Technological advancements have made our lives easier beyond comparison. Nowadays, the internet provides information fast and keeps us all connected. Computers are also constantly upgrading in speed, battery life, and portability.
Unfortunately, these benefits don’t come without trade-offs. Web surfing, smart devices, and artificial intelligence help us function more efficiently, but they’ve also made the competition stiffer.
Businesses are in an arms race to adopt the latest technology and provide the best customer experience. Every year, companies invest in upgrading their tools to cater to the needs of their consumers.
Simple websites are no longer enough to establish an online presence, and traditional business processes are too slow to keep up with dynamic demands. These pain points, and many other concerns, are addressed by web apps.
What Can Custom Web Apps Do for Your Business?
Although you may not be aware of it, there’s a big chance you’re using web apps right now. Dropbox, Zoom, MailChimp, Notion, and Google Analytics are popular examples of web apps for businesses.
There are web apps for cloud storage, business analytics, email marketing, and many more. No matter the industry, there is a mountain of options to choose from.
Of course, there are limits to what commercial web apps can do.
The applications available on the market are typically designed for general use and are therefore less effective in handling specific tasks.
This is where building your own web app comes in handy.
With custom-built web apps, you get all the features you need without unnecessary code bogging it down.
Below are 10 ideas for web apps to streamline business operations, enhance customer satisfaction, and boost sales.
1. Business Analytics Dashboard
Behind every long-term success is logical decision-making based on data. Companies of all sizes rely on business analytics to formulate strategies and allocate investments correctly.
Business analytics dashboards keep track of the latest marketing trends, pull up pertinent information, and analyze big data in a single application. This type of web app is highly in-demand to help brands reach their goals.
When developing an executive dashboard, include multiple options for data visualization and data blending. It should also support real-time processing, access to third-party databases, and collaboration tools.
2. Onboarding and Training Web Application
Employee onboarding is one of the most important processes to ensure everyone is on the same page. It makes it easier for new hires to adapt to the company’s culture and make meaningful contributions.
Sadly, many fail to execute onboarding programs efficiently. Manual orientations usually involve a lot of paperwork which makes documents hard to find and organize quickly. Onboarding and training web applications streamline this procedure for newcomers and HR personnel alike.
Depending on your design, it can serve various functions. Basic onboarding web apps act as storage for training materials and documents. You can take this a step further by making it a learning platform and integrating it with a system for employee and team profiling.
3. CRM Web Application
CRM or customer relationship management is an integral part of a sales improvement plan. CRM platforms compile, store, and make sense of customer data and interactions.
This technology makes it easier for companies to nurture customer relationships and encourage brand loyalty. Data gathered by CRM systems are used to improve customer service, make smarter offers, and fix problem areas in your sales funnel.
The basic framework for CRM web apps is simple. It’s essentially an interface for data collection and analysis, but it can do a lot more. CRM web apps can identify reasons for lost sales, automate marketing campaigns, and follow-up on high-quality leads.
4. Workflow Management App
A company’s success is dictated by the performance of its employees. Strategic planning can only do so much without a team capable of following through. Workflow management apps gained popularity for this reason.
Such web apps smoothen workflows to bring you closer to your goals. They reduce errors, increase transparency, improve work ethic, and assist employees in juggling multiple tasks. These are done by laying down every step so that people understand the whole picture clearly.
Good workflow management apps allow you to customize workflows and indicate the deadline, stakeholders, and prioritization of tasks. To make it more efficient, you can have a messaging tool built-in on the app.
It can also include an approvals pane to review submissions and sen them further along the assembly line.
5. Finance and Budgeting App
Business expenses can catch you off-guard when you’re not keen on keeping track of where your money is going. From invoices to operating fees, there’s a lot to manage. Accounting can be overwhelming, especially when you don’t have the right tools.
Finance and budgeting apps do the heavy-lifting to let you focus on other business processes. They compute, document, and generate reports on your finances. With a click of a button, you can monitor cashflow and see upcoming payments due.
