If you already have a website / mobile-friendly website, is an app a necessity? Marketing Experts says you only need one if you don't want to fall behind the competition.
The single, most popular, mobile strategy question I get asked is, “Do I really need an app?”
The safest answer is always “It depends …” but I hate that answer, so I’d like to try and convince you that you do, indeed, need an app today, even if the payoff happens tomorrow.
If you're a small or medium sized business and you've been wondering whether or not you need a mobile app, you really need to step back and answer this question so you can take action. If you don't, you're going to find that your competition may be able to get an edge and do better than you. To help, we're going to list the reasons you should have a mobile application no matter what type of business you're in.
Here's a look at several specific reasons you need a mobile app for your small business.
Marketing – One of the biggest reasons you're going to want a mobile app is so that you can effectively market your business. No matter what industry you're in, there's a good chance that you benefit from more people knowing about you. Having a mobile app will give you a chance to get your message out without having to pay to advertise elsewhere. As you know, marketing and advertising can cost quite a bit of money these days. If you have your own mobile app, you can speak directly to your customers.
Revenue – Speaking of money, mobile apps are also a good source of revenue for some industries. Making money from a mobile app isn't always going to be possible – or even easy – but it can be a revenue stream that helps improve your bottom line considerably. The good news is that there a lot of different ways to monetize your app once you get it designed and released.
Reach – Even if you have a website, if it's not easily read on smartphones or other mobile devices, there's a good chance you're not reaching as many people as you could be reaching on a daily basis. These days every penny counts, and the more people you can reach the better your chances of being successful.
Networking – Last but certainly not least, having a mobile app for your small business is going to help with your networking. While this may not be as beneficial as the other three items mentioned above, it's still good for your business. If you can grow your network by having a mobile app that creates a lot of buzz, you're going to benefit for months and years to come.
As mentioned above, to succeed in the world today, you really need to make sure you're able to be reached by mobile devices because this is where most people are finding information these days. If you're a small business owner who does not have a mobile app, leave a comment below and let us know why. On the other side of the coin, if you're a consumer, take a moment or two to give us your thoughts on why you like mobile apps from small businesses.
Companies stay competitive in today’s marketplace. Look at it this way — if you can’t set aside the budget and resources for an app today, will you be able to do so when your sales are declining because customers “all of a sudden” decided that they prefer using your competitor’s app over your old website or non competitive business ?
The Boat has already left the harbor. It’s not that you can’t wait for the next one, but if you do, is it going to delay your business to the point where you can’t catch up with the competition when you really need to !
Piyush Rishi Singh
www.piyushrishisingh.com
A Digital Entrepreneur & Content Creator who loves simplifying tech.
Expertise: A Full Stack & highly skilled 10+ years experienced WordPress developer who specializes in complete custom tailored WordPress Websites development.