Ever since the advent of mass-market mobile app development, it seems every business—from social networks to pizza delivery places—has an app you can download on your phone, offering you a wide array of features working towards a singular vision: take their core value propositions, streamline them, and make them accessible at the touch of a finger. But those are consumer apps… surely a B2B app would be different?
Well, yes and no. While many of the features will be different, the main idea—making your services more accessible—should stay the same. Here are a few tips for making a B2B app for your company:
This applies particularly if your company offers more than one major B2B service. The best thing about a mobile app is that it’s simple and straight-forward, so don’t complicate things by adding too many services or features. If you’re a corporate supplier, for example, an app that lets the businesses you supply to easily order new stock as they use their current supply takes something you already do well, and makes it more convenient for the user.
UX, or user experience, refers to how easy and intuitive your app is to use. Just because it doesn’t have the bright colours and fun animations of a consumer application doesn’t mean this should be ignored. Hire a mobile app development firm with experience in good UX, and they will make sure that each function your users carry out on the app will be as simple and straightforward as possible. Have mobile application management and support staff on call to deal with bugs and glitches as they pop up, to help make sure it keeps running smoothly. Businesses want convenience, and great mobile application management is a great way to ensure you get their business—one that is too difficult or that doesn’t work like it should will send them packing to another B2B vendor.
Example of a PiiComm-developed logistics app:
Video: ShipTrack Logistics Platform
There’s a tendency to think that with modern technology, all the face-to-face, actual communication is obsolete—and this couldn’t be further from the truth. In the first point, we used the example of an app that allows companies to order supplies from you. If they are using the app, and either run into an issue, or have a request that cannot be conveyed through the app functions, then you need to be there for them. Telephone support, customer service, and quick turnaround on special requests are all great supplements to good mobile application management.
Get your business and its B2B services and products on the digital map! With intuitive and intelligent mobile app development, the possibilities are endless!
