it, a bit like speed dating. Your app has to be reliable, it needs to be easy to use, it has to work with no fuss, anytime, anywhere. Here’s a good litmus test: try to do something like performing a search or making a purchase with and without the app. If you find that it is quicker, easier, and more reliable with the app than without, then you’re probably on the right track. Otherwise, people will question why they should use the app. Finally, once you’ve deployed your app, be prepared to invest in maintaining and supporting it. Customers will quickly change their perceptions of your organisation if they have issues with your app and don’t receive timely and adequate support.

These five considerations will get you started. Most importantly, remember to look at things from the viewpoint of your customers. They want to do things easily and reliably, and they want to do them wherever they, whenever they want. The mobile device is a very powerful tool for achieving this. If you can take advantage of this trend, you will be seen as an innovative leader. If not, with smartphone and mobile app penetration rates soaring, it won’t be long before you find yourself behind your competition.