by Stephanie Burton
Should You ‘Build or Buy’ that Mobile App Your School Needs?
The Scenario
Your college or university needs a mobile application to better connect with students, faculty, and alumni, on the go, and often in their preferred medium.
The Opportunity
According to Pew Internet research, 85% of American adults own a cell phone and now use the devices to do much more than make phone calls. Furthermore, a new eMarketer report found that nearly 90% of students in the class of 2016 will own a smartphone by the time they graduate.
As a result of this increase in mobile usage, along with increased demand for university-student interaction, more and more schools are turning to mobile apps to better engage their community.
The Challenge
Using internal resources may be a good way to save money in the short-run and maintain control over the finished product, but in the long-term, this strategy may be costly to manage and maintain. Given the variety of factors that may affect this decision, we’ve created a comprehensive guide to help you decide whether to BUILD or BUY your school’s mobile app.
The Guide
The results of how you answer the eight key questions in the guide will determine the best way to build your mobile application. Here are some sample questions:
- Do you have the expertise to deliver a cross-platform presence?
- If you have internal resources, what is the best use of their time and energy?
- What’s your timeline?
- What’s your budget?
Of course, you can see the full Buy or Build guide here which has more questions to help you along the way and some useful pointers.
In the end, it’s important to remember that your mobile app is a reflection of your institution. Producing an app that is less than the best can send the wrong impression to your wide and varied audience. And you can’t choose to ‘Build or Buy’ your reputation!
