Does Your Brand Need an App?
In 2019, almost 50% of website traffic was generated through mobile phones. With this in mind, having a mobile-friendly website is now essential for good business. Many brands are going the extra mile and offering their customers an easy-to-use mobile app. With this, companies can interact with their customers at any place, any time and offer value beyond their website. If you’re wondering whether your brand needs an app, you’re in the right place! In this article, we explore the question – does your brand need an app?
Signs Your Brand Needs an App
You Get a Lot of Mobile Traffic
If you get a lot of mobile traffic to your website, it’s a clear sign that you need an app. For a successful business, you need to identify when are where customers are engaging with your brand. Are they visiting your site on the go? A high level of mobile traffic means that viewers want to interact with your brand on their mobile device, so you need to offer a personalised mobile experience. If you get a lot of mobile traffic, developing an app will make engagement effortless for your customers.
Your Brand is E-Commerce
While you may get plenty of sales through your e-commerce site, have you thought about mobile shoppers? Don’t just rely on customers using your website. Developing a mobile app can boost profitability with exclusive offers and push notifications. If your brand is e-commerce, your customer base is demanding richer shopping experiences, new ways to engage and loyalty integration. Give the people what they want!
Your Competitors Already Have One
If your competitors already have an app, you should too. Although you’re currently behind the game, it’s never too late to gain a competitive edge. Look at your competitors’ apps and decide what they’re doing well and where they could improve. Don’t copy their app, go one step further and offer a unique experience that provides higher value to your customers.
Your Customers are a Younger Demographic
Research shows that people between the ages of 18 and 24 are more likely to use a mobile app than any other age group. 25 to 34-year-olds follow closely behind. Another study indicated that over 50% of millennials have a shopping app on their phone and 27% use retail apps to take advantage of exclusive discounts. With these statistics in mind, your brand needs an app if your customers are of a younger demographic.
You Have a Physical Store
Research indicates that shoppers also use retail apps during their in-store visits. According to a recent study, more than 50% of shoppers who have retail apps use them whilst in-store, for reasons like finding products, reading reviews and redeeming exclusive discounts. In other words, you should develop a mobile app if you’ve got a physical store.
You Can Provide More Value with an App
To develop a strong marketing strategy, you need to know what customers want from your brand. Once you know this, you can decide whether you can provide more value via a mobile app. Can a mobile app address a pain point of your company? If so, developing an app could boost your business drastically.
Benefits of Creating an App
Research indicates that consumers spend an average of 5 hours per day on mobile devices. This means that time spent on mobile apps has increased by 69% over the past few years. We know that apps play an important role in everyday life, but how could your brand benefit from developing on?
Enhance Customer Experience
A mobile app has one main goal – to enhance the overall customer experience. The best apps are those that make the customers’ experience as easy as possible. To do this, the functionality of the app needs to be aligned with the company’s core business function. It’s important to remember that your app isn’t just a catalogue of your products. It’s another channel for users to interact with your brand and it offers something that your website doesn’t.
Boost Engagement
The best way to strengthen your relationship with your customers is to engage with them memorably. Today, no one wants to communicate with a brand via a call centre. Instead, users want immediate, personal communication. As well as allowing your customers to contact you, a mobile app will allow you to connect with them directly by sending them relevant and personalised messages. The more aligned the experience is with a customer’s needs, the more likely they are to use the app. Creating a mobile app can help customers to engage with your brand with minimal effort, boosting your overall engagement. If the user is happy with the app experience, they’re more likely to leave a good rating, review and recommend your app to others.
Increase Visibility
An app can drastically increase your brand’s visibility. If customers are seeing your app whenever they use their phone, your company sticks in their mind. Even if they don’t make a purchase immediately, they’ll remember you next time they need a product that you offer.
Generate Additional Revenue
A well-designed app can generate additional revenue for your business. If you’re looking to increase conversions, apps are a great way to push consumers down the funnel. This is because they encourage repeat conversions from users from any place, at any time. If your app is pay per download, you can also generate venue from downloads and advertising.
Gain A Competitive Edge
Developing a mobile app can give you a competitive edge. Your customers will see that you’ve got a solution to a problem they’re facing, making them more likely to use your company instead of your competitors. As their needs evolve, customers remember brands that are adapting over the ones that aren’t. Don’t fall behind the game!
With almost half of website traffic coming from mobile users, having a mobile app could benefit your business. If you’re unsure of whether your brand needs an app, use the information above to make an informed decision.