What are the main drivers for Australian businesses in building their mobile strategies?

In August 2011, Terrapinn conducted a survey of 500 Australian businesses across Enterprise and SMB to better understand their thoughts and strategies on mobility. The 4 main areas reviewed were:

·         mobile workforce

·         mobile advertising

·         mobile commerce

·         mobile apps

Some key findings from the survey included:

·         Spending on mobile applications and technologies is expected to increase as companies look to reduce costs and mobilise their workforce

·         IT managers within Enterprise are planning to implement new mobile applications and many have made them a priority in the next 12 months

·         Platform choice for app development is seen as very important with the cost of developing the same application for two platforms seen as economically unfeasible

·         Location data is important for the evolution of the app market. Targeted advertising would help brands to make money from their apps

·         Mobile is transforming the way consumers shop and interact with brands, and retailers that are not investing in this channel risk getting left behind

The last finding supports Burberry’s CEO Angela Ahrendts on their strategy for engaging and connecting interactively with their clients by creating the ultimate social mobile experience.

The survey also provided important insights for any company in understanding the landscape for mobile development and strategies in the Australian market.

Further key findings from the survey revealed:

·         84% of Enterprise IT managers said they are planning to implement new mobile applications this year

·         The average mobile worker does business outside of the office more than half the time, averaging 56 hours per week per business

·         67% of SMEs are mobile businesses, meaning they have adopted wireless technologies to allow employees to work outside of the office

·         More than 72% of mobile app users expect all brand name companies to have a mobile app while 45% of consumers with a smartphone download an app at least once a week

·         82% of branded apps have been downloaded less than 1000 times, suggesting that companies are missing the mark when it comes to attracting customers via their apps

·         51% of the brand marketers surveyed treat mobile platforms as an integral element of their overall advertising strategy

·         38% of respondents are currently exploring how best to leverage mobile platforms within their marketing plans

·         72% of retailers that responded intend to invest in mobile commerce before the end of 2012

·         36% of retailers intend to have a mobile commerce website created and operational within the next 12 months

There are many challenges in creating a successful mobile strategy or building a successful mobile app.

Why do you need an app? Who is the app for? What do you want the app to deliver and how do you plan to deliver it.

This then leads to the next series of questions.

Do you choose an Off the Shelf solution (App Store), custom build the app in-house, choose to deliver your strategy via a MEAP or will you outsource the development?

Finally it all comes down to the end user. The experience of the mobile app MUST be simple, interactive, compelling and engaging.

You may find some of my earlier blogs relevant when planning your mobile strategy.

1.       Extending your business systems from your workers perspective

2.       How to deliver a successful mobile app in your business ?

3.       What are C level management looking for in mobile apps ?

4.       If you are not engaging with your customers via smartphones, then you are IGNORING a growing new channel to market

5.       2011 – Is a MEAP year for Mobile apps development

What are your current challenges in developing your mobile strategy?