Let me challenge you a little. What if I say that mobile apps in 2017 are a necessity for any business? If you agree, then in this article you can find even more benefits of a mobile app. If you’re on the opposite team, let me take just a few minutes of your attention and prove that apps are a must-have for any kind of business in 2017. Let’s start!
1. Consider a mobile app as the sales booster
One of the main aims of any business (leaving all these heartwarming “make the world a better place”) is constant growth and increase in profits. The successful experience of the market leaders like Zara, Starbucks, Domino’s Pizza and others proves that mobile apps can help you significantly boost sales. Thus, for example:
- Zara managed to achieve 60% increase in sales with its app
- After launching the mobile app, Rebecca Minkoff sold 3 times more clothes than the company expected
- Domino’s Pizza online sales grew by 28% in the UK after releasing the app
Impressive enough, isn’t it? But what do all these figures mean for your business? They mean that app development for business can increase the income by 20-60% or even more. So maybe you should give it a chance?
2. Your customers are on their smartphones “all the time” now
Smartphones aren’t just a gadget – they became rather a part of our lifestyle. When they’ve just appeared, advantages of mobile apps for a small business weren’t so obvious. Only 10% of your customers had mobile phones and even less were active mobile users. Nowadays, with about 60% of the world population having a mobile phone (and almost 100% in Europe and North America), I bet that about 95% of your customers have one and at least 70% are active users.
Moreover, the latest researches reveal that adult people spend about 3 and a half hours a day in apps. Seems reasonable enough if a part of this time they will spend in your app, doesn’t it? It’s also reasonable convert iOS app to Android (or vice versa) so as to cover as many potential users as possible.
3. Retargeting – one of the biggest benefits of mobile app for business
Have you ever calculated how much profit do you lose due to unfinished orders? The figure will surprise you! Yet, mobile apps can encourage users to finish abandoned orders, make new ones or visit your store. How can they do it?
- By analyzing users’ behavioral patterns and reminding them to complete unfinished actions
- By using geolocation services in order to invite users to your store when they’re passing near it
- By taking into account users’ search and shopping history in your app so as to keep them informed about discounts and hot offers regarding the goods they were interested in
Moreover, retargeting is often recognized as a competitive advantage of an app comparing to a website.
4. Personalization makes users feel special
Businesses that provide mobile apps to consumers offer them not only a convenient and useful software product but also establish an emotional bond between your business and customers. How? With help of personalization!
By remembering users’ private settings, wish lists, shopping carts and progress in rewards programs, you make your consumer feel that you really care about them. Moreover, it significantly improves their experience in your app since they don’t even have to log in so as to get everything they need.
It’s also possible to provide your customers with a user-specific experience by applying machine learning algorithms.
5. Turn it into your powerful marketing tool
Global brands spend million dollars on promotional campaigns in order to attract new customers. Small and midsize businesses usually can’t afford such huge spending on marketing, so that’s the situation when your app can significantly help you. How? It’s all about social media!
You know well how much time people spend using social networks a day – up to several hours! But this weak spot can be turned into one of the biggest benefits of a mobile app for a business:
- The passive strategy: the social share feature allows your customers to inform others about the fascinating experience which they got in your app, store or consuming your goods.
- The active strategy: you can also encourage people to tell about your business in a more active way. How? For example, offer them a nice gift or a discount in exchange for a review or a re-post.
Both strategies are a great way to attract new customers and raise the brand awareness among your community.
6. Improve the customer experience
Actually, the main value that can be offered by mobile apps to consumers is the improved CX. I have already mentioned personalization as a great advantage in eyes of users, yet, mobile apps have much more potential.
Even the best responsive website can’t achieve the high level of smooth performance of native apps. Moreover, apps usually work faster and operate well even without the Internet connection. Also, don’t forget that apps can employ other hardware and software pieces of users’ smartphones (like a camera, a geolocation, a photo library and so on) to provide them with the best possible experience.
7. Build brand loyalty
A mobile app is also your helper when it comes to building a powerful brand and generating repeat customers. Rewards and loyalty programs are proven tools to keep users engaged with your app and business.
A few ideas for you that will come in handy when building a loyalty:
- For every action or purchase, you may reward users with points that they can later exchange for discounts, gifts, and other benefits
- Coupons are kind of hot/special offers like “1+1=3” or “buy 1 thing and get a 50% discount on the second”
- You can also implement the discount levels system. The logic of its work is simple as that: the more users spend in your app and shop, the higher discounts they will get
Conclusion
I hope now you clearly see why your business needs a mobile app. Let’s quickly remember the benefits of a well-done mobile app by Stormotion team:
- It’s a great sales booster for your business.
- People spend a lot of time in apps so they are demanded.
- You can retarget and generate repeat customers with its help.
- Personalization and improved CX make customers closer to you.
- Mobile apps + social media = an effective marketing channel!
