Why Your Business Needs A Good App

You surely noticed that these days every strong brand out there has a mobile app. But it’s a misconception that apps are reserved only for the big names in the industry. There are a growing number of midsize and small businesses that are grasping the importance of having a mobile app developed, besides the more common mobile-friendly site.

The fact that mobile apps have become one of the most important marketing tools should definitely make you think about creating a mobile platform for your business. In case you have any doubts about why you should build an app, here are some reasons to do so.

Visibility

The study shows that Americans spend more than two hours a day on their mobile devices, and 86% of that time is spent using apps. When you take into consideration that most of our time on phones is spent on using different apps, imagine what kind of exposure actively used apps get. Of course, not every app needs the amount of engagement that some world famous brands get.

It’s important to find a loyal user base and set achievable goals. The mere presence on people’s phones makes your brand more visible and creates a bond with your customers. If you create a well-designed smartphone icon it will definitely make your company recognizable and help build your brand.

Customer Engagement

It doesn’t matter which service you provide, your customers need a way to get in touch with you. Buyers appreciate the fast response, and apps can provide simple and fast ways to communicate, which builds up a relationship with costumers. You can achieve that with a messaging or help desk feature in your app.

Apps allow all kinds of online transactions. Providing purchasing capabilities through catalogs, ordering or reservation options will make a lot easier for your clients to buy your products or services anytime. Take for example Nowait- this app provides their customers to sign up for a virtual waiting list in a restaurant and get notified when there is a free spot, with just a few taps on the phone. It’s all about providing your customer's tools to make their life easier.

Promotion

Since the usage of mobile phones has increased immensely, apps have become one of the most important marketing tools for companies of all types and sizes. The great thing about apps is that they provide your customers all the information they need, and it’s all right there on their phones. You can easily notify your costumers about promotions and special sales via push notifications.

Mobile phones add an extra asset to the coupon economy, with location-based push notifications. Imagine all the visits a store gets when people get a coupon on their phone just by walking within a mile radius from that place.

Standing Out from Your Competitors

Even if it seems that every company nowadays has an app, when it comes to smaller businesses mobile apps are really not that common. That may be a great opportunity for your business to be a step ahead of your competition. Being the first in your area to offer an app to your costumers will definitely gain interest and amaze people with your progressive approach.

Besides the great product and an app to present them, you also need to offer your customers valuable and stimulating user experience. Maybe you won’t deliver like Starbucks did, but you can include some essentials into your app, like multiple payment gateways, fluid UX with simple navigation, customer loyalty functionality, brand continuity, streamlined checkout experience and push notifications and messages.

It’s a Standard

Many people think that developing an app is complicated and expensive, especially for small businesses but with ever-increasing competition, the prices are going down all the time. There are a lot of questions that come up when it comes to app development. There is the need to build an app for different platforms the customers use - Android, iOS, Blackberry, and Windows. Also, people are worried if their app should be static or dynamic, how to come up with the design and so on. The truth is that mobile app development has become somewhat of a standard in the industry and those who don’t keep up with their competitors will most likely fall behind.

In Conclusion

Considering all the facts, there is no reason for you to fall behind and not exploit all the benefits that mobile app can bring to your business. The mobile use in still increasing, so it’s better to grab all the opportunities that mobile apps can bring, make life easier for your costumers and enjoy the results.