The growing importance of mobile apps
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Mobile connectivity is rapidly becoming a worldwide revolution. Countries which, only a decade ago, were completely or almost completely offline are now getting online in increasing numbers. This means that as business increasingly goes global, it pays to stay on the cutting edge of digital technology. The sheer worldwide nature of the Internet and mobile communication has made it possible for businesses to do business in areas they could never reach before.
New revenue streams are continuing to open as more and more areas of the world become digitally connected. And so it becomes increasingly important to build brand loyalty in order to carve out a niche and defend it against the competition. Businesses can now keep customers up to date on activities and events as well as maintain a high degree of quality feedback that enables companies to deliver what customers want. Customers can also be kept engaged with promotions and surveys that provide two way communication that encourages brand loyalty.
The importance of mobile apps as communication and promotion tools means that businesses who want to build a mobile app should go beyond scripted testing. While such testing is important for finding bugs and fixing issues, it is still vital to bring in real people who can perform ad hoc tests and can think as regular users think. It also takes a little imagination to be able to predict what users might do that could cause problems or crash the program. So, it isn't just a matter of developing a mobile app for the purpose of increasing sales. A mobile app that isn't thoroughly tested can actually damage sales and the company's reputation.
It doesn't look like mobile apps will be going away anytime soon. People are increasingly busy and such applications give them the ability to stay informed and make purchases while still maintaining a hectic schedule. If anything, online purchasing is going to increase as energy costs and business overhead continue to grow. There may come a time when the Internet is the major if not the only marketplace.