Apps as products

Many brands see apps purely as an engagement tool - a way of quite literally getting in the customer’s pocket. But there are a wealth of opportunities to use apps for revenue generation or for VIP experiences.

For example, the gaming industry was at the forefront of in-app purchases. The free basic game experience is enough to entertain users, then if they want to extend that experience – by enhancing their gaming environment, adding skills, or special levels – they have the opportunity to pay.

This strategy is also applicable to a wide range of commercial scenarios, particularly when it comes to content delivery – here are some examples to whet your appetite;

• a beauty app with premium tutorials, unlocked when customers purchase products
• B2B apps with content unlocked when customers increase order values, or demonstrate loyalty
• Even simple periodical magazine purchases, after an initial free first issue.

By delivering sufficient value in both the free and paid-for iterations, deriving revenue from apps is a well-established practice. This can even be taken one step further if the app creator isn’t necessarily looking for direct revenue, but value in general, with ideas such as;

• B2E apps where employee discounts or perks are unlocked through high-performance, or long service.
• an app for the owners of a particular car marque, with premium content and support services for VIP customers
• apps as part of paid-for training and education programmes, to deliver course materials and provide student-teacher communication.

Lastly, particularly for free apps, in-app advertising can be an excellent revenue generator.

Apps in the enterprise

Enterprise solutions are increasingly mirroring consumer software experiences and apps are no exception. Widespread bring your own device (BYOD) use reinforces this as employees look to their mobiles as a work tool.

There is a lot to be said for creating a contained work environment on staff devices, allowing instant access to handbooks and manuals, with content easily searchable in the event of a query. Contact lists are available at the touch of a finger, secure messaging between teams can happen in the field, and functionality such as expenses management, can relieve a lot of costly administrative burden.

Using technology such as SAML 2.0 - the current version of Security Assertion Markup Language, which is an open standard for authenticating users across software, such as mobile apps, corporate networks, websites, and more - organisations can take control of their data security, eliminating issues with staff role changes, new starters, or rescinding access when staff move on.

Different content or features can be made accessible, dependent on employee function and seniority, and it goes without saying that these apps can also form customer-facing sales tools - as staff can use them to create quotes, check inventory and resolve issues.

There’s an app for that

So when it comes to delivering premium content and securing business data, apps are a versatile tool. Via a common platform, they provide secure, multi-tier content and functionality across an organisation, or simply deliver high-quality, native content to anyone who wants it. Whatever your business’ needs - there’s an app for that.