Next to reliability, lies the importance of keeping your app "fresh". When considering or evaluating your app, the next question you should be asking is:
2. Is your app presenting fresh content? Is it easily maintainable?
Content is king nowadays. With the instant availability of fresh new content on a daily (sometimes hourly) basis, your audience has an expectation that whatever they download, click on, or search for will be fresh and instantly available. This content could include weekly media podcasts, sermons, news, calendar of events, bulletins, blog posts, etc.
Whatever app platform you use, it’s important to make sure that uploading and delivering new content is a simple process and has a quick turn-around. Whether that be automatic media encoding, reliable storage and hosting, an easy-to-use content management system, or all of the above, managing your app should be simple— so that your content can be delivered to your audience efficiently and keep them coming back for more. On the contrary, if the pace of updating and changing the content of your app is a slow one, this not only uses up more of your time, but also prevents your audience from connecting with more of your content.
Keep in mind that the management of your app is greatly affected by what development route you decide to go. With a platform-based app, you'll have a personal dashboard CMS that updates in real-time, giving you the control and efficiency to upload new content on your own time. If you decide to go the custom route or in-house development, it's important to make sure your developer or provider has dedicated time for updating your app at least on a weekly basis. Whichever route you decide to take, it's important to consider how it will affect updating your content.
Stay tuned for Part 3!