If you use a smartphone or tablet, you will use one or more apps on a regular basis. It’s hard to escape from the fact that most people use such devices these days. They prove useful to us in many different ways, and we can’t live without them.
These handy little software programs enable us to be productive while we’re on the road. If you run a business, did you know that you can enhance your service by offering your customers an app to use? Here are ten reasons why it makes sense for you to get an app built for your firm:
- Millions of apps get downloaded each year
According to research site Statista, over 138 billion apps were downloaded in 2014. The figure is set to rise to almost 180 billion this year, with a projected 268 billion for 2017!
As you can imagine, that’s one hell of an amount of app downloads! Because of the increase in app downloads year on year, now is a brilliant time to launch a new app for your business.
If your customers could access the information they need using an app, that’s what they’d do. It’s more convenient than using a Web browser, for instance.
- You can provide a better service to your customers
Sure, your clients can call, fax or email you if they have a question. You might even offer an FAQ section on your website. But, did you know that you could provide an enhanced service through a mobile app?
Take Apple, for example. As you know, they make and sell mobile devices. Their customers can go online and check out their products on their website. But, they also have a dedicated “shopping” app that offers the same thing.
You can even use the app to buy their products and services without going near a Web browser!
- It offers another method of communication with your clients
Sometimes customers want to talk to people at a company without speaking if that makes sense! Online chat, just like text messaging, is a convenient way of conversing with people.
Your app could offer an online chat facility to help customers with any queries they may have. Using a computer, you could have many simultaneous conversations with clients. As you can appreciate, it’s a better use of time than devoting one staff member to a phone call with just one client.
- It can help your customers to find you
Do you run a business with several retail outlets? If so, one thing you will no doubt be keen to do is offer clients a way to find their nearest store.
Your website may already provide a “store finder” facility. You can also offer the same feature in your mobile app too. Today’s modern devices have GPS built into them.
That means your app can use their current location to determine where the nearest store is and how to get there.
- Apps offer a safe and secure way to buy online
You may have thought about selling your products and services using a mobile app. But, just how safe are they for customers to use? App developers can build a secure app that doesn’t need to invoke a device’s Web browser.
Sometimes there may be security issues with the browser. Apps can get coded to avoid such problems, offering a secure path for all transactions. They will also increase consumer confidence too, as they know they can trust your app.
- Mobile apps are useful marketing tools
When you install a mobile app, have you ever noticed how it asks you if you want to receive notifications from it? Well, if your customers agree to that, you can broadcast promotions through your app!
Even if they aren’t running the app, it can still let users know of special offers that may be of interest to them. Of course, consumers have the option to disable such messages in the settings.
But, mobile apps are still an effective way of marketing your brand. They are just as good, if not better, than sending regular newsletters out to them!
- Your app can get developed for use on many platforms
It’s no secret that people use smartphones and tablets on various platforms. Apple’s iOS and Google’s Android are the two main players in the marketplace. You’ve also got Microsoft Windows Phone Store and BlackBerry World too.
If you want to capture the entire market, your app can get “ported” to other platforms. In other words, you can make your app available to use on any mobile device, regardless of its brand.
- A mobile app can get used offline
You may think to yourself that building a mobile app isn’t going to offer you value for money. Instead, you’re thinking about going down the mobile website route. But, there’s one thing you’ve forgotten: Internet access!
The beauty of mobile apps is they can get used offline. That means if your customer isn’t online, they can still use it to learn more about what you do.
Believe it or not, even an e-commerce app can also work offline. Your customers can add products and services to their shopping cart. When they next go online, they can conclude their transaction. The sad truth is that mobile websites don’t offer such functionality.
- A mobile app won’t cost you a fortune to get built
You might be thinking to yourself that mobile app developers charge the Earth. The opposite couldn’t be any more true! As you run a business, you need to find ways to expand and make it grow.
Mobile apps are an affordable investment for your company. Let’s face it; you’ve already invested in other online marketing tools. Why wouldn’t you do the same with a mobile app too?
- Mobile apps are practical promotional tools
The fact that you have a mobile app is enough to help you promote your brand! Some of the time, mobile users will have downloaded your app by searching for a particular term.
As you can see, it makes sense to have an app available for download. It’s a useful way of adding extra revenue to your business.
More Stories
How to Effectively Remove ChocoEukor from Your Android Device
From Pixels to Perfection: Mastering the Art of Web Design
How to Stop TinyTask: 10 Effective Techniques for Gamers and Tech Enthusiasts