The most important thing to achieve when building a finance web app is simplicity. You want the app to be as user-friendly as possible to simplify complex finance procedures. On your dashboard, you can add features for bank transfers and investments. This way, you have everything you need all at once.
6. Logistics Management System
Another tool that does away with tedious paperwork and hours of manual labor is a logistics management system.
Technology has refined logistics and supply chain processes tremendously over the years. Today, managing inventory, sales orders, materials, and production takes less effort and resources.
Logistics software coordinates activities and automates processing orders and inventory control. That means fewer chances for human error, resulting in faster deliveries.
Forecasting is also an essential feature of logistics management web apps. Projecting trends for supply and demand lets you plan ahead and improve schedules for restocking, shipments, and production.
7. Online Shopping Marketplace
Online shopping apps are more relevant than ever. With more options and added convenience, eCommerce is growing exponentially with no signs of slowing down.
Taking stores online is a necessity now that there are over 2 billion digital buyers. In the U.S., 76% of consumers shop online.
Like eCommerce websites, online shopping apps allow customers to buy from merchants straight from the internet. They save time, offer great deals, and give customers control over their shopping experience.
Online shopping apps must be intuitive and user-oriented. When in doubt, less is more in terms of app design. You want to create an interface where users cruise through adding items to their cart and checking out.
Remember to include a wishlist, order summary, product filtering, and secure in-app payment options on your app. If you know your way around coding, integrate a chatbot for 24/7 customer service.
8. Telemedicine Web App
Telemedicine is an expanding niche that aims to make healthcare more accessible. The field is still young and is far from reaching its true potential. As such, telehealth web apps also have long ways to go.
Secure video calling is the main feature of typical telemedicine apps. It facilitates virtual consults and helps doctors build rapport. In case of hardware limitations and a poor internet connection, it’s a good idea to include a chat function.
Telemedicine apps also serve as a database for patient information, medical history, and lab results. Keep in mind, however, that there are language barriers involved in using the technology.
Other components you can include are e-prescriptions, built-in chatbots, and integration with Apple’s Healthkit and GoogleFit.
9. Queueing Systems
A queueing system is a straightforward yet elegant solution to improving customer experience. Online queueing management systems reduce wait times and enhance communication between you and your clients.
These apps usually double as appointment scheduling apps in clinics and hospitals. They also collect data to reveal inefficiencies which you can extract to create better experiences.
Well-designed queueing systems are made to help customers avail of services as fast and orderly as possible. Essentially, it eliminates the hassles in between coming into the establishment and leaving with what they need.
When a user gets in line, your app should send a virtual ticket to confirm their slot. Ideally, the web app should estimate waiting times for customers and provide details of the queue on your end.
10. Digital Payments and E-Wallets
Digital payments and e-wallets are currently all the rage. In 2019, digital payments accounted for 41.8% of global eCommerce transactions. According to Statista, it will hold the majority share by 2023.
People are switching to e-wallets because they’re convenient and hardly have additional charges. In fact, eCommerce stores are encouraged to accept digital payments to drive sales and prevent abandoned carts.
The top consideration for digital payment apps and e-wallets is security. You need to set up stringent measures to deter cyberattacks and theft. Enabling one-time passwords and data encryption are baseline protocols.
For money transfers, include features like linking to bank accounts, sending and receiving money, and bill payment. Additionally, provide users with an e-wallet passbook to view previous transactions and order history.
Takeaways
When it comes to building web apps, your imagination’s the limit. Every industry is always looking for innovative solutions to improve business processes and drive sales.
Build web apps with the end-users in mind, and who knows? You may have stumbled into the next big thing to hit the market.
Work with a Team of Professional Developers and Designers
Do you have an idea for a web app? Let us help you see it through. We build functional and secure web apps for all industries. Contact DevWerkz today.