More people are using mobile applications every day, and this trend is only getting bigger. Most smartphone users spend time on apps, with nearly half opening an app more than 11 times a day. Many people now buy things on their phones, which can change how they shop. This also affects your business.
If your business doesn’t have an app, getting one can improve relationships with phone users and increase sales. However, creating an app isn’t a small task. Considering the advantages of having an app is crucial to determine if it’s a good move for your business at this moment. Here’s a guide to understanding why mobile apps are beneficial for your business.
The Advantages of Mobile Apps
Even though your business’s website should work well on mobile device, it still can’t provide the same experience as an app. Apps provide a focused, fast experience for mobile users. They include useful features like notifications and location-based targeting. If you’re unsure about making a mobile app for your business, here are some reasons that might convince you it’s worth the effort and resources.
Mobile apps can help businesses to:
- Strengthen their brand
- Connect better with customers
- Offer more value to customers
- Increase how much customers engage
- Create a more personalized marketing channel
- Enhance customer interactions
- Take advantage of a specific market niche
- Make good use of social media channels
- Boost customer loyalty
- Increase profits
1. Strengthen Your Brand
In the long term, a well-designed app can save your customers time by providing them with a direct line to what they need, solidifying their loyalty to your brand. Through smart design and communication, your app acts like a brand representative that’s always working. It makes sure customers get the right service at the right time, which helps you keep your brand’s promise.
Apart from making your brand stronger in the eyes of your customers, an app can also give you valuable insights into them. You can analyze app data to understand your audience better and improve your brand accordingly. For instance, if many users complain about the same problem in your app’s forum, you can use this feedback to make your products or services better.
2. Better Connection with Customers
Apps let you connect with your customers on the move. You can send them notifications about sales or new products to keep them engaged. This is a great way to stay in their minds even when they aren’t thinking about your brand. With features like location targeting, you can even reach out to customers when they are near your physical store, if you have one.
You can connect with customers using social media, emails, or your website. An app provides another way to reach them. Since people are on their phones a lot, an app ensures they see your messages. Notifications from your app help you reach your customers in a less crowded space — meaning less competition.
People spend more time on apps than on mobile websites. 85% of consumers prefer shopping through an app instead of a browser.
3. Providing Value to Customers
In a world where businesses fight for customers’ attention, you need to offer value every chance you get. An app can provide value through unique mobile shopping experiences. You could offer virtual try-on features for your clothing line or simplify subscription management for B2B customers. Making your products or services easier to access makes customers more likely to support you.
Remember, your app needs to offer more than just a contact form or a list of products. Your existing customers want convenience, but the app should also offer something unique that they can’t find elsewhere. Think about what special benefits your app can offer. For example, maybe you provide discounts only available through the app or use a chatbot to enhance the shopping experience saving time for your customer.
4. Improving Customer Engagement
Users spend significantly more time on apps compared to mobile websites, making apps a more engaging platform. This means you have more chances to connect with the right people at the right time since they chose to download your app.
Your app can offer various ways for customers to interact with your brand. If you sell products, let customers mark favorites or create shopping lists. Integrating your app with a review tool also makes it easier to gather feedback from your most engaged customers.
5. Personalizing the Marketing Channel
A lot of consumers expect businesses to understand their needs, and more than half want all offers to be tailored to them. An app allows you to meet these expectations by personalizing the experience. With tools optimized for mobile, you can customize marketing messages for each user.
Apps can include interactive personalization features like shopping history and tailored discounts. Besides recommendation algorithms, your app can have AR features for trying different colors or outfits. It’s also an easy way to recognize significant moments in your customers’ lives, like birthdays or anniversaries, making their experience even more personal.
6. Improving Customer Interactions
Mobile commerce is expected to make up over 43% of all e-commerce sales in 2024, showing a significant increase from the previous year. The growth of mobile apps means that younger shoppers, in particular, prefer making purchases through apps. These apps streamline the buying process by saving a shopper’s preferred products and payment details, making shopping faster and easier.
