Ways to Add Value to Our Client''s Application

In the competitive landscape of software development, delivering a functional product is just the baseline. The true measure of success lies in continuously adding value to our client’s application, making it more efficient, user-friendly, and adaptable to their evolving needs. This guide aims to outline various strategies that can make our client’s application not just a tool, but a business asset that provides ongoing value. Whether it’s improving site speed for enhanced user experience, or implementing automation to make the client’s daily operations more efficient, there are myriad ways to elevate the client’s experience and exceed their expectations.

Improve Their Current Site Speed

Faster load times improve user experience and contribute to higher SEO rankings. This is a win-win for both our clients and their customers.

SEO & Page Rank: Faster sites are favored by search engines, which can result in higher page rankings.
Concrete Reports: Use tools like Google’s PageSpeed Insights or GTmetrix to provide tangible evidence of improvements.
Mobile Speed: In an increasingly mobile world, don’t forget to optimize for mobile speed as well.

Upgrade Dependencies, Frameworks, and Programming Language Versions

Modernizing the technology stack can bring multiple benefits:

Security: Newer versions are more likely to be supported and receive regular security patches.
Performance: Newer frameworks and languages often offer performance improvements.
Development Time: Reducing dependency on outdated versions can decrease development time.

Accessibility Improvements

Improving website accessibility can both expand our audience and reduce legal risks.

Legal Compliance: Accessibility is not just ethical but also a legal requirement in many jurisdictions.
Broadened User Base: A more accessible website is usable by a larger audience.

UX Analysis

Understanding how users interact with an application can yield valuable insights.

A/B Testing: Utilize tools like Google’s free tool or Optimizely for this. Guide the client on how to use these tools effectively.
Conversion Analysis Ideas: Focus on landing pages, sign-up forms, etc., to improve conversions.

Add Automation to the Admin Section

Automating recurring tasks can significantly reduce manual labor and associated costs.

Client-Initiated Tasks: Identify common tasks that the client requests and automate them.
Dynamic Solutions: If a client often requests manual changes, consider creating dynamic solutions that enable them to make these adjustments themselves.
Propose by Asking: Use a consultative approach like, “You’ve asked us to do X thing for you X times, do you want us to put a button there so you can do that ourself?”
Inter-Departmental Needs: Ask the client if other internal teams might benefit from automated features or overhauls. This can bring new stakeholders into the application and possibly new budgets to play with.

Learn More About the Client’s Business to Generate Our Own Ideas

Understanding the client’s operations can provide invaluable insights into what would add real value to their application.

Process Understanding: Spend time watching how the client interacts with the application to suggest meaningful improvements.
Don’t Assume: Just because something was built with a certain use-case in mind doesn’t mean it’s being used that way.
Propose by Asking: Initiate this by saying, “Could you show me what our day looks like when you log into the site?”

Leverage Features with Reporting Tools

Effective reporting can provide both you and the client with crucial insights into application use and performance.

Code Usage Reports: Tools like Coverband can show which parts of the app are frequently used.
Internal Dashboards: Create dashboards to show key performance metrics, sales trends, and more.
Deployment Tracking: Correlate user behavior and sales with new feature deployments to gauge their success.

Reduce the Creation of Custom, One-off Reports

Before spending time creating a custom report, ascertain its long-term utility.

Frequency of Use: Always ask how often such a report will be used.
Data Reporting Tools: Use Google’s data reporting tools to generate dynamic charts and graphs from SQL queries.

By focusing on these areas, we can provide quantifiable value to our clients, improving their application and thereby strengthening our long-term relationships with them.