It’s 2019 already and if your business doesn’t have mobile application then it is definitely on the path of extinction. Mobile provides faster access to content and customer interaction hence it has become an important asset for any business.
From booking cab, to ordering food, to scheduling our day to day task, mobile applications have made our life effortless. So why not use them for the betterment of our business as well?
Also, new technologies like AI & Machine Learning, Blockchain, and Augmented Reality etc will lead to more advancement and change the way we look at mobile applications. According to statista.com, there were 2.6 million android app available in play store till December 2018. Now that’s a huge number!
Image Source: Statista.com
Year 2018 has witnessed over 27 billion downloads. You still think your business shouldn’t be on play store?
Your Competitors Are Already On It
Everyone understands the importance of mobile application and the benefits it brings to a business. Nobody would want to miss that! Hence they are already on the go even before you. So why would you want to lag behind?
Almost all kind of businesses already have application; no category is left untouched. But you need to find that one thing that separates you from your competitors and you are sure to stand out.
Customer Engagement and Satisfaction
The sole intention of mobile application is not just increasing sales but improving customer satisfaction as well. Doesn’t matter what you are selling, your customers need a way to reach you. If you have any query regarding the services provided, what would you prefer; reaching via message or via customer care? Having a messaging feature (help desk) enables you to remain in constant touch with your customer. Being around for them 24×7 gives them the sense of availability.
Gain Customer Loyalty
Be where your customers are. The aim is to be visible to your customer maximum amount of time. And this has become even easier with push notifications. The most important advantage of having a mobile app is that all the information that you would like to provide your customers is available right at their fingertips.
A loyal and happy customer is bound to recommend you to others. Remember, you do not tell customers about your brand – it is what customers tell each other.
Serves As Direct Marketing Channel
The level of engagement mobile apps observe is much greater than normal websites. Once built, mobile app practically becomes the free marketing channel for your business. Like for example say you need to sell your product online. Now, instead of selling it across channels like Amazon, Ebay, Flipkart etc – where the competition is huge, having your own online store in the form of application offers promotional platform with negligible investment.
Also with mobile apps, it’s easy for any local business to reach global market and audience. It becomes effortless to keep your customers notified with latest updates, offers, discounts etc.
Year of Mobile Application
Monetary benefits
Most of the business refrain from making a mobile application considering it won’t be cost effective. But if your business already has a blog/website then it is not going to cost you a fortune. Besides, customer satisfaction is directly proportional to the sales, hence increased customer satisfaction is bound to increase your sales – increased revenue. You can also create additional revenue through in-app advertising.
So, now you know the advantages and probably even decided that you want an application for your business. But what kind of technology or app (native, hybrid, progressive) works best for you?
Native mobile application
As the name suggest, native mobile app are ‘native’ to a specific platform. They work across a single platform only like Google’s Android, Apple’s iOS, Windows phone or Blackberry OS. Since native apps are platform specific, they provide greater user experience, fast performance and high degree of reliability than any of the below mentioned category.
Hybrid mobile application
Hybrid mobile apps are like any other mobile application. The only difference, they are build using web technologies like HTML, CSS and JavaScript. Once created, they can be published like any other native application but across various platforms like Google, Apple or Windows store. Although hybrid apps enable a developer to target multiple platform but it can’t escape little anomalies that might come with platform change.
Progressive web apps
Progressive web apps are slightly different; it combines the best of app and the best of web. They are basically mobile websites that can be installed on your system and deliver app like user experience. They can do most things that a native app would do but still they are websites, hence overall functionality won’t be as smooth as a native app.
Summing it up, technology is the present and the future. If you want your business to survive the wave of competition then mobile presence is inevitable.
