Businesses need apps to survive the digital age

Many businesses are developing mobile apps to improve customer relations, or to provide an alternative to their web portals. However, according to USA Today, there is another, more beneficial way for a business to utilize mobile application design.

Businesses can use mobile apps as an alternative to traditional computing to boost versatility, improve mobility and increase productivity among employees. Joshua Allen, a theater design consultant, told the news source that he began using an iPad instead of his old laptop when traveling around the country for work and found it to be a clear advantage.

Utilizing mobile apps for business use allows professionals to use their own personal devices for work rather than relying on work-issued technology or bulky computers. It also increases the mobility of employees, promoting remote working over being stuck at a desk in the office or at home. More and more businesses are turning to tablets especially to increase workplace productivity, the news source reported.

To gain the advantages that mobile devices offer, however, a company has to invest in application development to create the apps that employees need to do their jobs. While some serviceable apps may already be on the market, many businesses have unique operational needs that could require the creation of in-house apps.

However, just because a business creates a functioning app doesn't mean employees are going to use it. Any company developing an internal app needs to remember that just because it works doesn't mean it's appealing. Even for business use, apps need to follow several rules for high-quality GUI design, including intuitive interfaces, pleasing color schemes that make the app easy to read and navigate and an overall appealing appearance.

Other issues are important for a business to remember when developing an in-house app, according to Apps Tech News. Using mobile devices for work is especially popular among professionals who travel frequently, meaning apps need to function outside usual connectivity zones. If an app stops working once the  mobile device is disconnected from the network, it won't be very useful. For example, London's underground transit system, the Tube, doesn't have cellular or wireless connectivity, making it difficult for professionals traveling through the city to do work during their commute, the news source noted.