Before the era of the World Wide Web, what gave businesses an edge was the ability to kit out a good brick and mortar shop-front and advertise on traditional media such as newspapers, magazines, brochures, TVs or even neon lights and billboards. Then came the websites, followed by social media channels and finally mobile apps. The next frontier of business advertising will be in virtual reality and augmented reality or mixed reality.
Technologies will always evolve but traditional business models are generally static. Businesses only adapt technologies to augment their systems to deliver greater efficiency and get an edge over their competitors. The evolution of technologies over the past few years has shown that only the businesses that are willing to adapt and move with the times will get a winning edge and dominate their niche. Those that ignore the trends are swept by the wayside.
One of these technologies, for the longest time now, has been the mobile apps. For businesses, this is the right time, the sweet spot, to invest in a good mobile app. We are seeing a smartphone revolution and the associated apps are delivering very good ROI for the businesses that embrace them. Billions of consumers are using smartphones that are powered by iOS or Android devices which have a rich app ecosystem. They download these apps to perform a variety of shopping-related activities ranging from ordering online to locating stores; from browsing products to hunting for the latest deals. A mobile app will certainly give your business an edge.
Here are some of the top reasons why you should consider creating one for your business today:-
Boost your sales
To maximize on your visibility and sales, you have to open as many shop fronts as possible through which your customers can find your products. A mobile app can be a good driver of sales, tapping into the smartphone market and channeling leads to your business via the app. Mobile apps also have very good ROI. If you are in a business that sells products, then your mobile app can be a new m-commerce channel that extends your reach and helps you generate more leads and conversions. When building mobile apps, it is important to ensure that you have streamlined the sales process. Users put great premium on app usability.
A Mobile app means greater visibility
Using a mobile app for your business can boost the visibility for your products and services. The average consumer spends more time on their phone than on their laptops. Mobile apps and phones are also defining the way we shop. Increasingly, many of sales leads are coming through mobile channels thanks to the convenience that they offer. If you are planning to drive sales, the right strategy is to leverage every technology available for you to push your products to the eyeballs of your prospective clients. A mobile app should be one of your key arsenals in ramping up your visibility and conversions.
Besides, everyone is hopping onto the mobile app bandwagon. In 2017, two-thirds of businesses were planning to build mobile apps for their businesses while 42% of small businesses already had mobile apps. Mobile apps aren’t just a sales tool. They can also be an important customer service tool.
It can be a great customer service tool
With intuitive design and good usability, a mobile app can be a great customer service tool. We use smartphones so much that we have gotten accustomed to the devices. If you can create a good mobile app that delivers a responsive and intuitive user experience, you can convert your app into a potent customer service tool.
It’s good for your branding
A mobile app provides a brand new portal for the expression of your brand identity. You can customize an app that speaks to your brand image and helps you build your brand equity. A great functioning mobile app also reflects positively on the quality of your brand.
Use a mobile app to cultivate customer loyalty
The mobile application environment allows for very creative implementations of a customer loyalty program that is more interactive and personalized to the individual needs of users. A customer loyalty program that is easily accessible via a mobile app interface is also more convenient as it is easy to track.
Stand out from the competition
Building a mobile app is the best way to stand out from the competition. This is especially true if your competitors do not have apps and it can give you a massive competitive advantage.