How Small Businesses Can See the Benefit of Mobile Apps - IT Enterprise (2024)

13Jun

Most businesses today are aware that if they want to live up to the competition, they have to acknowledge the benefit of mobile apps. However, a mobile-friendly website is not enough to make your start-up appear different and unique. Apps aimed at your business are equally important because they help connect with customers on-the-go, as well as with your staff personnel.

Additionally, these apps assist employees and clients connect with you in real-time. Once a “branding exercise”, today’s apps are crucial to the success of your business. Increasingly more entrepreneurs are realising that the internet has great power over their start-ups. They’re more aware than ever that their business can see the benefit of mobile apps and that the best apps can have tremendous marketing authority.

A properly-designed, intuitive and well-crafted app comes with a lot of benefits. From providing easy access to information to simplifying online purchases, the benefits are unquestionable. The key to staying competitive in the modern business environment is all about mobile apps.

Why are mobile apps crucial to your business?

A few years ago, small businesses couldn’t afford to hire an app developer due to an elaborate building process that involved a lot of time and money. However, recent breakthroughs in software development kits now permit everyone to craft a fully-functioning app without in-depth knowledge of complex coding languages. Thanks to advanced technology, nowadays small businesses can have targeted apps developed for their business without spending a fortune.

As social media keeps moving forward, consumers are opening up to brands. They’re now engaged with them in the online environment, even though they’re not necessarily loyal of a certain business or avid buyers of a certain product. Savvy marketers and business owners are emphasising on the consumer’s wish to interact by crafting apps that are engaging to use. Apart from being inspirational, informational and easy to employ, these apps feature a solid call-to-action, thus persuading users to buy, or at the very least pique their interest.

The benefits of mobile apps for business

Contratiq.com mentioned in a recent survey that 62% of today’s modern businesses are already using apps or are thinking of building an app for their brand, product and services. Out of those 62%, 20% claim that their mobile apps are intended for branding purposes whereas 30% feature apps that generate notable profits. 50% declared that their business app is meant to entice and support their customer base.

Mobile apps are not intended for commerce business only and the advantages of mobile application go far beyond general marketing purposes. Many are used for other purposes too, such as file uploads, booking systems, digital magazines, vouchers, newsletters, support, video streaming and more. All companies need is a little imagination to craft an app that their consumers can enjoy using.

Mobile apps help businesses become omnipresent

For your business to attain success (or at least have a shot at worldwide recognition) it must be where your customers are at any hour of the day. Flurry.com argues that people today are keen on their mobile devices. Your customers don’t just want to connect; they want to stay connected too for as long as possible. People want to be entertained regardless of their location. Believe it or not, people use their smartphones and tablets more often than the common remote control to watch TV. That being said, it is paramount for a start-up to have a mobile app that can facilitate this interaction.

Right now, companies can no longer survive on SMS technology and customer phone calls. The more you interact, the better chances you have to engage people and win over new customers. Apps have the power to boost order size and efficiency, as well as build loyalty and increase user engagement. However, it’s not enough to just have an app and hope that it will draw in enthusiastic customers eager to buy. It’s equally important to set goals with your mobile developer and make sure your app can relate to your users.

Key aspects to consider when designing an app for your business

When designing an app aimed at representing your business, the key is to centre all your attention on fixing an issue. The best mobile apps for start-ups are those that can solve a problem. Through your app, users must be able to do more in a limited amount of time, reduce waste and enable them to buy or get information (efficient customer service) without having to struggle. As the owner, you are in charge of creating the app’s outline. It’s up to you to decide how the app should look like. Work together with a proficient web designer; someone who can understand your view and can help improve it.

Types of mobile apps that can benefit your business

The web is filled with apps of all kinds. As a small business owner, what can you do to make sure yours stand out from the crowd? You might want to start by crafting apps that are relevant to your customer base. Providing that you can make sure they offer useful information to people, you’re on the safe side. But then again, being on the safe side doesn’t really cut it. You must find a way to make your apps seem engaging and different. Here some types of mobile apps that might help:

• Mobile customer loyalty programs
  A loyalty rewards program can help you win over a lot of new customers. A mobile app aimed at your loyalty rewards program will enable people to download the app in order to gain access to your company’s exclusive deals.
• Mobile reminders and scheduling
  If your business is a service company (exercise studio, beauty salon, etc.) you should make a mobile app that allows customers to make appointments via their smart devices.
• Mobile payments
  Mobile payment solutions like Square allow small businesses to handle business transactions through a tablet or smartphone (credit card swipes to make payments). This saves customers a lot of time as they won’t have to use the custom payment system anymore.
• Mobile collaboration & communication
  Both connectivity and communication are key to the success of your business. Communication platforms like Slack boosts collaboration and diminishes interaction via email. The app allows your customers to stay connected 24/7, not to mention that it enables prioritization and collaboration of projects. Slack permits users to connect and share information and documents on the go.
• Mobile customer service
  Your business, regardless of its size, should feature a mobile app that can help customers get answers to their questions. To maintain a reputation, you need a customer service app that can respond to people within hours. Zendesk for example is a great mobile app meant for support tickets from clients.

Revenue driven by mobile apps is staggering, and as a small business owner, you must acknowledge that fact. In the following years business-related app downloads might increase with as much as 23%, thus overcoming the $182 billion mark by 2020. B2C businesses are starting to understand that mobile apps are a necessity. They streamline the journey of a customer from browsing a site looking for a product all the way to payment.

Do you want to make your business stand out? Do you want to grab attention, win over visitors and turn them into customers? Sure you do. Let IT Enterprise help you create the best mobile app for your business.

Our experienced team of website developers will transform your vision into reality, thus emphasising your start-up’s potential and increasing revenue.

Tags: apps, Benefit of Mobile Apps, benefits, mobile, prototyping, small businesses, start ups