They’re in all of our pockets now, aren’t they?
No, I’m not talking about your emergency stash of emotional support chocolate (although I definitely have a handful of Hershey’s Kisses on me at all times).
I’m talking, of course, about mobile devices. And the primary function of those devices (other than making phone calls, I’ve been told) is to run a whole host of applications that serve nearly every imaginable purpose. Do you want to spend endless hours popping pimples from the comfort of your couch? Or perhaps you need a convenient way to be told where you parked...only in a pirate voice because naturally.
Good news: there’s an app for that!
Businesses from walks of life, big and small, who offer a ridiculous range of products and services, have started to move from the physical world of handing out flyers, posters, and hanging billboards, to the mobile realm. And friends, I think you should too.
Now, I know what you might be thinking:
Our business doesn’t need a mobile app to sell products and services to our loyal customers!
And maybe that’s been the case...in the past. But if you want to prepare for the future and start seeing the massive benefits right out the gate, you’ll need a mobile app.
Still not convinced? Here are five reasons why your business should go mobile:
1. BOOST WEBSITE TRAFFIC AND ENGAGEMENT
A lot of businesses have become mobile adaptive in the last few years? Why?
It’s simple. Our behaviors have shifted. You only have to take a look around you the next time you’re at your favorite brunch place to see that we spend a lot of time on our mobile devices. We also do more browsing through our smartphones. As business owners, this is a huge opportunity to connect with and send more people to your site.
However, this doesn’t mean that a mobile app can substitute for a website.
Both mobile apps and websites have equal significance. This means they have to work hand in hand to boost awareness.
If you’re building a mobile app to drive traffic to the website, you have to make sure that the site is optimized, mobile-friendly, and highly responsive.
2. CONNECT WITH YOUR CUSTOMERS FASTER AND MORE EASILY
If there’s one thing that significantly influences customer satisfaction, it’s how quickly, and easily accessible information about a business is.
At times, the major difference between a lead and conversion is the support’s response speed.
If you’re looking to deliver your customers the best communication speed possible, a dedicated mobile app may be the missing link. Unlike websites and other channels, a mobile app is much more reliable, personalized, and convenient. Considering that they can log in with their contact information, customers don’t have to worry about losing track of their support requests.
Similarly, your employees can easily access this information as well. This will help them serve the clients faster and better. Looking for an extra credit opportunity: you can add a live chat support feature to your app. This not only boosts customer satisfaction but also drives engagement as well.
3. INCREASE BRAND AWARENESS, VISIBILITY, AND RECOGNITION
Let’s face it — we all want to believe that our brand is the bee’s knees, the coolest and best option out there on the market. And to be honest — you might be right. However, no one is going to know unless you take steps to expand brand awareness and recognition. Fortunately, investing in a mobile app is a great way to do this.
According to news from Apple, the App Store alone is visited by over half a billion individuals each week across 175 countries. Additionally, Google Play has been reported to have over 1 billion active monthly users. I don’t know about you, but I’m beginning to think this whole app thing might take off. Taking your business mobile is definitely a solid way to help your company increase brand awareness, visibility, and recognition.
4. SALES GROWTH
It’s not rocket science: when customer satisfaction increases, sales typically do too. In fact, according to SalesForce, 70 percent of buying experiences are influenced by how customers feel they’re being treated.
The more interested and pleased people become with your product and your business, the greater consumer demand will grow. And let me assure you, if you have a product your customers can’t wait to get their hands on, that demand is going to provide you with some serious returns.
That’s where the mobile app comes in like none other. But it’s essential to keep costs low while you’re developing it.
Sure, you should have a website with a responsive design that can adapt to any of the various mobile devices there are now. This eliminates the necessity of having a frustrating, secondary “mobile” site to manage. But if you launch a mobile app in addition to your responsive website, you’ll boost sales while enhancing the customer experience. And that is what I like to call a win-win situation.
5. COMPETITIVE ADVANTAGE
In the digital world of marketing that we live in today, keeping up with the competition may seem like you’re swimming in the ocean without a flotation device.
Go big, or go home, as they say (whoever “they” are.)
Though there are many factors to keep track of, a mobile app can give you a pretty big competitive edge. Ever-changing consumer behaviors seem to be the primary factor behind this: the demand for instant communication and increased reliance on mobile devices.
As we’ve mentioned earlier, communication speed is vital for customer satisfaction.
Compared to conventional websites and other channels, mobile apps do a better job catering to the consumers’ “need for speed.” Considering the number of ways a well-thought-out mobile strategy improves your business workflow, its overall effect on your profit margin will eventually become very clear.
These days, going mobile may go beyond having a competitive edge. In some industries, you may need it to even keep up with the competition.
TAKEAWAYS
As you can see from the points above, taking your business mobile is a sure way of securing a strong presence in your industry. The convenience factor coupled with the undeniably cool element of new, rapidly evolving tech will place your business at the forefront of your industry.
And hey, how cool will it be when you pull your device out of your pocket and play around on something you helped create?!
