Mobile App Development is important for your Brand: Know the ‘Why,’ ‘How,’ and ‘When’ Elements

“ Success is not final; failure is not fatal: It is the courage to continue that counts.” – Winston Churchill

Exactly, it has had happened with Amazon, Walmart, Bank of America, and other leading players that have earned iconic success through mobile app development initiative. Previously, these giants were uncertain about the success that mobile will bring, but they made a bold move towards mobile and enjoyed a great feat, which is impressive.

However, if you think mobile app development is home to just big brands, then I must say you should check your calendar as it signals either you are not living in 2019 or been opaque to the changes happening around you.

Be it your nearest local pizza shop, brick-and-mortar store, the corner coffee shop, the beauty spa downtown, or the newspaper you read, all these small or midsized businesses own a dedicated mobile app to outgrow, outperform, and outdo in the fierce competition.

Still unsure whether mobile development is the best bet to place or not? The facts adding weight to the statement:

• US adults will spend an average of 3 hours, 35 minutes per day on mobile devices and that’s expected to surpass TV as the medium attracting the most minutes in 2019.
• Apps account for over 90% of internet time on smartphones, that’s projected to increase in the years to come.
• The average consumer spending on the app store is expected to hit $42 billion by Google play store and $60 billion by Apple store by 2020.

This is what the research studies say. But, mobile app development is an expensive affair. So, how would you decide following the mobile trend will be healthier for your business or not? It's trickier. Here, we have covered every question that you perhaps have in mind in regards to going down the mobile path that will work as boon or bane for your business.

The answer to - Why mobile app development is vital for brands?

The functionality of mobile device needed

In many business applications, the mobile device features accessibility such as camera, accelerometer, GPS, list of contacts, compass, gyroscope, and SDKs is essential. Also, the growing dependence on mobile devices features in performing the different tasks compel the brands to complement the website with a mobile application.

For instance, users like to sign in with fingerprints scanning or retina identification rather than entering user credentials. The users find it easy and convenient to book the taxi, connect with the driver, and track the location instantly using a mobile app in place of using the website.

Maintain a pace with shifting customer expectations

The tech giants are trying hard to curb mobile addiction, but mobile usage is showing no sign to get slow down. It indicates the users still want instant access to information with the myriad of the options in the most natural way, no matter where they are and when they want.

The mobile offers enormous opportunities to the brands to stay in context with the content. It means the brands can reach the right customers in the real-time with the right message at the right time that engage the users, convince them and turn into potential customers.

For instance, with a great understanding of changing user’s expectations for creating and uploading the photos with best effects, the Instagram app has added the AR filters that have differentiated the app in the social market.

Showrooming and webrooming is all the rage

These two buzzwords heard the most in the last few years in the mobile commerce landscape due to the growing accessibility of the technology. Yes, the phone that users always have in their hands when they enter the retail store makes it difficult for the retailers to score the deal.

The smart brick-and-mortar stores leveraging mobile technology to make showrooming and webrooming work in their favor. Here are the ways:

• Asking the customers to like the Facebook page, share the purchase on Twitter, or take a photo of their apparel and use the hashtag on Instagram.
• Ditching the on-site inventory and asking the customers to feel and try the product virtually on the mobile, and then the product is shipped right to their doorstep without carrying shopping bags.
• Attaching the QR codes in the products so that shoppers can themselves check the product details, price, and discount (If any), when scanned with the mobile app camera.

The retail stores can engage the shoppers and enhance the in-store experience through mobile applications that help in driving more sales.

 The Responsive website is not enough

Referring to the aforementioned stat, the mobile-optimized website is vital for the brands, but it’s not adequate in every way because the mobile browser has some limitations.

The varied range of mobile devices won't offer consistent experience regardless of the screen size; when the orientation changes, navigation becomes difficult; the browser latency problem is an add-on that results in negative experience; the responsive websites don't facilitate offline browsing that automatically ditches the users belonging to the region where the internet connection is weak or not available.

It implies the mobile apps are the pinnacle of the mobile experience, so it's a prudent choice to go mobile development way.

Add wow factor

With mobile-optimized websites, the brands can get user traction and solve their problem. But, there are some areas where the responsive website cannot help, and mobile can work wonders. By thinking of such pain points, brands should create an app from a trusted mobile app development company that resolves the problem and adds value to the customers.

For instance, standing in the long queues in the banks to deposit a check is a tiresome process. Understanding the problem, green dot bank has skipped the users’ trips to the bank and enabled check deposit virtually from anywhere with an app. The app allows the users to deposit the check with the smartphone by snapping the image of the check and uploading it. Voila! The money is loaded to the card in a couple of minutes.

The signs to - How mobile app development is essential for brands?

Deliver the best experience

It’s an age of customers where the customers are ready to pay more for the exclusive services, convenience, and unmatched experience they get. The mobile app development is the best place to play around as the users are spending most of the leisure time on mobile.

