Clowder Blog

The coronavirus pandemic and the social distancing it's sparked around the world has put a lot in perspective for many both personally and professionally. Just as people have quickly had to change their daily habits, so have businesses, industries and membership organizations. But before we talk about what's expected in the future, let's think back to before all of this when the buzzword "digital transformation" was thrown around a lot within the association space. New web-based engagement strategies were continually being introduced as well as platforms for deploying more email. This current period of adapting however has shed light onto whether or not those transformative initiatives made have had their intended effects on members now. We know one thing to be certain - if these previous digital transformations did not include mobile, then they probably are not making the impacts that were hoped for.

We have all had to adapt, rather abruptly, to the new way of interacting – with our families, professional communities, and businesses we patronize. We have changed our daily routines and altered our consumption habits, and, in the process, mobile devices have emerged as somewhat of a lifeline keeping us connected with one another and with the goods and services we need and rely on. Here are a few stats on app usage during the pandemic.

Social media feeds are often rife with misinformation or interpretations of information that are designed to influence audiences in a particular way. Two-thirds of Americans get their news from social media (Pew Research) but sifting through opinions and rumors to consume accurate and unbiased news is a massive undertaking in today’s world. Furthermore, the clutter and randomness of social media apps can be a time-suck and a major distraction. What if you instead had one focused mobile hub for sharing with your members? That's where a membership app comes in. You can think of a membership app’s news feed as a Facebook-esque platform specifically for your unique professional community. 

We know old habits can be hard to break. But at a time where new information is constantly coming in and needing to be dispersed immediately, people are getting over inundated with email (our emails are probably the 2,353,296,413th you've gotten about COVID-19, which just further drives our point 😉). We understand as member-based organizations, that's been the go-to method for communicating with members for decades. However, we can't stress this enough - you should be relying heavily on a membership app throughout this crisis instead. Here's why:

“It’s important to note that social distancing does not mean social isolation.” Dr. Chaudhary (The New York Times)

When you’re in your search for new technology solutions, some companies may claim to do everything desired for half the cost of better trusted solutions. But when you cut corners to shave down costs, you’ll always end up paying for that in the long run. While technology does not have to be outrageously expensive to be good, it is worth an investment in order to avoid wasted time and resources. The technology you put out to your community directly reflects your organization. You should aim to deliver the best experience.

Many organizations have trouble pulling the trigger for large initiatives because they want assurance that the ROI will be worth the manpower and money it will take to launch. They want assurance that their staff won’t be overwhelmed and that their tech team has the bandwidth to provide support. While these are valid concerns, our advice when it comes to contemplating mobile is simple – don’t overthink it. Trust us, your members want an app.

When considering a mobile solution, some organizations have a hard time wrapping their heads around what exactly their members will do with an app. In their attempt to justify the investment, they want to know what functions their members will consider “worthwhile.”

It’s an easy thing to do when you’ve been operating similarly for decades. Resting on your laurels happens out of comfort in doing things the way they’ve always been done. In the case of associations, it’s not a great habit to possess.

Proven Design Practices are Key to an App’s Success

No matter what industry you’re in, what demographic you serve, or what initiatives you’re launching, everything you execute should have your audience experience in mind. How do you meet their needs? How can you be of service, how can you delight them and keep them engaged? Creativity and innovation are valuable assets of course, but when it comes to mobile app design, using tried-and-true best practices is what will garner the adoption and retention you're after and will deliver the greatest experience.