With over 1.4 million apps available in the iOS app store alone, the app marketplace is incredibly crowded and highly competitive. While the majority of apps available are consumer-oriented, B2B is increasingly getting into the game.

2015 research from Regalix, reported by eMarketer in a recent report, found that 65% of B2B marketers worldwide were using mobile apps as part of their mobile marketing tactics. This statistic suggests that marketers are going beyond simply having a responsive designed website that works on mobile, and are really honing in on what makes for a top notch user experience on mobile.

As TechCrunch reported last year, consumers spend 85% of their time on smartphones in mobile apps, but just 5 apps on average see any kind of heavy usage. So what are the key considerations in building a successful B2B app?

Here are our thoughts:

• – User experience

Now more than ever before, we live in a consumer-centric world where providing a positive, useful and seamless user experience is key to survival. It’s therefore important to invest time during the development stage to create an intuitive user flow. This could include custom features for particular audience segments to create an efficient experience. But it’s also important to remember that simplicity and clarity are very important; a cluttered interface is bound to frustrate which will inevitably drive users away.

• – Branding consistency

According to Forrester, over half of all apps are discovered by search, so even if you are creating multiple apps, make sure that your parent brand name is included in the app name. Additionally, the look and feel of the app design should reflect the overall brand – albeit pared down if necessary.

• – Build in security features, and communicate about them

Cyber security remains a top concern for companies worldwide so make sure your security features are built in – and monitored and updated as often as possible.

• – Test, test, test

We’re all familiar with the term “fail fast,” but when it comes to B2B apps, that’s something best done behind closed doors. Launching a barely-tested app is a high-risk strategy. Far better to build in a decent amount of testing time which can then open out to a period of beta testing to help identify and fix glitches and unforeseen issues, before taking your app to market.

For more information on how ARTÉMIA can help build a successful mobile marketing strategy for your business, as ever, please get in touch.