Advantages of mobile apps for businesses

More and more businesses are considering developing a mobile app as another marketing tool and sales channel. With consumers spending a lot of time on their smartphones, it makes business sense to have a solid presence there, staying top of mind for your target audience. 

While mobile-optimized websites are still important, mobile apps have certain advantages your businesses should consider.

1. Additional value for customers

To make their purchasing decision easy and build brand loyalty, it’s vital to provide customers with as much value as possible — and a mobile app is a good way to accomplish this goal. 

For example, adding e-commerce features to your app makes it convenient for customers to buy your products. In addition, giving them the ability to track packages within the app makes it clear to customers that your business wants them to feel at ease whenever they make a purchase. 

Another way to add more value through mobile apps is with personalization. Let end users select the content they want to see in the app to make it more relevant for their needs.

2. Direct customer engagement

“Mobile apps are a great way for businesses to connect with their customers, offer customer service, and provide sales,” says Mark Varnas, principal consultant at Red9. 

Providing multiple ways for your customers to contact you directly is vital because not all customers use the same mediums. Some may prefer to call you, while others may want to message you in an app. 

A mobile app provides customers with another channel they can use to engage with you directly. Answering questions, sending appointment reminders, and sharing new product details are all ways to engage directly with your customers through a mobile app.

3. Increased brand awareness

Gaining visibility for your business is key so you can attract more prospects. A mobile app provides another marketing channel you can use to reach people who may not already be familiar with your business, notes Varnas. 

For example, if you have a native app in the Apple App Store and on Google Play, people may encounter it while browsing related apps. If your app sounds appealing to them, they may decide to download it and become a prospect or customer.

4. Competitive edge

Regardless of your industry, competition is likely fierce. How can your business stand out from competitors? You need multiple ways to differentiate yourself, such as a unique product or service model. 

Another way to remain competitive is with a mobile app. If your competitors don’t have an app and you do, your customers may flock to the app because it’s a novelty in your industry or region, giving you an upper hand. 

“Smartphones are now an essential tool for almost all of us. Having a mobile app makes a business’s presence persistent in the user’s smartphone, says Daniela Sawyer, founder of FindPeopleFast. “It increases the possibility of users visiting the service frequently.”

5. Additional marketing channel

According to Varnas, a mobile app is an excellent place to start if you want to diversify your marketing channels and increase revenue. You can use the app to send updates about new product developments to users to get them excited for future releases. 

The app is also an effective way to share details about special promotions and sales, especially when you can target these details based on user interests or purchasing history. If you want to provide VIP access to specific prospects or customers, a mobile app can reach them and capture their attention with instant notifications.

6. Customer insights

The better you know your customers, the more successful your business will be. A mobile app provides businesses with a great way to gain insights into user behavior and sentiments about your business. 

For example, if a customer uses your app daily, consider rewarding them for their loyalty. If you have a customer who hasn’t opened the app for 60 days, consider which retention methods you can use to reengage them.

Mobile apps provide numerous advantages for businesses. “With the adoption of mobile tech in our daily lives, many consumers are now using apps on their phones to shop online or get deals,” says Varnas. “So it’s no surprise that more businesses are looking into how they can take advantage of this trend and create their own mobile app.” 

If you’re considering creating an app for your business, be sure to look into the many no-code and low-code app builders available that allow you to build an app without an entire development team. Regardless of how you build an app, consider the many benefits and how you can use the app to its full potential to reach your business goals.