Mobile technology is one of the biggest advantages open to dealerships looking to gain an edge over their competitors. Mobile apps are at the forefront of this trend. The mobile app space is rapidly growing with over 50 billion app downloads in 2013. By 2017, app downloads are expected to grow over 200 billion. An app for your dealership helps you perform certain functions necessary for brand awareness and excellent customer service, so dealers need to spend the most time selecting the right app development company. App users can easily change their minds about an app, so making sure they have a good experience with your app is vital. A negative experience will impact your company’s brand as well as your bottom line. You want to select a mobile partner that will provide you with an innovative design and an efficient mobile environment. How an app looks is just as important as how it works. Look at app developers who can add value to the usability aspect, which will define how users interact with your product. Your customers are expecting more from their apps, so something basic and simple just won’t work if you are looking to maximize your app’s effectiveness and revenue.

APP SUPPORT

          Besides choosing an app development company that will build an exceptional app, you need to consider how the app will be supported. Your app will be the new face of your dealership, so it’s not a good idea to launch your app without having the right support behind it. Mobile app development is not a one-time activity. Apps go through many evolutions and cycles based on constant feedback from the users. This entails continuous updates and work on the app. You need to select someone that won’t abandon you once the initial development is done and the app is launched. You need a developer who will stick with you through the lifecycle of your app. Receiving the right support is key once you believe you have chosen the app that best represents your dealership. A support team for a popular mPOS app receives over 35,000 support calls per month. However, the support team knows very little about the device each customer is on. This is where the app developer you have chosen for your dealership’s app comes into play. They can readily diagnose the app for issues and release the updates needed to fix the bug or problem. Apps are still considered new technology so they are always evolving as news ideas continuously flow in. Your dealership needs an app developer that will always be there to think of new features and fresh designs as well as innovative ways to polish up the interface, making it easier for users to operate the system and putting you on top of your competitors.

GETTING YOUR APP OFF THE GROUND

Launching your app entails much more than just finding the right app developer and support. Marketing your app is just as important as the development, and effectively promoting it is the most important element for a successful launch. However, getting it discovered could be one of the biggest challenges facing its release. Many expect that their app will be discovered by the virtue of its quality and ingenuity alone, but that is almost never the case. The app market is incredibly competitive and this means many companies invest in apps to only see them get lost in congested app markets. To ensure your app’s success, you need to adequately market it, whether with your marketing company or with the app developer you’ve chosen. Key tactics to marketing your app includes sending out a press release, announcements on your social media sites, and providing advertisement on various media platforms. Without spreading the word of your dealership’s app, your customers won’t know it exists, and efforts to incorporate this into your mobile marketing plan will fail.

          An app for your dealership can improve the productivity and success of your business, you just need to be careful how you develop it. It’s important to choose an app developer that caters to the needs of your dealership as well as how they plan on continuously monitor and support the app. After developing the right app for your dealership, it’s absolutely necessary to effectively market your app to ensure its success. "Choosing a Mobile App provider should be looked at in a similar light as choosing a website provider.  A dealer wouldn't just select anyone to represent their presence on the web, so why would they do it with mobile?” says the President and Co-founder of DealerApp Vantage, Garland Webb. Getting an app and making it a part of your dealership’s culture will reap you of benefits, but without taking careful measures during the development process, you will be wasting your time and money.