SCORE client Manasse Shingiro, owner of Casco Bay Cleaning Services in Portland, Maine, explains the benefit of working with a mentor: "Going through growing pains as a business, you have to have someone in your corner helping you navigate."

AS A FORWARD-THINKING ENTREPRENEUR, you might be tempted to invest time and money developing an app for your small business. You might have even been approached by marketing companies claiming that having an app for your business is critical to increase sales and/or customer engagement. Before you start designing your company's mobile app, SCORE—mentors to America's small businesses—encourages you to first consider a few important questions.

Do you need it?

Think about what an app can do—accept payments, complete registrations, enhance engagement, allow for a bit of fun. Which of those functions, if any, would benefit your business?

Can the same be accomplished with a mobile-friendly website? If the functions you'd like an app to serve are fairly straightforward, a mobile site might be all you need to encourage customers to complete tasks on their devices. A mobile-friendly format might even drive potential customers to learn more about you on their phones, rather than bookmarking your site to check out later on their laptops.

An app can make the hard work you put into your web design and functionality redundant. And if there's no clear function that makes an app different and better from your mobile site, it's probably not necessary.

Do your customers need it?

How many apps do you have on your phone for the individual businesses you visit? How many of them did you download, use once and forget about? Your customers need a clear reason to use your app, either for enhanced convenience or to unlock special features.

For instance, if you have a dog grooming studio, massage therapy practice or hair salon, an app may help clients schedule appointments quickly and easily. An app can also make it easy for customers to track a rewards program or special offers.

Can you afford it?

If you're contracting out the development and design of an app, you can expect to spend anywhere from $5,000 (for a bare-bones app that doesn't offer much functionality) to $500,000 (for a fully-featured app with a beautiful design, unique and compelling content and flawless functionality). App development can easily approach the $100,000 range, depending on complexity. Bells and whistles are expensive!

If you're tech-savvy and plan to develop an app in-house, you'll have to consider the time your employees will spend on such a project. It's not just about the hours they get paid to work on the project — it's also about the time they spend away from other work.

"The mobile app development industry is highly dynamic and competitive, thereby necessitating not only unique concepts but also excellent quality," advises SCORE mentor Adam Torkildson. "As mobile usage grows, it is critical that your mobile app works smoothly across all devices and platforms."

Once your app has launched, it's going to need care. You'll need to publish updates and squash bugs. Who will take care of those tasks? An outside developer may require a retainer agreement to maintain your app. Meanwhile, your in-house team may need to work quickly to react to tech developments that require adapting your product.

If you want to discuss the best mobile options for your business, contact  a SCORE mentor. They'll be happy to help review your options and guide you toward technology investments that will help your business grow.