A couple of years back, there was a notion: If you have a business, you need a mobile app. Today, we witness a huge surge in the number of apps in the app stores. Google Play has over 3.8 million apps whereas App Store houses over 2 million apps. More and more companies come up with their apps as mobile application development services address their needs with the help of technological advancements. You may find your local pizza center’s app in the app store as well!
Here the question arises: Does every business need a customized mobile app? Or, let’s change the question a bit: Can the business get an edge over peers with an app in an overcrowded app market? Well, these questions have kept many entrepreneurs on the fence. If you are one of them, here we give ten reasons to go for a tailored business app. But, before we move ahead, it is interesting to jot down five points that make apps a preferred choice over mobile websites.
As compared to mobile websites, an app is more interactive and capable of giving a pleasant user experience.
When it comes to offering a personalized experience to your target audience, an app knows no bounds! Also, it is way better for a regular or frequent use as compared to the website.
An app can perform complex tasks more efficiently than websites. An app can handle intricate details and provide a real-time analytics with ease.
When it comes to the use of the features like camera, processing power, etc. mobile apps surpass the websites thanks to their native functionality. In other words, mobile apps can utilize the handheld devices effectively and efficiently.
Is it possible to access a mobile (friendly) website without an Internet? No. The mobile apps provide this facility with offline mode. It is possible to use an app without a network or wireless connection.
In brief, though a mobile website can serve many business objectives, mobile apps have the upper hand for these reasons.
Top Reasons Why Your Business should have Mobile App
1. Improved visibility and Enhanced Connectivity
As we go through a paradigm shift from ‘mobile first’ to ‘mobile only’ approach, the average time spent on mobile devices is increasing globally. As per comScore’s report, an average adult person in the US spends over two hours in a day on the mobile device. A mobile app can offer your business an opportunity to get a place in the customers’ smart devices. In a way, you can get a constant visibility and stay connected with the customers on a 24/7 basis. Even small businesses and startups can also leverage the benefits of a tailored mobile app and add value to their brands.
2.Better Customer Experience
A feature-rich mobile app with an attractive UI and a seamless functionality across the platforms can provide a pleasant user experience. You can make the app interactive and interesting to attract and retain customers. An app can help your business gain traction among a huge mass through a better and personalized customer experience. Even brick-and-mortar stores can avail the advantage of a great app and reach a huge audience. A customized app is capable of offering a unique experience to your customers that they always wish to get.
3. Excellent Tool for Promotional Purpose
If you want to promote your products or services online, the mobile platform should be your choice. The mobile app with necessary features can effectively promote your business while giving you a robust option to spread awareness about your products. You can use the app features like push notifications and localization to target specific or local audience. As compared to other online marketing channels, mobile apps always remain cost-effective.
3. Address Global Audience
This is one of the biggest benefits of a mobile app: You can address a global audience though you have a local level business. In other words, an app can provide you with a way to unleash the hidden potential of your business. With a mobile app, entrepreneurs can give their business a broad identity. With a successful enterprise app, you can make your business competitive at a global level.
4. Advantage of Multi-channel Presence
Intensifying competition has made the multi-channel presence more important than ever. An app can give your business a digital identity through acting as a mobile representative. It integrates the social media to give a new perspective to the business. It offers a hassle-free and smart way to connect and communicate with stakeholders and customers. The mobile app has a capability to become a hub for other channels. For example, you can manage mobility, ordering system, and other complex operations with ease through an application. By controlling all internal channels for marketing and communication through an app, you can make your business more customer-centric and result-oriented.
5. Monetization Benefit
Once your app starts gaining popularity, you can generate a steady flow of revenue from it. You can go for different app monetization options ranging from in-app purchase to the premium version of the app with high-end and innovative features. You can also allow third-party ads to get a regular income. An engaging, simple, and content-rich app can start earning for you soon providing you get a technical assistance from professional and experienced mobile app developers. It is also possible that your app generates revenue even before driving sales.
6. Brand Building
Relationship with your customers matters the most when you want to build a brand. An app always remains handy to establish and maintain the relationships as it always stays in the customer’s smartphone. It is possible that a person does not remember the web address, but they cannot forget your app. What’s more, every new app user enters the information about social media account or an email address for registration. You can get the customer’s valuable data and use it to build a relationship with the customers. Your business can also get benefit from the “site+mobile app” combination.
7. Business Process Optimization
An app can help your employees increase their productivity through a better collaboration and communication. It is easy to exchange critical company data in a secure way and get a real-time statistics with a business mobile app. Mobile apps can organize and automate the multiple business operations efficiently and enable you to optimize the process. You can also establish uninterrupted communication with employees irrespective of their location.
8. Increased Loyal Customer base
A loyal customer is a real asset to your business. They can spread a word of mouth which is much more effective than any other marketing campaign. An app can be a powerful tool in your hand to increase loyalty. You can easily integrate loyalty or reward programs into your mobile app along with sharing promotional offers and special discounts with your loyal customers. Though E-Commerce and retail sectors remain the greatest beneficiaries of a loyalty program, other businesses can also avail the advantages of it. You can also send push notifications about the special access to exclusive offers. In a way, you can gain the loyalty of existing customers.
9. Competitive Edge
Last but not the least, a mobile app can give your business a competitive edge over rivals who do not have apps. Your business can stand ahead of the curve and show the value in the eyes of your customers. Also, you can get a huge lead through a mobile app as it significantly reduces the cost of Internet marketing and strengthens the promotional campaign. Even a small business can get a global acclamation with a flawless and futuristic app. Acompli, an email app is an epitome of it. Microsoft has acquired this app for $200 million just after eighteen months of its release.
The futuristic technologies like AR (Augmented Reality), IoT, and AI (Artificial Intelligence) have made a mobile app more powerful and useful for the businesses than ever. It can be a game-changer for your business by providing an opportunity to expand.
Wrapping Up
Still not convinced? You can always visit a leading mobile application development company to know other advantages of an enterprise-grade app. Investing in a mobile app can generate a steady revenue and offer you a higher RoI while preventing you to lag behind your peers.
