As the world rapidly moves towards technology to increase user engagement for businesses, mobile apps are receiving increasingly more attention.
Studies from recent years show that mobile app purchases amount for about 48.2% of the total mobile app earnings. By 2017, it was estimated that in-app purchases will contribute a market as big as $37 billion.
The mobile app market has certainly lived up to these predictions.
However, till this day, businesses are reluctant to invest in app development. It is either ‘too costly’ or ‘too risky’.
If you are a business owner, then you should keep on reading because I will see how a mobile app can benefit your business.
App Development Can Help You Retain Your Current Customers
What does a business owner want? He wants three things:
- To add value to the market with his products/services
- Create a customer base
- Retain the customer base
The three things that I mentioned above must seem too simplified but that is actually what every business owner wants, one way or another.
Mobile apps are simpler to use. They have interactive features due to app developments like gamification.
There are tons of other features that make apps much easier. For example, users can switch pages quickly, make purchases and retrieve information with a few clicks.
Did you know?
Starbucks created a points system as a part of their loyalty program.
They created a mobile app for this, with the name ‘Star Point System’.
The way this system works is that users make purchases and with each purchase, specific points are added to their account.
Users can redeem those points to either get free drinks or seek discounts over their orders. This is what pushes the users to keep coming back for more.
This is how developing a good mobile app for your business can help you retain your current customers.
An Excellent Mobile App Would Make It More ‘Human’ For Your Customers
A couple of months back, due to a payment issue on Netflix, I had to open my laptop and make a lot of clicks to finally talk to a live customer service agent.
When I narrated that experience to my friend, she told me about the ‘live chat’ feature of Netflix mobile app.
Afterwards, I have always preferred to talk to a live customer agent through mobile apps.
As per a research study, 90% of customers like to speak with a live agent, which a good mobile app would enable you to.
This is why if your business has a smooth working mobile app, then it will be more interactive for your customers.
For example, a food delivery app in Pakistan named ‘Foodpanda’ also has a live chat feature through which issues can be easily reported.
A live chat agent can help you contact the rider on your behalf and get an update if you are having trouble in doing so.
Customers consider using the business for its products/services if they have an app because they know if they face an issue, they can immediately seek help through interactive tools like a ‘live chat’ feature.
You Can Attract More Customers, Trust Me!
If you have a customer base that uses your mobile app then they are very much likely to refer it to others as well.
Apps are complete interactive tools in themselves. You click on a specific button and it leads you to another page, in a matter of nanoseconds.
I like to call apps ‘quick solutions’ to people’s problems. They are efficient and they don’t require you to go to a website. Rather, they are a whole package.
For instance, I purchased a shirt online from a clothing brand with the loyalty points I had. I went home and told all of my friends about how by just owning an app I was able to get a pretty expensive item for ‘free’.
This is why mobile apps can help you attract more customers, indirectly.
Pro tip: Make your mobile app easy to download and use. Customers are more likely to refer to products/services that they have had a good experience with.
Mobile Apps Help You Understand Customer Behavior More Appropriately!
Mobile apps can be little hubs of information for business owners.
Whenever customers make a purchase from your website or visit a specific page, it gives you an insight on what particular features your customers like to interact with the most.
Experts think that this information can assist you in targeting your customers in a much effective manner.
For example, if from a previous discount offer the overall UI on your mobile app increased, you can do such discounts from time to time.
I know a clothing brand which provides a specific 20% discount for people that install their business mobile app and make a purchase from there.
While this discount is just for first-time users, it still engages the customers in a witty way.
Now that we have discussed various ways mobile apps can be beneficial for your business, let’s give you some tips on how to make your apps more useful and attractive:
- A quick-loading time would help you hook your existing customers in a way that you did not expect.
- An app with simple features that are easily understood can give a positive effect. Users like to know that the business prioritizes their ease of understanding the most.
- Adding a payment gateway to your mobile app can be a very useful factor.
- If social media buttons are integrated in your app, then it can help you seek feedback from your customers in a much efficient manner. These buttons can make it more convenient for your customers to share the offers you have with others through platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp.
Having your goals achieved as a business owner can be hard because – we get it – that you have a lot on your plate!
If a good mobile app can help you achieve those goals, then you should hire an expert app development team to have this done for your business.