Whether your business is big, small or even just starting up, mobile is the way to go. Companies from across the planet are becoming part of a global revolution of Mobile App development. If we talk in numbers then here are some statistics that will certainly make you ponder – Google & Apple both announced in June 2014 that they have a million apps in their respective stores. By the same month this year, the numbers had become 1.5 million.
Imagine, one million Apps have been made in just one year! One million thriving companies connected to their customers 24x7.
If you think that mobile apps are solely for big name brands like Walmart, you are wrong. More and more small and midsize businesses are following the mobile trend, understanding that an effective mobile strategy involves more than just a mobile-friendly website.
In case you are still wondering why anyone would want to get their business on a mobile platform, here are top 6 reasons justifying the benefits of a Mobile App.
1. Marketing
Apps have capacities such as providing general info, prices, catalogues, search features, news feed, accounts, messaging, payment, tracking and suchlike.
One of the greatest advantages of having a versatile App is that all the information you'd like to give to your clients – including special deals and promotions – is just a finger-touch away. Mobile App ads add an interesting layer of location-based push notifications to the coupon economy. Rewards, offers, and every tiny thing that you can think of that makes your customers' jaws drop can be easily floated across their notifications screen without paying a single penny for it.
Promotions is possibly the single most beneficial feature of an App that really turns the tide towards Mobile App from mobile-friendly website.
2. Reach
Statistics shows that people spend at least 2-3 hours on their smartphones everyday. Though I agree that there are just handful of Apps that really cut to the cream and are accessed on a daily basis but it doesn't change the fact that at least with an App, you are “in the run”.
There are millions of smartphone users around the world who use their phones as their primary access to the world. If you do not have an App, it simply means that you are not a part of your customer's world.
3. Engagement
Be it cab & taxi services or online food delivery, the force that differentiates any company from 'good' to 'amazing' is how they handle their customers and how engaged their customers are to their services. Mobile Apps offer a handful of features to keep your customers constantly involved in the happenings of your company.
Integration with social media platforms such as facebook, twitter, google+ etc enables people to share their experiences. If done efficiently, your customers will advocate your brand and your offers through the beautiful engagement model a Mobile App provides.
4. Branding
“Mobile Apps are for big brands!” Many of my clients come to me with this thought & to them I say “A bygone thought of the bygone era”. You do not need to be big to dream big, some of the smartest companies have branded themselves with a Mobile App when they were only in their incubation stage.
A mobile app is like a white billboard sign. It is an opportunity to paint your company with whichever branding style that suits your image, be it professional, stylish, innovative or even satirical. It is a brave new world out there, and if you wish to be known you need to stand up and be seen.
5. Competitive Edge
Competition is always something that keeps you on your toes which ever industry you may belong to. Consider a very similar company such as yours with only one small yet stark difference, you don’t have an App and your competitor does.
This one difference can reflect upon your customers formidably. Your competitor will be visible to your customers 24x7 engaging with them and you cannot do a single thing about it. You can get right into the action by getting your own mobile app and if no one in your industry has an App then the time is ripe to become the bold early adopter of a raging new technology knocking at your doorsteps.
6. Revenue
A Mobile App is a brilliant revenue model. I have worked with clients who have been apprehensive of the initial cost of App development but over the period of time even they have found their mobile app to be a lucrative investment.
We already talked about mobile apps can help you reach out and touch many more customers. This only means more business, and with more business comes more revenue. In-App ads, Paid Apps, In-App purchases, Cost-per-install (CPI) and App Sponsorship are some widely used features that lead to considerable revenue generation.
Summing up the reason behind such vast mobile app development in just 6 points doesn't really justify the global mobile revolution. The above may just be the tip of the iceberg but it manages to prove, without a doubt, that mobile app is the way to go.
