DOES YOUR #BUSINESS NEED A MOBILE APP?

Gone are the days when mobile apps were only for large corporates and organizations. Nowadays, many small and mid-size businesses are buying into the mobile trend due to the understanding that an effective mobile strategy involves more than just a mobile friendly website.

Most serious businesses put in some effort to establish an online presence through the use of of standard websites, blogs and social media outlets. However, the global growth of #mobile technology and usage, especially here in Africa, has pushed an increasing number towards the development of mobile applications (apps).

The use of mobile apps for your business could be the deciding factor that pushes an individual to choose your business over the guys across the street. The apps can serve as an extension of your business or provide a more efficient means to deliver goods and services.

Below are the benefits of your business having its own mobile app:

1. Customer Engagement

The good thing about your business having a mobile app is that it gives you the potential to engage with your customers in real-time and complete with profile location. If properly managed, you can turn those engaged customers into revenue generating customers.

2. Customer Service and Support

Apps can make it simpler and more efficient for your customers to get in touch with your business and also offer them tools to make their life easier while making use of your products or services.

3. Direct Marketing Channel

Mobile apps carry out many functions including providing general info, prices, booking forms, search features, user accounts, messengers, news feeds and much more. Through the apps, all the information you want to pass across to your customers including special sales and promotions is right at their fingertips. With the help of push notifications, you’ll get even closer to a direct interaction and can easily remind customers about your products and services whenever it’s suitable.

4. Customer Value

Through mobile apps, you can digitalize the loyalty programs you have in place by making it possible for customers to collect their rewards through your mobile apps thus paving way for more downloads and more return customers.

5. Brand Building and Recognition

A mobile app for your business contributes immensely to your brand awareness, building and recognition.

Brand: with a mobile app, you can do whatever you want with it; make it stylish, hip, functional, shocking or informative. The main target is to create a mobile app that has features customers will love and at the same time is well branded and beautifully designed.

Recognition: the more often you can get customers involved with your mobile app, the more recognition your products or services will continue to receive therefore customers will be inclined to buy them. Effective frequency (Advertising): as a rule of thumb, hearing and/or seeing your brand approximately 20 times is what will get you truly noticed.

6. Stand Out From Competitors

If your business has a mobile app and the competition don’t have one, you’ll quickly get noticed and if potential customers are trying to make their choice between your business and others in your industry, the app could present an added advantage for you.

7. Cultivate Customer Loyalty

Another important reason for a mobile app in your business is to build customer loyalty. We slowly lose our impact on customers due to the immense amount of advertising surrounding us all. Smart marketers focus on making a true and sincere connection with their customers, and making them a loyal lover of their products and/or services.

If you have decided to develop your own mobile app, you can follow any of these options:

1. Hire an outside app development agency
2. Bring your in-house app development team on board
3. Try out one of the mobile app builders like Como, BuildFire or AppsBuilder aimed at people with few coding or technical skills.

In conclusion, a mobile app propels you to think of creative ways to capture your existing or potential customers’ attention, enhance your offerings, entice people to buy and make life easier for your customers thereby making you reap the results. As mobile apps increasingly become a standard component of business delivery, it is time to at least begin to think about whether an app is right for you, what the app might look like, what it would cost and whether now is the time to make that investment.

Tags:  business Business Development Growth Strategies Mobile technology small business technology