Mobile Technology

Does Your Small Business Need a Mobile App

Things have changed dramatically in the business landscape over the last 20 years.  At the time the internet and online world represented a new frontier with unlimited possibilities for business.

Mobile apps are another new area for business owners to examine.  The question is “Will my business benefit if I develop a mobile app?”

Consider these points when you are evaluating whether or not a mobile app could benefit your small business.  Explore the possibilities with several app development companies before deciding to go ahead with a project.

Customer Loyalty

Mobile apps can be a good way to build and enhance loyalty among your customers.  Every business owner knows how important it is to attract new customers.  Excellent business owners recognize the importance of building customer loyalty and keeping customers.

Can you offer your customers instant rewards, supply product recommendations, or encourage social interaction?  These are all techniques that can be used to increase customer engagement and customer loyalty.

You spend money to acquire customers through various marketing and sales channels.  Ask yourself, could a mobile app be designed to encourage repeat business from those same customers?

Customer Service

As consumers spend more and more time using mobile devices, could you benefit by letting those customers contact you with questions for both pre and post-sale support?

Having a channel that allows you to instantaneously and efficiently respond to customer inquiries will boost your customer service experience.   Your customers are coming to expect even better and faster service, and you need to figure out how to provide them with it.

Shopping

Can your customers order your product or service with their phone?  If you have a service business, do you allow your customers to set appointments?  What about a restaurant or retail store, can your customers RSVP a table or order groceries and schedule deliveries from their phone?  

If the answer is no, then you have to realize that your competitors are providing these opportunities to your customers.  Can you afford to let your competitors get an edge?

Data Analytics

Mobile apps make it easy for you to acquire more data about your customers.  You can access user’s location data if they allow it.  You can determine what they are searching for, which FAQs they use most, and how long they stay on different pages within the app.

By providing this feedback to your marketing department, they can design more effective marketing campaigns.

Sending our push notifications, improving click-through rates, and response times are well within the capabilities of a well-designed mobile app.

Future

In the same way, that business changed from brick and mortar to the internet, business is undergoing another transformation to mobile.

Government studies have shown that 91% of Australians use mobile phones to access the Internet.  The same study shows that up to 83% of Australians engaged in online shopping.

Based on this and recent history, can you afford to not explore this opportunity for your business?  You’ve seen that the world and business are constantly changing.  If your business does not evolve and keep up with changing technology, will your company go the way of the dinosaur?