A well-designed app also opens up more marketing channels, allowing customers to move from a social media ad directly to your app to complete a purchase. The ease of use of your app directly affects the customer experience and your conversion rates.
Mobile is predicted to account for 43.4% of all e-commerce sales in 2024.
7. Capitalizing on a Niche
No matter your industry, you’re competing for customers. A high-quality mobile app can help you secure a larger share of the market. If you need something to set you apart in a crowded niche, innovative features like a chatbot could give you an edge. This is especially true if you’re in an industry where it’s less common for businesses to have their own apps.
Given that 85% of consumers prefer shopping through an app rather than a browser, creating an app could significantly benefit your business. Customers expect instant communication, reliability, and convenience, all of which are provided by mobile apps.
8. Utilizing Social Media Channels
One of the key advantages of mobile apps is their integration with other online services, such as social media. Because most social media usage happens on mobile devices, it’s easier for users to connect to an app than a website. Many social platforms let businesses use their APIs for creating a smoothly integrated experience within your own app.
Social media is a powerful tool for spreading the word about your business and providing social proof, which is a significant advantage of mobile apps for your business. It offers a simple way for users to share content, helping to generate user-generated content with minimal effort. Customers can also seek support through social media channels within the app.
9. Improving Customer Loyalty
Loyalty programs are a fantastic method for encouraging customer loyalty. A vast majority of consumers say they’re more likely to stick with a brand that offers a loyalty program, and many report spending more because of such programs. Instead of traditional punch cards, many businesses now use apps as a straightforward method to manage loyalty programs.
While your app can serve multiple purposes, incorporating a loyalty or rewards program can encourage repeat purchases and foster loyalty. Providing tangible rewards for these repeat purchases can enhance this effect. Offering additional rewards, promotions, or discounts for social media shares can also boost your brand’s visibility.
10. Boosting Profits
At the end of the day, mobile apps benefit both businesses and consumers by enhancing the overall experience, often leading to increased profits. Since apps improve the customer journey, your marketing efforts are likely to be more effective. Through engagement, loyalty programs, and added value, your advertising costs could decrease while your conversions increase.
Apps provide valuable insights into customer preferences, enabling businesses to tailor the shopping experience. With targeted marketing tools, these insights can lead to increased sales with less marketing spend. Given that every dollar spent on improving user experience can return up to a hundredfold, investing in a mobile app could be a wise decision for your business.
Managing Your Mobile App
While customers use mobile devices to learn about their favorite brands and make purchases, a mobile app can enhance this experience and strengthen customer relationships on a larger scale.
Having a platform to manage your app’s content can make a big difference. It keeps everything organized and ensures your app stays fresh and engaging for users. Whether it’s updating products and services listings, sending out new promotions, or simply keeping your app running smoothly, the right tools can help you manage these tasks efficiently.
In today’s digital age, where smartphones are an extension of ourselves, offering a seamless and personalized experience through a mobile app can significantly enhance how consumers interact with your brand. Not only does it make shopping easier and more enjoyable for them, but it also opens up a direct line of communication between your business and your customers. This can lead to deeper customer relationships, increased loyalty, and ultimately, a boost in sales and profits for your business.
Remember, the decision to develop a mobile app should be based on a clear understanding of your business goals and customer needs. If done right, a mobile app can be a powerful tool in your marketing arsenal, helping you stand out in a crowded market, build a strong brand presence, and drive growth. So, consider the benefits of mobile app development, weigh the costs, and decide if it’s the right time for your business to embrace mobile app technology.
If you’re interested in creating an app and want some advice to make sure it fits just right with what your business and customers need, we’re here to help. At Technology Rivers, we specialize in making custom mobile apps that meet your specific business goals and make your users happy.
If you’re wondering what your app idea could turn into, we’d be happy to talk about it. Why not get in touch for a friendly chat about your app idea and see how we can work together to make it real?
