As the world is slowly unchaining themselves from their desks and becoming more reliant on mobile computing, most companies are beginning to realize the necessity of creating a way to reach their customer in this new mobile world. Some companies are turning to mobile websites, which are in essence a condensed version of the companies full website modified to display nicely on your phone. Other companies are developing mobile applications that are made to utilize features of your phone for added usability (like the GPS, accelerometer, camera, etc…) and also create a unique user experience that mobile websites can’t deliver. There are reasons beyond usability for companies to create mobile applications that we will discuss here. Feel free to add your own reasons for companies to create a mobile application in the comments area below.
1. Apps are an excellent marketing tool
Mobile applications are a very powerful lead generating tool. They allow you to send out push notifications to inform customers of sales, special promotions or events via a message that gets sent directly to their phone, similar to a text message.You can also inform customers of location specific specials when they enter certain locations. More importantly you can gather interaction information from the application based on how the user uses it. But to be clear, you must state the information that you will gather in the service agreement of the application.
2. Apps can help your business become more efficient
We all know that apps can be downloaded through Apple’s App Store or Google Play, but some people don’t realize that companies can create their own custom apps that can be utilized to help with day to day tasks. Companies today in manufacturing, restaurants, retail and health care are using mobile applications to help employees with tasks like monitoring processes, entering orders, controlling inventory, and prioritizing workflow. These types of apps are the future of how companies will be able to use applications throughout their business as well as when they are on the road.
3. Stay connected with your customers
In general, businesses that rely on repeat customers, like restaurants and retailers, or have intense interaction clients for some period of time, like real-estate brokers and car dealers, are the most likely to benefit from an app. For ongoing, regular contact with customers that are on the go, it makes sense as a promotional or loyalty tool since apps enable businesses to send out coupons and event details, including by text message, and customers can easily place orders or contact you for information.
For companies that are looking to build a mobile application, keep these three reasons in mind. Also, if you think that a mobile website may be more useful for your business check out this article. If you would like to reap the benefits of a mobile application, contact AndPlus!
Until recently, our company has had absolutely no need for a mobile app, as we had a limited number of clients to service. We focused on large-revenue producing clients with an expensive service we provided, as opposed to a low-cost/high-volume service. However, we are currently thinking about developing some other options that would hopefully increase the number of clients we service exponentially. This was a valuable post, thank you!
Thanks for your comment Brad. I’m glad it was some value to you! It’s great to hear that your company is expanding too!
We’ve found that mobile applications help with our clients that have a lot of customers (i.e. restuarants) as well as growing business who don’t have as large of a customer base but still have loyal fans who are engaged. Have you thought about mobile technology to help expand your client base?