8 Advantages for business of having their own mobile app

Mobile apps have become a necessity for businesses nowadays. Mobile app are gaining more advantages in business. Nearly every business has a mobile app – be it e-commerce, mobile wallet or grocery shopping. Most of the consumers are on mobile devices now and thus it makes sense of marketers to tap into this. Research shows that 81% of mobile device users generally search for any product or service online and out of this 26% search for apps related to that specific product.

While earlier companies felt it was functional to be present on social media, it is not enough at the present age.

Creating an app has become a simple process now with the availability of many app developers and builders. While it may be tempting to use one of the simple DIY app builder, it is unwise to do so. It is always better to consult with the experts and leave it to them to design and develop your mobile app. This way you are assured of quality which is better than saving few bucks but getting a dysfunctional app in return.

Before proceeding with advantages of having mobile app for business, it’s better to look on the features which mobile app have.

Features which mobile apps have over websites

1. Push Notifications
2. Barcode/ QR Code Scanning
3. Google Maps/ GPS Tracking
4. Payment Gateway Integrations
5. Social Media Integration

Importance of mobile apps in the modern business environment

Following are some of the benefits of developing a mobile app for your business –

1. Available to your clients 24 X 7:

Through mobile app your business can easily access to your customers just by taping on icon. Doesn’t matter you have a business of food delivery, cab services or online product delivery etc your users can easily track your services by just tapping on single button. With the help of GPS/Google maps services users can easily track where the delivery person is.

Imagine if you have to book Uber only through website and there would be no provision of mobile apps. Just to know the location of your driver you have to keep your laptop or your desktop open. Even you have to copy the number of your driver through website in your phone and then you have to call.

How difficult it would be! Thank god, we have mobile apps.

So imagine how your business services can easily reach to your customers. How easier your business operations would be with the help of mobile app.

2. Customer Engagement

Most companies focus on the flow of information from business to consumer but the reverse communication is equally important for marketing. Companies need to make themselves be reachable to customers who in turn need to be able to reach the companies. An unreachable company risks losing a host of potential customers. A mobile app helps in this regard. It is an easily available platform that customers can turn to voice concerns and complaints or post questions and orders. Even they can easily give their Ratings & Reviews to their products/services. This helps make customer engagement great through a relatively simple platform. Ensure that the processes in the app are smooth and simple as customers abhor complicated procedures.

3. Provides Value to your customers

One of the things your app needs to do is provide some value to the customer so that they are committed to using your app. This can be done by creating a loyalty program within the app. The more your customers interact with your brand or your application, the more attractive offers they receive. Business can easily share loyalty points, bonuses, promotion discounts with customers through push notifications.

Starbucks uses a method wherein they offer exclusive rewards to app users which thus motivates to visit the store and buy more coffee.  They also allow customers to pay directly from the app and redeem their rewards points. Now a days, many payment gateways supports mobile app integration. Such innovative app ideas can help enhance your brand by providing additional value to customers.

Even now a days, many e-commerce apps like amazon are sending new offers and promo codes through push notifications. Any by just one single tap user can access those offers instantly doesn’t matter where the user is. It’s one of the biggest advantages of mobile app for business! One of the best  SDK for push notification is OneSignal.

4. What mobile app does, website can’t

Most companies have a website but they do not see the point of a mobile app. However, what they need to know is that an app always give adds ons to their website. One of the another great feature of mobile app is scanning barcodes.  If some one have e-commerce business then they can’t scan the barcode through website. They need external hardware to scan it where as in mobile app their users can scan it in just one single tap which results saving in the cost of external hardware and it’s maintenance.

Not even barcode, QR codes are also trending and helps in growing their business. Now a days gym owners, restaurant owners etc ask their clients to scan their QR code and get attractive offers, discount & cash back which help their business to attract more clients.

5. Brand Recognition

One of the biggest benefits of developing a mobile is app is that it allows more visibility and communication to the brand. Instead of investing in expensive advertisements and commercials, developing an app can serve similar benefits. An app is also customizable, which gives the developer the flexibility to tweak features based on what users want. This helps create a better recognition of the brand. Users can also share the link to download the app via referral codes which gives more visibility.

6. Helps in Direct Marketing

Mobile apps are extremely useful in engaging with customers and communicating information such prices, offers, features, discounts etc. The biggest advantage of an app is that it provides you with a direct channel to your consumer base which helps you in direct marketing. This will also help you identify the information about your customers such as their demographics, geography locations and usage behaviour based on usage on the app. This gives an insight into what strategies are likely to impact your consumer base.

7. Helps Differentiate

Apps are still not very common place for everyone in the market, however, the importance of it cannot be emphasised enough. It is important for you to get on this train before your competitors start to realise the importance of it. An app can help enhance your business in a lot ways and help you set apart from your competitors. Mobile applications are dynamic, customizable and user friendly and help differentiate you from the crowd.

8. Builds Customer Loyalty

All of the points mentioned above, in one way or another work towards building customer loyalty. By engaging with the brand and providing value, you constantly motivate them to turn towards you again and again. Now when the time comes, the customer is likely to choose an app that they know and trust over one of its other competitors. The final step is when the customer becomes a brand advocate by recommending the app to others and influencing them to download it.

Conclusion –

It is undoubtedly known that mobile apps are the future and there are really many advantages of mobile app in business. Mobile app marketing is a whole new arena that has opened seeing the possibilities of how consumers have strongly adopted mobile devices. A company should ensure that they invest time and effort into developing a good app. We have seen that the benefits of an app are tremendous to the company and really go a long way in positioning the company as a strong contender both in the market as well as the minds of the people.

Having a website is step one but having an app is equally important. Companies should ensure to promote their app in order to attract new customers and persuade them to download the app. The app can then be used to create engagement with customers by providing value to the customer thereby ensuring loyalty. A mobile app is much like the first image of your company and hence it is necessary to invest in its development, production and marketing.

After reading this blog, if you are planning to develop app for your business then feel free to contact us. We are one stop solution of mobile app development.