Most SMB owners probably think that having a mobile app is a goal that’s out of reach. They likely find that maintaining their website is a challenge, never mind finding the resources to build a mobile app. However, your MSP can help its clients build mobile apps quickly, with a new breed of no-code app building tools.
Apps can help boost visibility with customers — especially your loyal ones. However, it’s not only about having a marketing impact. You can also create mobile tools to improve worker productivity at your clients’ businesses.
These tools usually work by scanning the contents of a website or a spreadsheet, and then it automatically builds an app for you based on the contents. It’s important to note that these auto creation tools won’t give you everything, but it is better than not having a mobile app at all.
It’s very much akin to website building tools like Wix or Squarespace where you choose a template, enter some information, and the tool builds a functioning website for you, giving you a web presence in pretty short order with minimum fuss.
Finding a tool
If you’re looking for simple tool to build a mobile app, check out a tool like Glide. It’s a startup that lets you build a mobile app from the contents of a spreadsheet. The company builds an interview scheduling app from the contents of a spreadsheet. It includes the candidate’s name, the time of the meeting, and who’s conducting the interview — along with the candidate’s email, phone number, and a link to their resume.
It takes all of this information and converts into a functional app that lets people see info about the candidate and then enter notes after the meeting. The notes are shared with all other app users.
If your client has a website, there are tools like AppMachine to build a mobile app from the contents of that site. The tool scans your website, lets you select the content and a design, and then builds an app. From there, you can tweak or add building blocks to your original design.
These are just a couple of examples — you can find lots of no-code app tools out there. If you want something more sophisticated, you can use a tool like Microsoft’s Power Apps, which calls itself ‘low-code.’ That means it’s simplified, but probably not quite as simple as the other examples. That gives you more control over your finished apps, but may require some additional hand-holding or programming resources for you clients.
If you want to give your clients a boost in the coming year, these tools show that you don’t have to have a staff of app designers and developers, or spend a fortune to create a mobile app. You just need the right tool.
Photo: ra2studio / Shutterstock
