Tech #Startup - The Web and Mobile Applications Templates

Couple of blogs earlier I had written about how  'experience templates' are a myth. After launching my third venture, a Software services firm - I realize that most people have an idea - which needs a mobile or a web application.  Broadly there are three categories of these application.

• Listing and Review - like Zomato or Practo ( in their original avatar)
• Marketplace model - Supply-demand aggregation model - like Flipkart, Snapdeal et al 
• Inventory Model - stock and sell model - Amazon and the likes 

Mobile and Website application - templates!

When I classify the applications like this, all you have to do this categorize and ask a few more questions to understand what is the ' business model'.  Add an optional shopping cart and a payment gateway, you are up and running.  Now, do we have template?  

Ask any founder  - there is a resounding yes.  And they are happy to add this 'business model template' into their heads easily.  Have an idea, find a developer and you are up and running on prototype.  Yes, there is a clear template here.  But this is only a macro-template.  

Two other simple factors affect the design - how to get the buyer to your website?  and how do you make him interested?  These two factors have been addressed through various solutions. 

How to get buyer to the website translate to how to get traffic to your website.  Use different techniques - business discounting, attractive offers, search engine optimization and social media marketing.  Leverage content as the powerful tool to get the user to your website.  The Google Bots have to be outsmarted.   

How to get your buyer interested or decide - again, create a 'right' user experience.  Create action points.  Create interaction.  Make them stay longer.  

You have 'responsive' templates that fit all screens.  You have plugins to address features that you want to add.  Now, ask your technical partner or the design company - how they address it. Get your answers and be satisfied before you take the plunge.

If it is a mobile application, you need to see how to attract traffic - that is how do you increase your number of downloads.  There are many ways - make it free for sometime, and then try offline promotions as well.   We will see this in detail in another blog. 

And a final point. Beyond the technical jargon, what you need to understand as a customer is that it takes time.  Patience and persistent pay.  

In my next article, let us look at what a website means now-a-days on the Internet. 

- Ashok Subramanian

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