How Mobile Apps Can Help Optimize Your Business Prospects

 The transformation of mobile phones from a simple communication device to an integral part of our daily lives has truly been dramatic. 

A major reason behind the massive growth of handheld devices, especially smartphones, is the availability of various mobile applications packed with brilliant features and amazing utilities.

Mobile apps brought many changes into the marketplace including the way we book hotels, transfer money, order products, and eat out. 

The modern world has become heavily app-dependent and businesses of all shapes and sizes should think seriously about how to use mobile apps to gain more growth and multiply customer reach.

The Value of Mobile Apps For Businesses of All Sizes

Previously, mobile apps were more common for big-name brands like Bank of America, Harrods, and Walmart.

However, in the present-day market, this misconception has been shattered completely when relatively small startups like Airbnb and Uber took center stage for mobile businesses. 

The triumph of Airbnb and Uber signifies the limitless business prospects that can be created by the tiny icons on our mobile screen. 

The purchasing psychology and strategies of consumers have changed a lot. Consumers want information about products or services instantly at their fingertips. 

Below is a graph that demonstrates how most businesses use their mobile app to improve customer service and foster customer loyalty. 

An app adds the X-factor to your business and helps you expand your customer base and retain your existing customers.

If you have a strong online presence and you have complemented that experience with an app that your customers can download to their devices, you can increase your chances of securing a high ROI.   

The Benefits of Creating A Mobile App for Your Business

Mobile apps offer a variety of advantages for businesses trying to grow their customer base and increase engagement. These four benefits of mobile apps demonstrate the importance of developing a mobile app development company. 

1. Build & Cultivate Customer Loyalty

Apps tend to be more accessible and interactive than a traditional website. 

Through a mobile app, you can build an instantaneous and direct relationship with your customers and gain their loyalty. 

Customers enjoy the ease of finding the exact product they are looking for along with the simple buying option. 

For example, the Star Point System, adopted by Starbucks, rewards customers for purchasing items with its point system. As customers increase their number of points, they can trade in those points for a free drink or added benefit. Customers like this reward program and continue to return to the store. 

A mobile app can build customer loyalty with interactive programs that increase user engagement. 

2. Enhance Your Accessibility

Mobile apps are easily accessible by users. Customers should feel secure to purchase and interact with your brand in a mobile environment. 

If customers are satisfied using your app they will also suggest it to others. This will give you the mileage to remain a step ahead of your close competitors. 

It functions as a direct pipeline to your clients and customers.

3. Make Your Brand More Human

Your mobile app can provide an added channel for customer service. With an increased connection to customers, your company feels more real to users.  

Apps allow you to resolve customer questions, makes them aware of the discounts or offers you are providing, gives a platform to directly interact with the company and suggest services the way they want. 

Mobile apps make customer service a simpler and more efficient process for businesses. Customers can talk with a representative at any time and set up appointments on their phones. 

4. Helps to Build a Database of Prospects or Clients

Whenever someone downloads your app to ask a question or make a purchase, you now have an additional channel to gather information about that user. You should always ask permission first, however, before automatically collecting the data. 

You can use this information for targeting customers through ads and making recommendations based on previous purchases.  

The data may prove highly valuable to a business who wants to know what content is optimal for their target audience. As well, more data can help companies meet customer expectations and create a more relevant buying experience.  

Building the Best Features for Your Mobile App 

To make your app appealing to users, your design should include some key features. Consumers respond to intuitive design that makes their experience easier, not more complex. Keep in mind these tips to create an effective app. 

Simplicity: Simplicity is the holy grail of any app. It creates a competitive advantage when onboarding users. Using an app should be a seamless experience, not an ordeal for users. 

If your app is too complicated, then people will delete your app and move on to a different one. You are trying to make the experience easy for a user to follow and simplicity is key to creating a better app. 

Quick Loading Time: Loading time is another key feature in an app that can determine if your users keep or delete your app. 

Your app should not take more than 2 seconds to load or you risk losing your user. People do not want to be waiting for a service you are offering them, especially when there are other apps similar to yours. 

Social Media Integration: Social networks have become instrumental for communication and collaboration. 

Businesses should take advantage of this by offering app users the ability to share the content they have just read or the item they just purchased with their online communities. Turn sharing into an easy and fun way for your customers to market your product is a great advertising tactic. 

In-App Payments: Integrating payment gateway solutions is essential for every app. Any successful mobile app must integrate payment gateways like PayPal to create a secure and fast checkout process.

This reassures your users that your site is legitimate and creates an easier way to buy your product. You do not want your payment gateway to take a long time to load and give people time to reconsider what they are buying. 

User Feedback: Asking for feedback is an important feature to include in your app. Allowing customers to give their opinion on your services makes the user feel valued and included in the update process.  

iOS & Android Compatible 

Android and iOS are both popular platforms. It is recommended to build your app on both these platforms rather than simply developing your app for a single one. 

You can reach a relatively large number of people when your app has a strong presence on both Android and iOS. 

This chart from Statista will give you a clear sense of the global market share held by the leading smartphone operating systems in sales to end users from 1st quarter 2009 to 2nd quarter 2018. 

Both Android and iOS dominate the market, which means you are losing a large number of potential users by only catering to one. Make sure your app is Android and iOS compatible to maximize your app’s possible success. 

Invest in a Mobile App 

Small businesses that wish to compete with others in a highly competitive market must adapt to the new changes and uphold a strong mobile presence. 

If you want to boost your brand and make your services more accessible to users, building a mobile app is the most attractive option for you. 

Businesses all over the world are embracing the trend of creating mobile apps. Make sure the mobile app development company is not left behind.