Time to go mobile? Here are 6 reasons why offering a mobile app can play a part in your marketing strategy.
Smartphones have significantly changed humanity since the 2007 release of the first iPhone, ushering in an era of nonstop mobile connectivity. How connected may individuals be in 2023 compared to then? According to research, more than 80% of Americans own a smartphone, use them on average for more than five hours each day, and check them about 100 times every day. Other data simply serve to highlight how deeply ingrained cellphones have become in people's everyday lives, from the minute they wake up to the moment they go to bed. When leaving the house, many individuals would rather forget their money than their smartphone.
Due to the widespread use of smartphones, companies may now reach their target audiences directly in a setting where they regularly engage over the course of the day. To provide consumers a specialized service, several firms create mobile applications.
Should your company also provide an app? A wider approach to assist achieve a target or solve a problem may have discovered possible advantages before investing money to build an app. What will be the function and purpose of your app in connection to the value it may give for your clients or users, and how does this translate to then contribute to meeting certain marketing objectives, is a foundation that must be established.
Here are 6 reasons why providing a mobile app can be worthwhile to explore as part of your marketing plan to assist give you an idea.
- An app increases brand awareness
A person's regular use of their smartphone makes an app's icon the branding element of a company to which they are likely most frequently exposed. This significantly increases your brand's exposure and serves as a steady, subdued reminder that aids in recognition and recall. It is also particularly beneficial in this situation because it is not seen as obtrusive or repetitive. Additionally, an app's presence in app stores (especially when it appears in recommendations, catalogues, or ranking charts) increases its visibility and can draw in new users.
- An app encourages user and customer involvement, which may boost commerce and income.
With the ability to supply a range of features, information, news, and messages to sustain continual connection and engagement between them and your business, literally in the palm of their hands, an app offers a direct and incredibly customizable channel to engage with your customers/users. The main purpose(s) of an app can change depending on your business's area of expertise and the value you hope to provide to your users/customers through their use of it, ultimately making it easier for them to take the desired actions, like completing a transaction after they have been given pertinent information to encourage that purchase decision.
- An app that offers a good user experience increases client happiness and loyalty.
One will gain related emotional advantages from obtaining functional benefits. When a user decides to use an app, they supplement the practical advantages they want with a rich, intuitive, frictionless, and customized mobile experience. That satisfying experience may increase customer happiness and loyalty, aid to boost brand perception, and assist to distinguish your product in a way that is challenging to directly imitate from that of rivals.
- An app makes data-driven insights more accessible
An app gives you a way to gather user data, which enables you to see patterns and obtain insightful knowledge into users' requirements and behaviors. This information is crucial for guiding decision-making and assisting in the creation and improvement of your company strategy. Since protecting user privacy is a frequently raised concern, effort should be made to ensure that data gathering practices are transparent and to provide users with knowledge and tools to control their data sharing permissions.
- A mobile application provides a competitive edge
In many cases, having an app by itself may act as a point of difference. Offering an app with significant utility will help you stand out and draw users and customers who prefer the convenience and functionality of a mobile app, giving them yet another reason to favor your offerings, especially when competitors themselves do not, but even when they do.
- Customer service is improved
It is inevitable that your users and clients may run into issues while working with your company, thus it is crucial to offer user-friendly and accessible communications for support services. An app may easily give users access to support tools, which can range from static material like FAQs or how-to articles to interactive tools like support forms, chatbots, and live chat capabilities. By answering questions from customers and users and addressing problems, you build goodwill, which may have a significant impact on solidifying positive opinions of your business.
It goes without saying that creating an app entails a financial commitment, which may be prohibitive for startups and smaller companies. Additionally, the process of developing an app can be labor-intensive and require ongoing care to keep it compatible as mobile technology advances. Users' impressions of your brand may be badly impacted if you don't live up to their expectations.
Your approach to planning and development should be guided by the value that an app provides for users and consumers as well as the value it may later offer for your organization and the calculated resources needed. Setting the stage for a good conclusion requires careful planning at the outset. If used properly, an app may help you stand out from the competition by bringing your audience closer to your company.