I recently attended a meeting with a client who is currently funding the design and development of a very unique iPhone/iPad app. I can’t go into any of the details of the app, as it is currently in the works, and the client is worried about ideas being leaked and/or intellectual property being stolen. I can go into detail about something new I learned from sitting in on this meeting, though.

I found that more important than having a website for your business, company, or orginzation today is having multiple technological avenues through which you can connect with your customers or audience. One of the most obvious avenues in today’s laptop, smart phone, tablet driven world is that of an app. With a simple, slick iPhone, iPad, Android, Mac, or Web app, you can quickly and easily connect with customers or individuals in a way that a traditional website does not allow for.

To demonstrate this claim better, let’s take a look at one of the main ways a business or organization website differs from a business or organization app in the way it communicates and connects with customers. Two words: user experience. When we speak of websites, we speak of “visiting”. “Visiting”, in this sense at least, is a rather passive act. It involves moving from page to page, absorbing text and images, and eventually (usually within a minute or two) deciding whether or not to take an action based on the content that the website has delivered.

Apps, on the other hand, provide a very active user experience when compared to websites. A user already has a greater investment in a company or organization before he or she opens an app, simply due to the fact that he or she chose to download the app. The user has already taken a significant action toward becoming a converting customer. Furthermore, after opening the app, the experience is undoubtedly more active than merely visiting and surfing through a website. Even the most boring, poorly designed and executed apps allow the user to explore through touch (at least in the case of smart phone and tablet apps) and customize the experience based on their needs or interests. Although this can be done with traditional websites, it is a much smoother and enticing process with apps.

This is where I must stop and emphasize that an app is like a brand or a logo — an absolutely integral part of your company or organization’s image. Research and creative discovery is probably the most important component to successful app design and development. As an example, there are countless Denver web development and design firms here in the Mile High City, but very few of them have the expertise necessary to successfully execute professional app design and development (even though most of them will tell you that they can).

So, as one final disclaimer, it’s not about just having an app for your business or organization, but having the right app—one that will showcase your uniqueness and make customers want to be a part of what you do.