Creating a self-sustaining business app

Why do some apps succeed while others fail? If you knew the precise answer to that question, then chances are you'd already be in Silicon Valley right now. Although there's an element to app development that remains a mystery - nobody can necessarily predict what will take off and what will never really come to fruition - there are certain strategies app developers can employ that will greatly heighten their probability of success.

For businesses these days, launching a company-based app often represents an integral component of enterprise marketing. Of the different qualities that successful apps share, there's one that binds all of them: the ability to be self-sustaining. That is to say, if your app provides a function that a user would only need to use once or twice, then it has no potential for longevity. However, if its functionality revolves around continued use - banking through a mobile app, for instance, or sending new pictures to your friends on Snapchat - then it's likely to be successful. Here are some tips to creating such an app:

• Use HTML5 Form: It's no secret that HTML5 is the way to go when it comes to designing business apps for mobile. As TechTarget pointed out, HTML5 has rapidly become the golden standard when it comes to the resource of choice for launching company apps. One key reason is that HTML5 reflects significant advances in security, and in a time when data attacks run rampant, that's a significant selling point. Additionally, HTML5 features more expeditious methods of storage.

"New capabilities in HTML5 make it easier to store data on the client side," the article stated. "These local storage techniques show promise for speeding application performance and allowing applications to continue to function even when the client goes offline.

• Reward loyalty to the app: For a customer to use your business app is a sign of greater patron loyalty, and that is something that should be rewarded. Just consider the Starbucks model. As Business Insider pointed out, Starbucks's mobile app is one of the most successful business apps out there, in no small part because it is designed to reward habitual use. Within the app is a rewards loyalty program that keeps track of purchases patrons make and rewards them with complementary products after a certain number of things are bought. What this app-based, rewards-centered function does is encourage customers to use the Starbucks app to make purchases instead of using cash or credit card. In this way, Starbucks guarantees that many of its customers will be using the app every time they enter the store - which, for most of us caffeine-addled folks out there, is quite a lot.
• Develop: Always look for ways to build out the app, install updates and just generally make it better. An app that exists statically won't inspire much enthusiasm in its user base. But if you update it with new features, you'll ensure it remains relevant. Fortunately, HTML5 makes it so that such updates are easy to implement.