How do mobile apps help small businesses?
Nowadays there are an increasing number of people who own a mobile phone, a laptop as well as a PC. But would you rather use your laptop or switch on your desktop to open a website and then order food, or would you prefer using your phone, and accomplishing the same, by just a single tap on an icon?
Most people would choose the latter.
Over 96% of multiple devices owning people choose mobile phones over other tech devices, Mobile apps have also become the most convenient method for the customers to avail services provided by a business.
The ever-rising prevalence of mobile apps usage has lessened the effectiveness of only having a company website or having business accounts on Facebook, Instagram, etc, to attract the attention of today’s tech-savvy customers, who are always looking for something new, better and most importantly, convenient.
Mobile apps tick all the right boxes in this case.
Here are how mobile apps help small businesses:
- Brand Awareness
In this world of cut-throat competition in each and every sector, it is necessary to stand out and grab the attention of the customers, who are constantly being overwhelmed by unending options and offers.
So if you think that your business is the answer to the many ”pains” and “desires” of your targeted customers, then go ahead and create an app.
When your niche customer searches for what you offer in the app store or says to another, “There’s an app for that!”, your brand’s app would come at the top of their mind – creating awareness and thereby letting other people know about your business as well.
- Promotes the Business
Nowadays, an app is the solution to all the promotional activities a business has to carry out. Frequent eye-catching updates and offers would serve the cost of the horrendous amount of money spent on billboards and advertisements in newspapers, the latter not being even a fractional amount effective compared to the cost incurred.
- Increases Engagement with the Customer
Mobile apps allow businesses to engage and interact with customers in real-time, via promotional offers and polls. More engagement and interaction on behalf of the customers serves as proof that the customers are interested in what your business has to offer and they are willing to pay for those products or services.
- Improves your Product/Service
Mobile apps enable the business to get reviews from its customers which may be good, bad or ugly. The reviews help the business to improve and better what they are offering to the customers, not only making the happy customers happier but also gaining the trust of the not-so-happy ones too.
- Updates your Product/ Services
The feedback received not only helps in building the business’ customer base but also helps the business gain an insight on what’s trending and what’s not. By paying attention to the feedback the customers have painstakingly taken time out to send, the business can improvise and modify itself by being updated to the ever-changing needs of the customers.
- Encourages Customer Loyalty
Adding value to your returning customer, by providing them benefits that would make them come back to your app and avail your service, in the form of loyalty points or membership scheme, is another way an app can help in building a customer base of the business and ensuring regular flow of customers and revenue.
- Absence of middlemen
A mobile app can do everything for a business from A to B. A business, which has a mobile app of its own, does not need to employ middle-men and print-out promotional posters nowadays and can instead use the push notification feature to let the customers know about the business’ latest offerings. The business does not need to involve a third-party when the customer can put in the required information seamlessly, in the predetermined environment of the app.
- Collects data for analysis
A business, through its mobile app, can get hold of a lot of data, for example, the most and least popular products, demographic data of the customers, interests of the customers, etc which are invaluable to the business. These analytics would not only help the business provide an improved and better user experience but also help the business in understanding its customers.
- Highest Conversion Rate
A research done by Criterio proves that mobile apps have 3x more conversion rates when compared to mobile company websites and 1.5x more conversions than desktop. This is because customers feel irritated when they have to fill in endless details during checkout via mobile sites and abandon their carts, thereby driving the abandonment rate to more than 70%.
However, via apps, customers tend to view more products and thereby increasing the chances of their purchasing products.
10. Greater ROI
Developing a mobile app may feel like an unnecessary expense at first, but as return on investment, the business would get to connect and engage with their customers, building a customer base, thereby driving sales which would ultimately help the company in improving its turnover as well as it’s brand reputation.
