Thinking of ways to grow your business? Having a mobile app benefits your business in more ways than one!
Techjury’s statistics report showed that an overwhelming 79% of smartphone users had made a purchase online using their mobile devices. This should come as no surprise, considering the wide array of advantages that mobile apps offer businesses.
With the vast array of app types available, it can be challenging to decide which one is ideal for your company. That’s why we’re here!
In this article, we’ll guide you through discovering which type of app is best suited for your company and the many advantages a great mobile app has for customers!
The 6 Types of Mobile Apps for Businesses
Different businesses have mobile apps for various purposes. According to a Deloitte survey, 45% of Australians use their mobile device for entertainment to watch live TV. From a shopping app to an informative one, you have plenty of options to choose from.
Depending on what you think your business needs, there are different types of mobile applications that you can create. Below are the most successful types of apps that have been seen in the industry:
1. Loyalty Apps
These types of mobile apps allow loyal customers to access discounts and special offers while also helping businesses understand their audience.
Companies that have loyalty program apps are Starbucks Rewards, Sephora’s Beauty Insider, and Walmart+.
2. Interactive Apps
Great for customer engagement and creating a dynamic experience, interactive types of applications often feature gaming elements, which can be used to gather data or provide entertainment.
There are other successful interactive apps, such as Duolingo and Nike Training Club. These apps provide a fun and interactive experience to mobile users, making them more likely to stay engaged with the brand.
3. Content Apps
Content apps are the perfect way to provide customers with helpful information about your business.
Food bloggers can create an app with recipes and tips, while retailers can offer helpful styling advice. Popular content apps include The New York Times and TED.
4. Customer Service Apps
These types of apps are created for customer service purposes, such as providing FAQs or offering support through direct messaging. Chatbots are a great way to implement this kind of service.
Companies like Lyft and Uber use customer service apps to provide up-to-date information on the availability of their services, while Zendesk offers customer service software with powerful features.
5. Schedule and Reservation Apps
In addition to serving as a personalized marketing channel, businesses such as salons and spas can create mobile apps that let customers schedule appointments or make reservations online.
A great example of this type of app is OpenTable, which allows users to make reservations at participating restaurants.
6. Shopping Apps
Shopping apps are the perfect solution for online retailers. They provide customers with a convenient platform to browse and shop from anywhere at any time.
This is suitable for businesses of any size, from small independent stores to large retailers like Amazon.
Are you getting any ideas on what type of mobile application will best suit your business? If so, let’s keep that momentum and discuss the many benefits of a mobile app for your company.
The 10 Business App Benefits
On top of your daily operations, you might think that having an app for your business is just another way to spend resources on something that might not even provide tangible benefits. But the truth is that having a mobile app could be the most profitable decision you could make for your business!
Some companies even start with creating a mobile app as their primary business model. Take Instagram and Uber, for example.
But even if you’re not planning to build your company based on an app, there are numerous benefits that can significantly contribute to your business growth.
If you don’t already know, mobile apps can help in multiple ways. From providing enhanced user experience to increasing brand engagement, it is a great investment for businesses of all sizes.
Here are 10 benefits of mobile apps to grow your business:
1. Make Customer Experience Meaningful
You’re probably interacting with your customers online in one way or another right now. But having your own mobile app helps your business create more meaningful customer experiences.
Recent data reported by Exploding Topics showed that 1 in 5 smartphone users spends upwards of 4.5 hours on average on their phones every day. While it may seem short, think of how much time users spend on their phones in a year—that’s over 1,500 hours!
Working with a creative designer to make a unique and engaging app is an effective way to grab user attention and create meaningful customer experiences. You might also want to consider push notifications, in-app messaging, and other interactive features to make it easier for businesses to engage with customers at any time.
2. Mobile Apps Aid Promotion
All the reputable brands you hear today start from somewhere. While there are several ways to kickstart your business, a mobile app can aid in promoting it.
When you complement your app with social media channels such as Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, and Twitter—your chances of reaching a larger audience increases. This is because your customers are more likely to share their positive experiences with friends and family through social media platforms.
Moreover, the mobile app experience significantly differs from your customer’s experience on a website. You can leverage this to create an unforgettable impression in the minds of your users and increase brand awareness.
Some marketing agencies have devised creative ways to boost brand awareness, such as creating game elements for their clients’ mobile apps or offering exclusive content only available through the app.
3. Lowers Costs
It goes without saying that developing mobile apps is an investment. However, it is also a cost-effective solution for businesses in the long run.
If you think about it, a mobile app can replace several tasks that would otherwise require physical outlets or customer service representatives. From payment processing to customer support, having a mobile app streamlines these operations and reduces costs.
Moreover, maintaining a mobile app is much cheaper than arranging prints or TV ads. Without the need to use SMS, newsletter prints, and other traditional marketing mediums, you can reach your target audience without breaking the bank.
