We know the mobile world has been dominating for the past few years. With users spending over 2 hours a day on mobile apps, it seems to be the largest-growing trend at the moment. If there's one thing that's important in tech, it's keeping up with the latest trends. But, before you jump on the mobile app bandwagon for your brand, there are some things to consider.First, it's important to establish that your website being mobile-friendly is completely different than having a mobile app for it. Your market should always be able to find out about your brand on the web. How else can they establish a trust? The real question is whether you should implement an app into your mobile strategy. Here are a few questions you should ask yourself before jumping into app development.

Who is your target market?

If your market is seniors aged 65+, you may want to rethink building an app for your brand. But aside from the obvious, look at the demographics of your current website visitors and research their behavior online. Understand their needs and determine whether you can fulfill them through this app.

Are you willing to put it in the time and effort?

A mobile app, like a website, is not a one-time deal once it's built. Apple's iOS7 update essentially forced app owners to revamp their mobile apps in order to stay up-to-date with the new design. This is not to say you'll have to dish out a brand new look for every minimal OS update, but fixes, tweaks and changes must always be made in order to keep up with your competitors and enhance the user experience.The majority of mobile app users expect a load time of 2 seconds and want an overall seamless experience. If your app fails to work the first time, 84% of people won't try more than 2 other times to get it to work before not wanting to use it again. It's better to launch your app when it's absolutely ready and fully tested for any issues than to quickly release a faulty product on the market.Because ongoing development and maintenance are required for mobile apps, you should use a trusted mobile app development team that will make any necessary changes.

What will make it stand out?

You've heard the expression, "There's an app for that." It's pretty accurate. There are apps for anything from dating apps and fitness motivators to bubble wrap poppers and digital voodoo. You don't want to invest your time and effort into building a product that is an exact replica of something else on the market. If there's something similar, ask yourself how you can make it better and more innovative.

How will it be used?

Your mobile app should either be used to entertain, like game and music apps, or to provide users with something useful, like information on products, places or interests. Utilities like tip calculators and shipment trackers are also very useful. Users shouldn't download your app, use it once and then have no use for it again. It has to be something that people will want/ need for continuous use.There are many factors that go into deciding whether you should start working on an app for your brand. Before you get into the specific financials and technical phases, ask yourself these questions to assure you're making the right decision.Need help turning your idea into a fully functioning mobile app? Contact our tech experts and see how to get your mobile app up in the app stores once it's completeHave more to add? Tweet us @TECKpert to join the conversation.