7 reasons your small business needs an app
Should your SME get a mobile? Let’s take a look at some of the 7 best reasons to get an app.
If you take a look at the home screen on your smartphone, you’ll probably notice a trend – all of your apps, or certainly the vast majority, are those of big (or very big) businesses. Think Instagram, Facebook, Netflix, Snapchat, YouTube, Google Maps and more.
That’s because, even in 2017, most small businesses haven’t got on the mobile app bandwagon. But small business operators might be surprised by two facts. Firstly, those who get apps developed really do get enormous benefits. And second, it’s not as expensive and inaccessible as you think.
So why should even small businesses get mobile apps developed?
1. Visibility
If you check the line graph showing out how often the average person uses their smartphone, it’s just going up and up and up as time goes on. So if you can become one of those icons on the home screen, you’re getting a huge advantage in terms of visibility.
2. Marketing
A small business needs every little marketing boost it can get – and a mobile app boost is a very big one indeed. If you can manage to get a user to switch on push notifications for your app, you can be regularly reminding customers that you exist.
3. Modern
A website may have all the info your customers need, but a mobile app is simply the future. For example, do you use an old-fashioned loyalty programme? Bring it into the future and entice new customers to sign up with a modern version using your state-of-the-art web app or a native app.
4. Branding
It’s all about getting your brand out there – and what does a mobile app say about you? That you’re modern, cool and professional. And if you’re right there on the screen, being seen throughout the day and week, what does this mean? That your message is noticed.
5. Engagement
A direct line of communication between you and your customers is ideal, and an app just makes that easy. Forget email, web forms or the old-fashioned phone, if customers can simply tap the app and start a conversation, they’re much more likely to engage.
6. Competition
As we suggested, it’s big business that dominates the mobile app world – which means the opportunity is huge for small businesses to get right in there and compete with the big players. Being first among your peers is an opportunity worth its weight in gold.
7. Loyalty
What else is golden to a small business? Loyalty. Traditional and modern advertising is one thing, but a native app or web app fosters real connections, engagement and in turn loyalty from your customers.
Not sure of the difference between a web app and a native app? Before you get start the process of building an app and the benefits that these two different types of apps can bring to your business, let’s take a look at what these apps are. All this and more is just a customer’s finger tap on that home screen away, especially when you ask the experts at iFactory in Brisbane to help with your app development. We are also leaders in web design, ecommerce and more, so get in touch today.
