“There’s an app for that!” You’ve probably heard this phrase more than a couple of times.
The app market is brimming with apps of all kinds. Whether it’s for transportation, shopping, education, entertainment or communication, mobile apps serve nearly every imaginable purpose.
As of the first quarter of 2020, 1.85 million apps were available for download on the Apple App Store, while 2.56 million apps were available on the Google Play Store.
Technology has captivated almost every section of our life. Mobile applications play a vital role in our routine lives and have transformed the way we handle our phones.
Remember how you felt helpless that time you left your smartphone at home? Before you even finish your morning cup of coffee, you probably open at least 5 mobile apps to start your day, don’t you?
You’re not alone. Consumers prefer to solve their problems with their phones. It’s no surprise that a typical smartphone user unlocks their phones over 80 times a day.
Get this, it’s now possible to plan a whole vacation from the comfort of your couch. From picking a destination to booking a flight to making dinner reservations, apps got you covered!
According to Oberlo’s Mobile Commerce Sales 2020 report, 67.2 percent of users prefer mobile apps over websites for online shopping.
Given these new consumer habits, more and more midsize, and even small, businesses are striving to build a presence through smartphones. It’s no longer some luxury that only corporations can afford.
These businesses understand that users need to be at the very heart of any business idea. They want to be ‘where their customers are.’ For them, the new way to gain a competitive advantage is through an effective mobile app strategy.
Importance of Having an App For Your Business
Why are apps important in today’s modern business environment? Let’s find out!
Almost every business owns an app in this digital age. There are many benefits of having a mobile app for your business.
Through mobile apps developed with user-focused methodologies, businesses can connect with the end-users through a channel they favor.
A mobile-first approach will increase brand value, profit potential and customer loyalty. As a business owner, you can’t afford to ignore these benefits.
If your competitors have an app, what’s keeping you from owning one too?
Just having a business website will not give you an edge over your competitors. Outbid them and be ahead of the curve in adapting to customer trends.
They are in all of our pockets, aren’t they? The world has shifted from desktops to smartphones. There are 3.8 billion smartphone users in the world.
Capture the mobile market by solving the pain points of consumers – delivering solutions on the go.
If you don’t have your own in-house app development team, there are many cost-effective mobile app development companies.
Are you still not getting how apps help businesses? Here are 10 reasons why you can’t neglect mobile apps in today’s business environment:
- Vital Analysis Tool
A mobile app gives you the unique opportunity to really understand your customers. Tracking valuable business analytics is a proven way to understand how you are faring in your business.
With an app, it’s easy to monitor user engagement, collect a lot of useful information and utilize this information to offer customized recommendations and updates.
Tracking lets you see how many visitors download your app, how much time customers spend on the app and fast-moving products. You can also monitor the real-time locations of your users.
Businesses use info about consumer behavior and preferences to create a more positive user experience.
Providing your users with a personalized experience will improve conversion rates.
- More Credibility for Your Business
A well-designed app can give more credibility to your business. It gives the impression that your business is tech-savvy.
When consumers are happy with the features created by professionals specialized in user experience (UX) and mobile technology, they will have more confidence in your brand.
The app should help consumers’ lives by providing solutions to their needs. Consumers love it when their complaints and concerns are addressed with minimal lag time.
Gone are the days when a smiling sales associate used to attend to all customer complaints. Mobile apps have revolutionized how customer service is provided. They enable creating a two-way interaction.
- Increase Brand Visibility
Your brand is key.
In today’s competitive world, a mobile app will promote the growth of your brand by increasing visibility. To improve brand perceptibility, design an app that catches the eyes.
It’s no secret that many smartphone users spend hours scrolling and searching for apps on their devices. The average smartphone user spends an average of 3 hours and 15 minutes on their smartphones daily. This is good news for your business.
Being “in the way” helps. Your brain subconsciously records every text, image or catchy app icon you go through.
It takes 20 interactions with your brand for a visitor to take notice. Make a great first impression. Be the first business consumers recall when they think of a product or service.
If customers fall in love with your app’s features, it will help create brand awareness and recognition. This will ultimately increase your leads.
- New Marketing Channel
Traditional marketing methods are long gone!
Mobile apps serve various marketing functions. They provide news feeds, general info about your business, search features, booking forms, prices, direct messages, etc.
While social media is the new marketing hot cake, it has a lot of noise, making it challenging to reach your target audience without paying for ads.
An app allows you to employ a marketing technique that creates a true and sincere connection with consumers.
Thanks to mobile push and in-app notifications, you can gain instant access and cultivate better relationships with your customers
- Impact on Sales
Sales are the backbone of any business.
Gaining new customers while re-engaging the existing ones is why you should turn your focus toward mobile technology.
Mobile apps can be easily monetized. An app will allow you to create an additional channel of revenue through in-app purchasing and advertising.
Most people do shopping online, so you already have potential customers. With a responsive app, people will spend more time buying from your app.
You can send promotional offers and discount notifications to all customers at once through push notifications.
Customer satisfaction means increased sales. When a customer is contented, they will recommend your business to others.
- Increase Customer Engagement
Whether your business sells services or physical products, your customers need to reach you.
Investing in a mobile app for your business is critical if you want to make your business future-ready and reach more people.
Previously, it was almost impossible to reach all your clients at different places at the same time. Enter mobile apps!
An app offers 24/7/365 visibility to customers. No Sunday or holiday breaks. It allows them to access your products or services at any time without any physical limitations.
People always seem to be on the go. Users will interact with your brand at work or on vacation from cafes and restaurants, offices, subways and their homes, of course
By contacting your consumers directly using push notifications, in-app purchases, promotions, etc. you will engage them more and build a strong relationship.
- Nurture Customer Loyalty
Customer loyalty is a crucial factor to consider when developing a mobile app for your business. Business is all about reciprocation.
An app will allow you to have an instant and direct connection with your customers. There’s that feeling of personalized service that comes with using mobile apps.
Your customers want something in exchange for their purchases. You can develop a customer loyalty program that will make your app subscribers come back to earn rewards.
Ads, promotions (refer and earn) and in-app purchases have a greater impact than email marketing, social media ads and roadside banners. They provide a level of value that makes customers don’t want to go anywhere else.
Providing meaningful experience to consumers builds a relationship that advances to brand loyalty.
- Faster and Secure Payments
Mobile apps provide an easier alternative to web browsing. For web browsing, the user needs to launch a browser, enter the web address and wait for the site to download.
Mobile apps are nearly twice as fast as mobile websites. An app-only take seconds to launch, you don’t have to remember a specific web address, and you can access some info offline on the app itself.
If you’re in the service industry (online foods retail, healthcare, salon, spa, etc.), an app will help your target customers book appointments easily.
Use push notifications to remind them about their appointment and they can pay via mobile payments.
Conclusion
The world has gone mobile, and there’s no turning back. The choice you make today will lay the foundation of your business’ future.
They’re not just modern tools – mobile apps serve nearly every business purpose now.
Regardless of what business you do, there are many benefits of having a mobile app for your business. An app will help you capitalize on the growing number of smartphone users.
I hope you got the answer to the question, “importance of having an app for your business?”
Does your business have a mobile app? How’s your experience? Share your thoughts below in the comments section!