With mobile applications, the brands will be able to get a space on the user's mobile, but they can make the users thrive only when the best use is made out of the little real estate the app was able to gain on the user's mobile. The UI must be simple and elegant, and the design should sync with the brand vision, and offer the brilliant experience that compels the users to visit the app repetitively.

Boost engagement

Gone are the days when people prefer to book the services by calling, so why don’t you change the way the customers reach you. With the mobile app, you can give the users a way to communicate with the brand and book or buy the services in a few clicks (through in-app chat).

Besides, leveraging advanced technologies such as augmented reality or virtual reality, the brands can hook up the users for a long time. For instance, IO blocks selling company has simplified the building block game with the launch of AR app where just by scanning the tracker that comes along with the game package, the video will start playing which showcase how the myriad of the shapes can be built. The AR app strategy has helped the company to boost customer engagement and make building the blocks great fun. 

Be visible every time, everywhere

The mobile has become instrumental to the brands to make the users carry out the intended action on-the-go, be it product browsing, impulsive buying, or accessing information. And, even in the unconscious state, if the user has looked at the icon of the mobile app, it stays in their mind. What does it signify? Having a mobile app help the brands to at least make a reach to the user’s subconscious mind.

Later, the users’ attention can be captured with promotional offers that encourage the users to visit the app and avail the offers.

Nurture loyalty

It's a universal metric- acquiring a new customer costs ten times higher than retaining the existing ones. It's a better deal to save the huge bucks by bringing the existing customers back and make them a true lover of the product or services that brand offers. These customers can be turned into loyal fanbase through the mobile app as it helps the brand to get closer to the customers in just a few taps. The other ways to increase retention:

• Turn generic marketing campaign into a personalized campaign where the relevant messages are sent to the right customers at the right time based on their interests, preferences, and demographics.
• Reward the patronage that they shown in the brand through special privileges, exclusive offers, or free shipping.
• The in-app referrals can be programmed

Create a new revenue stream

Let's face it: Do you think your customers check your email daily? They read the newsletter religiously. Check out the deals or coupons twice a day. Indeed, the answer is no. But, all these can be reduced by a significant fraction when the customers get everything on their mobile.

The push notifications coming right on the mobile significantly mitigates the chances of notifications get missed, which leads to increased conversions. Besides, with advertisements, the brands can earn a good sum for pay per click or pay per impression model. 

The reasons for - When mobile app development is significant for brands?

Getting massive traffic from the website

Before hopping onto the app development train, it's an excellent choice to take stock of how likely the users want to interact with the brand on the mobile device. It can be assessed with responsive website development. In the event, the mobile-friendly web design able to catch the user's attention, improve the user experience, and increase the traffic to the brand website, then taking the next step towards mobile app development is excellent.

Leverage analytics tool to identify how the users want to engage with the brand and the difference that bringing the mobile app into the equation creates for offering a mobile experience to the users.

Customers showing more inclination towards mobile

Before jumping onto the conclusion, it’s necessary to look at the demographics of the target audience base and their preferences. If the user base is Gen X Millennials, then without giving a single thought you should develop a mobile app as this generation is the top app users in the USA. Despite having a race and ethnicity gaps, mobile penetration is high and continuously surging across the globe.

According to a report, although the users aged 18-44 spend more than 50% of the digital time on mobile apps, when the age group 45-65+ is considered, they are also spending an average of 30% time on mobile, which indicate launching the app for Gen Y and Gen Z demographics is not that bad deal.

You are selling products or services online

The digital presence has helped the brands to enhance their reach to every corner of the world. With technology advancement, the user’s interest, priorities, and buying habits have got changed, which makes it essential for online brands to be there where the customers are. It’s a matter of going mobile.

The mobile app is a sweet spot that can help eCommerce stores hit a plateau with the personalized user journey, custom notifications, loyalty integration, social sharing, and pretty more. Extend your availability on the mobile so that users can easily browse, connect, and buy at just fingertips.

Because your competitor has one

Not to laugh, but there cannot be another big reason for your brand to build an app. But, hold on. It’s necessary to examine the competitors’ apps and how they are performing on the app store, which gives you the rich insights into whether developing an app is good to go or not, or how the app ‘to be built’ can help your brand take a big leap ahead of the competitors.

Don’t build the app just because your competitors are doing so. Instead, develop the app to be the first in the market offering the services, adding the value and yielding the experiences that no one delivers. It aids your brand to gain some traction and seize an edge in the cutting-edge competition.

Conclusion

The tangible benefits that mobile app development delivered to the customers and the brands ensure that the mobile app has become a standard component for every brand and will lay the foundation for the future of the brand. It's a lucrative opportunity for the brands that will pay off now and in the years to come. Pour in the hard work, time, and resources to engineer the next groundbreaking app.