Introduction

With the advent of the internet, advancement in technology, and an increasingly competitive business environment, it is becoming increasingly difficult to gain and retain customers, and mobile apps are a great way of doing so. The use of smartphones has been on a drastically increasing trend since the past few years, with the user count reaching 3.56 billion globally in 2021. The average smartphone user spends 2hrs 51 mins a day using it. More than 62% of internet users are smartphone owners, indicating the ubiquity of smartphones. It is thus important for your business to reach out to customers or should I say potential customers, by developing mobile applications. I will highlight seven reasons as to why your business needs a mobile application to boost its profitability and increase engagement with customers. 

1. Remote-first is the new way 

The past two years of this pandemic have witnessed shifting consumer patterns, preferring online mode of delivery/businesses rather than physical mode. In 2020 alone, in-app spending was recorded at $27 billion, whereas new app downloads totaled 35 billion. Therefore, it is important that you modify your business according to evolving times and customer needs and develop a mobile application where the safety of both your workers and customers is prioritized with contactless services.

2. Ability to reach a variety of Customers 

Generally, most business sales take place in retail shops or offices. This means that these sales are reliant on the geographical proximity of the customer to your office/shop. However, with a mobile application, your business will be visible to a vast customer demographic, with no geographical barrier. Thus, to expand your customer base it is vital to have a mobile application for your business. Business application downloads are expected to grow at a rate of 16% annually over the next 5 years and it is important to step into it.

3. Increasing Customer Engagement 

It is convenient to send tailored notifications to customers and regularly apprise them of new services and updates. Thus, in an application, you can create a direct market channel for customers where features such as prices, newsfeed, FAQs are a fingertip away, allowing you to regularly engage with them. Having messaging options within your application would allow your customers to engage with you and provide an entire customer experience on a single platform.

4. (Almost) Free Advertisement! 

Would you really want to go through the hassle and costs of advertisement via traditional channels such as newspapers and billboards? Even advertisements on social media are going to cost you a lot of bucks. To reduce these costs, a mobile application will come in handy. According to Mary Meeker’s recent State of the Internet Report, smartphone users are now spending 89 percent of their total time spent on any media in mobile apps and only 11 percent on the mobile Web. Therefore, it is important to build brand awareness by focusing on promoting your business efficiently and at a low cost via mobile application.

5. Gain Insight into Customer Habits 

Mobile applications allow you to not only collect and analyze customer data but also track user activity based on their phone usage. Given the customer’s permission, you can view the apps they use, their preferences, and their purchases. This would give your business invaluable information and insight in molding your marketing strategy. It is important to understand user motives, your app’s most-liked feature, and your customer segment (geographical location, demographics) so that marketing strategy can be narrowed down, and the intended customer base be targeted.

6. Increasing Customer Loyalty

With the sheer amount of “noise,” people have exposed to-be billboards, newspapers, electrical media, social media ads, it gets difficult for a business to gauge and retain the interest of customers amid all the hubbub from other brands. Therefore, it is important to cultivate a mechanism via mobile applications that promote brand loyalty among customers. Thus, your business can develop a digitized tiered or ‘points’ system where the more the customer uses your services, the more points they gather, moving to higher tiers, enjoying benefits exclusive to the app users such as discounts and prioritized customer care. 

Moreover, according to SalesForce, 70 percent of buying experiences are impacted by how customers feel they’re being treated. Providing simplified and easily accessible information will improve customer satisfaction and as a result, sales will go up. Mobile apps also have the privilege of dedicated feedback or chat support options, enabling users to apprise you of their feedback in an instant yet convenient manner. Therefore, mobile apps bridge the gap between the customer and your business by strengthening the communication channel. 

7. Get your business out fast

For any business to remain sustainable and be a step ahead of its competitors, it is important to be ready to adapt to change. Your business should be on the lookout for the latest technology trends that your product should embrace. You should also have a keen interest in the progress your competitor is making, as that will prompt you to mold your product(s) accordingly. Doing so would be convenient with a mobile application that will allow you to introduce regular updates, and test updates (beta version) as well. 

A mobile application must be user-friendly and interactive; 57% of users will not recommend a business with a poorly designed mobile app, according to a survey by Review42. Check out Walturn Consulting, a tech consultancy firm that provides customized tech solutions to businesses at optimum prices and has many success stories.