When done right, your app can work as a direct marketing channel that can reach customers without the need for expensive advertising campaigns. All you would need to do is ensure your app provides users with something of value.
This is suitable for small businesses that are on a tight budget and need to keep their costs at a minimum. All you would need is a trusted mobile app development agency to help you get started!
4. Instant Customer Service
Reaching your target audience is one thing, but maintaining good relations with them is another. In today’s fast-paced world, customers tend to be less patient and more demanding than ever.
That’s where a mobile app can come in handy.
Building customer relationships is key to sustaining any business. With a mobile app, you can provide faster customer service than traditional methods such as email or making phone calls.
Allowing your customers to serve themselves through the app helps you save time and resources. For instance, you can build features that would enable customers to check their order status, track packages, or even make changes to their orders without having to contact customer service.
On top of that, this helps reduce the pressure on your customer service personnel while providing a pleasant customer experience. With automated replies built into the app, customers can receive quick responses to their queries or complaints. It also allows them to leave feedback directly through the app so you can make timely improvements.
5. Get Competitive in Your Niche
According to Statista, there are 6.3 billion app users in the world, but some businesses are still hesitant to invest in mobile apps. This means you can get ahead of your competitors by taking advantage of new customers who prefer using mobile apps over traditional methods.
The growing competition in the digital world has made it hard for businesses to stand out from the crowd. While there are several ways to do that, having a quality mobile app can give your business an edge over competitors.
The increasing demand for instant communication and heavy reliance on mobile devices have made mobile apps the go-to platform for businesses. Having one will definitely beat the speed of conventional websites and can be used to reach a wider audience.
If you’re in a competitive industry, having a dedicated mobile app may be more than having a competitive edge. You may need it to stay ahead of the competition.
6. Use it to Get Customer Insights
Mobile applications are not just limited to promoting your business and providing customer service. They are also valuable tools for collecting data and gaining insights into customers’ preferences, behavior, and demographics.
Including analytics and tracking features in your mobile app can help you better understand customer behavior. This enables you to make more informed decisions to improve on marketing, create a personalized experience, and even develop new features.
For instance, tracking user engagement, such as how they navigate the app, what features they use most, or what content they’re more likely to engage with, can help you tailor products or services that better match the preferences of your old or new customers.
This can also help you identify the best time and medium to connect with your customers. With real-time analytics, you can track when users are most active and what content they’re most interested in.
7. Improve Customer Loyalty
Many companies focus on attracting new customers, but it’s just as important to retain existing customers. Customer retention improves customer loyalty and ultimately drives more revenue.
By giving your current customers access to exclusive features or offers, you can incentivize them to continue using your app. This will help you build a long-term relationship with them, turning one-time customers into loyal repeat customers.
Integrating loyalty programs into your app can also help you reward customers for their purchases and encourage them to continue using your products or services. This helps increase engagement and ensures that customers keep returning for more!
8. Drive More Profit
Investing in mobile apps may seem hefty in the short run, but they can definitely help you drive more profits in the long run. Whether it’s a content app or a delivery app, it can help you increase your customer base and capitalize on potential customers.
Moreover, mobile apps allow you to create new revenue streams. You can opt for in-app purchases or even incorporate ads into your app. Additionally, you can also offer subscription services or access to exclusive content to your customers.
Most mobile apps also simplify the payment process, allowing customers to make payments on the go. This makes it easier for you to get paid quickly without enduring lengthy paperwork or waiting for days to get your payment.
9. Real-Time Feedback
One of the best things about having a mobile app is that it helps you interact with customers in real-time. This speeds up the feedback process and enables you to make improvements quickly.
By integrating a communication feature into your app, customers can contact customer service directly or leave feedback without waiting for a response.
In addition, you can use surveys to collect customer feedback and track customer satisfaction levels. This helps you understand what your customers like or don’t like so you can make the necessary changes to keep them happy.
10. Scale Your Business
Last but not least, one of the benefits of mobile apps is that they can help you scale your business. Instead of having to invest more time and money in creating new products or expanding into other markets, an app can help you reach a wider audience with minimal effort.
By leveraging mobile technology, you can automate tasks, streamline processes, and even take your business global. It’s also a great way to build brand awareness and engage customers in new ways.
At the end of the day, having a mobile app can help you take your business to new heights. With the right strategy and execution, it’ll be a powerful tool to help you succeed!
Let’s Build Your Custom Mobile App!
From brand visibility to customer retention, a mobile application offers all the advantages you need to succeed in the market. If you want to start planning one for your business, we can help you with the process!
Here at StarTechUP, we have made it our mission to help businesses and entrepreneurs achieve success. We specialize in custom mobile app development, so you can rest assured that your application will be tailored to fit your business’s unique needs.
We have years of experience and a team of experts in mobile app development, so you can count on us to create a high-quality application that will help take your business to the next level.
Ready to get started? Contact us today to learn more about our mobile app development services. With our help, you’ll be able to create an app that truly stands out from the rest!
