Agency Tips - How Can my Client Preview his App?

Written by GoodBarber Team on Monday 20 June 2016

An important part of the sales process of an app is the product demo. This may take place before or after the deal has be sealed, but either way, your client will absolutely want to preview the application that will be representing their company before it goes public.

Back office preview

The most basic way to show your client their app is by giving them access to the back office. Here, the application can be viewed on a range of mockup devices. If your client wants to be part of the design process at all, this is the quickest and easiest way to gather their input and approval before too much work goes in. If you trust their skills, you can even give them some rights to modifying certain elements.

Progressive Web App (PWA)

If you don't want to give your leads or client access to the back office of the app, you can do a demo via the web by publishing the Progressive Web App version. To do this, simply go to the “Publish> PWA> Publish” menu in the back office. It's quick and easy to set up. The PWA will be on the web in minutes, and you won't have to show the back-office to your client. You can also display it on all types of screens. On your smartphone of course, but also on a computer screen, because the design of the PWA adapts to the size of the screen. If you have installed a domain name in your Reseller Dashboard , the PWA URL will not mention GoodBarber. This will allow you to let your leads navigate the PWA on their own without having to mention or show the GoodBarber brand. And if you want to be sure that no one other than your customer stumbles upon the PWA while you are configuring it, you can lock it with a password .

My GoodBarber App

The next step up in previewing the app involves the actual phone or tablet. You may already be aware of the My GoodBarber app which can be an option if you aren’t using the white label option. This app can be easily downloaded from the stores, and is used to preview your app as it’s being updated in the backend. However, this is not the native version of your app, meaning that all features are not available for testing (push notifications, for example).

AdHoc version

To showcase the native version of your app with all features, and avoid displaying GoodBarber branding, the most ideal option is to generate the AdHoc version(s) of your application, and send your client this file. This can be done by adding the unique identifier (the UDID) of your client’s phone to the list of approved devices in your developer account(s). This file will allow them to download the app directly onto their device, where they can preview it and test the exact version that will appear in the stores.

This is a great way to not only present the overall app, but to upsell features as well. You can take this opportunity to give a real time demo of extra add-ons your client may want, such as loyalty cards, beacons, and coupons. It’s much easier for a client to envision the profitability of a feature when it can be demonstrated in a real life situation, rather than just hearing a sales pitch.

Later on, when updates are made that require a rebuild and resubmission, all you have to do is send the most recent AdHoc version to your client once again, and they can test and approve this new version before it’s submitted.

TestFlight

For iOS apps, it’s also possible to use TestFlight, a solution provided by Apple, to invite up to 2000 emails to test your app before it’s released into the App Store.

Providing a preview version of an app will be a vital step in the sales process, so make sure you have the AdHoc generation procedure down pat on both platforms. Step-by-step instructions are provided in your back office, but the GoodBarber Takes Care service is always an option if you’re really not feeling an app build and submission process one day!