Don't Think Your Business Needs a Mobile App? Read This
Date: 2/25/2019

Mobile apps are easily the most powerful tools for communication today. It comes as no surprise, therefore, that the top companies in the world today include Amazon, Alphabet, Facebook, and Alibaba.

One thread of similarity that runs through these four companies is that they all have highly successful mobile apps.

You may say "Well, I have a great website, why do I need a mobile app?" The fact is that a website does not offer as much penetration power as apps – even if your site is optimized for mobile.

According to Flurry Analytics, as at December 2016, people spent up to 92 percent of their time on mobile devices using apps and just 8 percent of the time browsing the web.

Meanwhile, eMarketer has predicted that this year apps will topple TVs as the top medium where people spend time on in the US. This trend is expected to continue to increase in the coming years.

So, what is the implication of this? It simply means that if you want to continue to reach your customers and stay competitive, getting a mobile app must be a top priority. Here are four solid reasons why your business needs a mobile app.

1. Direct Line of Communication With Your Customers:

In the past, companies posted ads on TV, radio, and newspaper when they wanted to reach their customers. The problem with these channels is that they are expensive and are not very effective.

Fast forward to today, you could reach customers via your website. But the message won't be delivered unless your customers visit your site, and how many people make it a point to visit the website of their favorite brands?

An app creates a direct line of communication for you to reach your customers. Instead of having to recall the name of a website and typing into the browser every time, users just have to click on an icon to get in touch with your company.

And with push notifications, your customers do not even have to open your app before you can communicate with them.

Apps allow companies to deliver excellent customer service and build loyalty among users.

2. Valuable Feedback and Insightful Analytics:

Companies can get a lot of useful feedback from users of their mobile apps. Since apps create a direct line of communication between customers and companies, it is easy for the latter to get complaints from users and nip the issue in the bud before it goes into the public domain.

Businesses can also gain insightful information about what customers think about their products and services based on their activities on the company's app.

For example, if users are spending a lot of time on a particular section of the app, it could be a sign of interest. And knowing this, the company can provide more similar products or services. Generally, by analyzing the way customers use an app, a company can improve its offerings to the public.

3. Promote a Brand:

Mobile apps also do an excellent job of building awareness about a brand. Most companies use their logo as their app icon.

Once customers install your app on their devices, they are likely to come across your logo every day - whether it is on the device's desktop or in the apps section. The result of this is brand recognition. And if a company plays its card right that recognition could translate into patronage and loyalty.

4. Stay Competitive:

Companies are competing over the same set of customers. Therefore, if your competitors have an app and you don't, they'll have the upper hand over you. Even if a lot of companies in your field do not have apps, creating one will give you an advantage over them.

An app allows you to stay competitive in many ways. You can effectively market to customers, accept payments, and do so much more. It is akin to having a having a mini outlet of your business on the smartphone of every customer.

An App’s Capabilities

An app creates a level playing field for both big and small companies. It provides a more intimate channel for communication than social media or websites.

While apps have some advantages over other communication channels like social media and sites, it cannot replace them. Nonetheless, an app is a crucial piece in every company's communication framework, and its importance cannot be overlooked.