Your Competitor Just Launched an App. Should You Be Worried? 

Your Competitor Just Launched an App. Should You Be Worried? 

Have you ever been enjoying your day, scrolling through your social media and then suddenly seeing a post from your competitor that says, ‘we’re excited to announce the launch of our new mobile app’, Scary right? 

Don’t panic or start rewriting your entire strategy, it’s not the end of the world. In this blog post, we’ll break down how your business should deal if a competitor launched their mobile app. 

First step: Don’t panic and be strategic 

When you find out that your competitor launched an app, you don’t want to copy them by launching an app or by recreating your strategy. Instead, you need to be more strategic. Ask yourself :

“Does our business actually need an app?” or if you already have an app, ask yourself “What can we do with our app in this situation?” 

What is their app about? 

Before taking decisions and making any assumptions, do your research and analysis on their app to understand what it offers. Ask yourself the following questions 

• Are there any exclusive features in the app? 
• What problems is the app solving? Or what are the users pain point that the app is catering to? 
• Is it a well-designed and user-friendly app? 
• What is special about this app that is not there in any other app? 
• How are the users finding the app so far? 
  

You need to understand these questions to be able to plan your next move because sometimes businesses launch mobile apps that don’t serve a purpose, solve a problem, or cater to a certain need. 

So, to decide if this launch is a threat to your business, you need to do your research and analysis before taking any step or decision. 

What is the problem that this app is trying to solve? 

Take a closer look to the app and ask yourself: 

• Is this app launched for improving the way a customer book or buy products or services? 
• Is the purpose of the app to ease communication with their customers? 
• Is the purpose of this app to enter a new market? 
  

If the app adds real value, they might be setting a new industry standard. In that case, it’s worth examining how you serve your audience and if you’re missing an opportunity to innovate. 

What are the customers' reactions and response to the app? 

The indicator of success in this case is by how the customers/users are responding to the app. If people love the app and are satisfied with it then this is an indicator of high competition, but if users are complaining then this might be a chance for you to fill in the market gap. 
 
Should you build an app? 
If you already don’t have an app, should you build one just because your competitor launched an app? 
Or if you already have an app, should you tweak it? 

Ask yourself these questions: 

• You’re solving a real pain point or catering to a need that a website or email can’t address 
• You can allocate proper budget and resources to build and maintain it 
• You have a clear strategy for marketing and scaling the app 
  

Most importantly, don’t build an app just because your competitor has one. Make sure you are thinking strategically, have everything well planned, and your app will cater to a certain market need, fill a market gap, or solve a certain problem. 

Conclusion: 
To conclude, if you wake up one day and find out that your competitor has launched a new app don’t panic and start thinking strategically. Instead, you should start reflecting on your business and evaluating it to see areas of improvement, if there is any market gap that you can fill in with your business, and if there are any chance to tweak your app. 
 
If you use this as an opportunity to learn, adapt, and grow, it can actually make your business stronger in the long run. 

Remember: competitors can launch all the apps they want, but what really matters is how you serve your customers. 

If you have an app idea and don’t know from where to start, or if you already have an app but want to tweak it but don’t know from where to start. Contact us now!