A new Forrester report commissioned by IBM suggests that enterprises which want to create outstanding mobile apps should be prepared to spend some money and to track the right metrics. The study found that while many enterprises talk about wanting to support mobile development, they aren’t always assigning enough budget to the projects. According to the report, “Of the respondents surveyed, 58 percent plan to spend less than $2 million in total on mobile app development.” In many cases, that isn’t enough to meet their goals.
The researchers added that enterprises with very successful apps were tracking more than just downloads. The report quoted an ecommerce director, who said, “Downloads are great, but if they’re not opening, using, and engaging in the app, then I’m not satisfied. We need to know their comments, our ratings and enhance their in-store experience and drive them there. We have to report the mobile sales up to the C level, but really it’s about engagement and customer satisfaction.”
The report also found a misalignment between what customers want and what enterprises are giving them. “For the second year in a row, enterprises haven’t quite synchronized with what consumers say they want,” it said. “This disconnect means that enterprises will not get their mobile app to answer their customers’ needs and demands — and that means another year of lagging behind competitors who reap the benefits of a great app.”
