Probably not.
Why get an app?
Think about the types of apps you have on your phone; the ones you use most often. You’ll find they usually have at least one of these characteristics:
- They have some utility value. They’re useful to you in some way.
- They are task-driven. You’ll open the app to get something done.
- They’re entertaining. This could be a game or an e-book reader for example.
- They’re focussed. They don’t try to do everything, they just perform one thing at a time.
Does your idea fall under at least one of these areas?
Don’t get carried away by the buzz
There’s a lot of hype about apps, but personally I believe that bubble is not far from bursting (if it hasn’t already). Free apps are still going strong, but paid apps? Not so much. Whether you believe that paid apps are dead or just on life support the outlook is grim either way.
So what do I do about mobile?
I often get asked about apps – but the vast majority of the time having a mobile-responsive website is all that’s required. Make sure the content and functionality available on your website to desktop visitors is also accessible and usable on a small screen.
If you do have a great idea for an app that ticks off at least one of the 4 things mentioned about – then great. But most of the time you should focus on making sure the mobile experience on your website is top notch.