The benefits of mobile apps for small and medium-sized businesses

If you run a business, then you’ll most likely have a website where you promote your products and services. But have you considered the benefits of a customer-facing mobile app for your brand, too? Below, we’ve put together just some of the reasons why this can benefit your business significantly.

Instant loading

In today’s always-on world where attention spans are reducing by the hour, speed is important – especially if you want to keep customers engaged. Consumers want to access information and services at the touch of a button, and an app is one of the best ways to make that happen.

Search engines like Google have already begun to penalise slow-loading websites, so speeding up your site and investing in a speedy smartphone app makes sense. A small business app will load immediately, and new features will be automatically downloaded in the background to save time and ensure users get the most up-to-date version whenever they open your app.

Gives you more control

Direct marketing like email, social media and SMS can increase conversion rates and help you generate new business, but there’s no guarantee that your messages or emails will be read by your subscribers. The average email open rate can be as low as 17% in some niches.

With a smartphone app, you can send push notifications to alert users to special offers, new products or upcoming events, like Valentine’s Day or Christmas. If you run an e-commerce website, this form of instantaneous marketing can lead to impulse purchases and drive sales.

Improves brand recognition

How often do you check your phone? According to a new study, the average Briton pulls out their smartphone an incredible 10,000 times a year – that’s 10,000 glances at their home screen.

Apps give your brand more of a presence on users’ smartphones, certainly more so than a bookmark in a browser bar. Every time users open their home screens, they’ll be exposed to your logo, and this repetition can increase brand recognition.

This is known in the marketing world as “effective frequency“. The more times a customer sees your brand flash up on their phone, the deeper the emotional connection they develop towards your business. Who knew that smartphone apps could be so deep?!

Increases customer engagement

Creating a truly engaging digital experience can drive sales and increase loyalty, so creating an app that’s packed with useful information and features makes sense. An app can help improve accessibility to your services, and make your product more convenient.

For example, if you run a restaurant, then your app could include an interactive menu and the ability to book a table with a simple tap. You could even enable mobile payments through Apple Pay or PayPal to encourage customers to spend more time in your app and stop them from shopping elsewhere.

Makes customers loyal

Every user who has downloaded your app has made a commitment to your brand – they’re interested in your products and services and want to give your business a place on their smartphones.

Taking advantage of this loyalty can drive sales and grow your business.

It’s likely that your app’s early adopters will be your best customers, so make sure that you reward them with special offers and loyalty discounts. Coffee shops can create an app that allows customers to collect stamps for a free drink, and e-commerce businesses can offer discounts and promotions when customers spend more than £100 in a single transaction.

Your competitors don’t have an app

Although smartphone apps are increasing in popularity and are cheaper to make than ever before, it’s not yet the norm for small businesses to make the investment and have an app of their own.

There are some great benefits to being ahead of the curve and investing in an app for your business; for starters, you’ll stand out and appear a more attractive option for potential customers, and you’ll look professional and forward-thinking.

Launching your app today will give you more time to market your business and get ahead – before your competitors catch up.

Gives you valuable data

The more data you capture about your customers, the more effective your customer service and marketing can become.

With an app, you’ll get powerful insights into how customers are accessing and sharing your information; you’ll discover your most popular products and services amongst different demographics; and you’ll be able to capture customer info such as telephone numbers and email addresses, which you can use for other marketing activities.

There’s a whole host of reasons why an app makes sense for your business, and we’ve only just scratched the surface with today’s article. Other reasons to invest in an app include location-based marketing, customer tracking and the ability to leave reviews and feedback right inside of an app.

Put simply, an app gives you more control and brand loyalty than a mobile website, and that’s one of the reasons why they’re increasing in popularity amongst small businesses.

At Zudu, we specialise in app development in the UK. To find out more about how we can help turn your business idea into the next viral smartphone app, get in touch with the team today.