Alma Causey 1 July 2019

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How to Get Business Value by Using Mobile Apps in Your Marketing

If you think that mobile apps are only for large businesses like Walmart and P&G, you need to think again. More and more small and medium-size businesses are now following the mobile trend by building an app, in addition to a mobile-friendly website. This makes sense, given the fact that 89 percent of mobile media time is spent in mobile apps.

If you think that mobile apps are only for large businesses like Walmart and P&G, you need to think again. More and more small and medium-size businesses are now following the mobile trend by building an app, in addition to a mobile-friendly website. This makes sense, given the fact that 89 percent of mobile media time is spent in mobile apps.

To get a slice of the pie, an increasing number of businesses around the world are now building mobile apps and integrating them in their marketing effort. Statistics show around 2.2 million mobile apps available on the iOS app store and another 2.6 million on the Android Play Store. With over 1,300 new mobile apps added to the Play Store every day, one can get an idea of the voracious speed at which the industry is booming. Resultantly, the mobile app economy is estimated to reach up to a whopping 6.3 trillion USD – an industry that no one can belittle anymore.

Importance of mobile app for business:

Cisco Consulting Services found in their survey that 55 percent of people claim they use retail apps. Another 37 percent say that they use third-party apps to improve their shopping experience. More and more consumers want brands to build a mobile app, which they can use directly instead of visiting the company’s website.

This is because of the convenience and customer satisfaction that most successful apps offer. Furthermore, consumers also want faster service, which is why mobile apps have become a dominant source for businesses to communicate with consumers.

An effective app is one that interacts with users and keeps them engaged to enhance the company’s overall brand image and maximize its revenue. In this blog, we further discuss the importance of consumer-centric apps and how they can be used to market a company’s brand.

Use mobile apps to improve user experience:

Successful apps provide an experience that encourages consumers to engage more with the business. If an app does not offer real value to users, it is just a marketing gimmick which will never add value to the business. Your customers need to be entertained but also informed at the same time, so that the idea behind the business app doesn’t get lost in the marketing rush.

Both the Android Play Store and iOS app store have minimum speed requirements for mobile apps. Binding to the app stores performance requirements can ensure quicker and smoother user experience, resulting in higher engagement levels. This is possible only when you frequently test your mobile app for performance glitches and speed issues.

Make it easy for customers to access your business:

Customers want instant contact and information within a few clicks, and a mobile app does exactly that. It can be an excellent tool to inform customers about the latest updates, news, promotions, offers, and discounts. Businesses can also integrate a mobile app in their marketing efforts and send push notifications to keep in constant contact with consumers. A study suggests that push notifications can have 50 percent better open rates than emails as they bring businesses closer to the consumers.

Brand image and recognition:

In this age, your business may appear outdated and removed from the latest trends without a mobile app.  A well-developed mobile app can strengthen your brand image, which will have a direct impact on the performance of your business. An app that is beautifully designed and includes features that customers love will attract prospects and convince them to purchase your product or service. The more users that are involved with your app, the more attention your brand gets, and the more chances for you to improve your revenue.

App security and information convenience:

Users want apps to secure the personal information that they share with businesses. As long as customers have a sense of security, they will be willing to share information with businesses and continue transactions with the company. This is perhaps most important for apps in the ecommerce realm.

With so many data theft and hacking incidents surfacing around the world, it is natural to get skeptical and reluctant about sharing personal information. Therefore, it is indispensable to ensure that your app is updated with all the necessary security features so that the customers can be certain about the safety of data like passwords and credit card information.

Keep an eye on customer insight:

Nothing is more important in marketing than the valuable consumers’ insight, an understanding of their buying behavior, their preferences, desires and needs. A mobile app can be a useful tool to get various demographics and psychological data of the consumers that use the application.

By monitoring customers’ activity and having an invaluable source of data at hand, you are in a better position to make decisions that will generate more leads and increase conversions. This also leads us to our next point, which will help you stand out and make your app a true winner.

Customize your app experience:

Once you have an idea about the factors that drive purchasing decisions, you can build a customer-centric strategy and modify your app accordingly. Based on the users browsing pattern, you can cater your services that will lure customers into making another purchase. Such an approach can do wonders for businesses operating in the e-commerce sector.

With the immense of advertising surrounding us, both online and offline, businesses are slowly losing their impact on customers. If you can manage to build a loyal connection with your customers and make them regular user of your product or service, you can significantly boost your sales and take an edge over your competitors.

You can personalize your app experience for users either by bringing your in-house app development team on board or by hiring a professional app development agency to build your app. whatever choice you make, it will greatly contribute to keeping your business afloat.

The Bottom Line:

A mobile app can be an excellent tool for creating a pool of loyal customers. It can provide numerous ways to market your brand and bring immense value to your business.