56% of American adults now own smartphones. As a result, many companies want to get on board with the smartphone and tablet craze by developing their own mobile apps. While this can be an effective way of marketing, developing an application takes time, funds and creative energy, so there must be a good reason behind the creation of a new app. If you think that your business might profit from offering its very own app, here is a checklist of 5 great reasons to make a mobile app.
- Provide Better Service:
One popular and useful reason for creating an app is to improve customer service. Specialized apps can be used to manage accounts, share information and let the customer communicate his or her needs. Many restaurants utilize apps to enhance their customers’ experiences. Some allow for ordering and paying ahead and then doing pick-up in the store. Others update their menus regularly and are able to inform potential customers in real time. Chipotle’s mobile app by Blue Rocket allows customers to avoid long lunchtime lines by ordering in advance via their Chipotle app and then skipping the normal wait time in the store.
- Engage Customers:
Similarly, apps can be used to engage customers through the delivery of mobile coupons, discount offers, sharing promotions and using GPS to notify the app user when they are near a store. Business apps can also provide informative tips and other information that is relevant to their target audience. And when people are downloading and using an app it helps to strengthen the brand and build customer relationships. Other companies create fun games, such as a surfing game for a surf and beachwear shop, to merit interaction with their customers.
- Enhance Internal Communication:
Another potential function of a good mobile app is to improve internal communication and productivity. Specialized apps can help an office share documents efficiently and deal with customer support in an organized way. With more and more employees using tablets and smartphones, a customized app can make it easy to keep up on work both in and outside of the office.
- Improve Online and In-Store Business:
After opening a mobile website, many retailers see a significant percentage of increase in purchases from their site. This is because more than half of Internet users access the Internet view a mobile device. According to digby.com, most American still make purchases in the store. However, 62% of smartphone users in stores used the store’s site or app while shopping. And retailers whose apps offered a store mode were able to gain “five times more engagement” from customers. So whether your users connect online or engage in the store, an app can be a powerful tool for driving sales.
- Marketing:
Finally, hiring mobile app developers might be beneficial for the sole purpose of marketing. Applications which make it simple for users to share on Facebook or Twitter that they have been using a company’s app, products and services do a lot of natural marketing for the business. Applications which provide the option of logging in via other social media sites help to spread the word about your brand. Offering mobile only deals and special giveaways are great ways to attract others to download the app and start using the brand.
So if you are already considering hiring a professional to work on app design for iOS 7 or to develop an Android app that highlights your company, now you have 5 more reasons to invest in app development. Once you determine what benefits of app creation your business can take advantage of, then you will be able to identify what features and designs to pursue during the development process.
Image from www.rethinkmobileapps.com