By Tod Pedler

In fact, apps are now considered to be a key tool that separates leading companies from the less progressive, and it’s likely that those without an app behind their brand will soon be considered in a similarly negative light as those without a website presence.

Let’s create an iPhone app

App functionality goes way beyond the well-known 'Angry Birds' type game play and there has never been a better time to take advantage of the opportunities to deliver interesting and valuable information in this way. To reap the full benefits however, you need to think of your mobile strategy beyond purely the building of an iPhone app.

Many assume the job is done once an app is up on iTunes but not everyone owns an iPhone and by ignoring the remainder of this very important landscape you risk missing a huge proportion of your potential audience or market.

Yet to develop individual apps that work across all available platforms can be daunting, costly, time consuming and ultimately a waste of effort if you don't follow a set of basic principles to define your mobile strategy.

Define your mobile strategy

You’ll first need to confirm your target audience and define your objectives. Are you looking to increase your reach or awareness, make sales or add subscribers for instance? Perhaps you’re also aiming to drive traffic to a web site or store, or learn more about your customers whilst lowering your customer care costs. It's also a good idea to consider what you want your audience to do after they've used it and what 'conversion’ you want to achieve.

Once you’ve clarified these objectives you can think about what you want your app to do and what information you want to deliver to ensure it is as useful and effective as possible. Part of this process should involve considering how and when your audience is likely to use your app and the value you can offer them in terms of 'payback' or gratification. Apps need to offer a value exchange between brand and consumer to be effective, so it makes sense to offer an incentive such as access to relevant news alerts, local event information or exclusive content.

The stickiest apps are those that deliver a compelling user experience and take advantage of a smartphone’s functionality such as GPS, whilst playing to the benefits of touchscreen technology and giving the end user something useful rather than gimmicky. Mobile phones are now much more than just a phone, they can function as a mobile wallet, ticket, map and camera all in one, so consider engaging with all these possibilities when planning your app.

Consider the Mobile Web

Having defined the purpose and value of your app you can then think about how to reach your intended audience. It may be that an iPhone app does actually reach a large proportion of your audience. But it is more likely that at least as many, if not more, are using Android devices, not to mention all the BlackBerries and Nokias etc.

To reach all these different handsets with just one version of your app, then you need to consider developing it using the mobile web. The mobile web development language, HTML 5, is as a very powerful tool that allows you to create almost everything you would in a native app, as shown by the FT’s latest iPad app, which was built using HTML 5. Apps created in this way also benefit from strong advantages in terms of cost and development time and most can now be produced in a matter of hours and distributed almost immediately.

Apps hold numerous growth opportunities from a marketing and productivity perspective and will ultimately become the ‘new websites’. So remember, don’t just rush out an iPhone app, instead take your time to develop a robust app strategy that supports and acts as an extension of your brand, but do consider mobile as soon as possible.

About the author

Tod Pedler is CEO of MobileNationHQ, which has developed tools to address the imminent demand for apps designed for targeted user groups rather than the mass market. MobileNationHQ is free to use. Register at www.mobilenationhq.com.