The mobile app market is booming in terms of reach and scale of services due to higher adoption of smartphones globally. Businesses and individuals are both harnessing mobile apps for commerce, entertainment, productivity, health, finance, and more.
197 billion!
That is the number of mobile applications globally been downloaded in 2017-18. Mobile apps have changed how the service industry works, and the consumer loves the user experience been provided through smartphones anywhere around the world.
These numbers project that there are more apps than the total number of businesses operating. However, that's not the case, there are several small businesses which still do not have a mobile application for their business or services. Nonetheless, the competition has been fierce due to changing consumer trends, ease of access, and technology companies disrupting traditional companies at large.
It can be advantageous for a small business to take a small step towards digitalization and deliver information, products, or services to the consumer directly on the palm of their hands.
Below we have compiled a list of benefits on having a mobile application for small business:
1. Direct-to-Consumer
Small businesses tend to have consumers from nearby locations, but a mobile application provides them the access to reach out to consumers from all backgrounds, geographical location, and age groups. Small businesses can directly reach out to consumers without any middleman and communicate seamlessly to increase their brand value. The millennial audience trusts brands which are more relatable to them.
2. 24*7 Discovery
An average American spends at least four and a half hours daily using the smartphone. The users are always seeking for new applications, better solutions, and entertainment through mobile apps. It could range from solving a day-to-day problem or booking a meeting with someone. Mobile applications help to drive engagement with regular and new audiences and help your business to deliver your services from anywhere and anytime.
42% of small businesses now already have a mobile app to their name, and another 30% of small companies wish to have one in the near future.
3. From Web to Mobile to Apps
More than 85% of web traffic is from mobile. , and consumers have harnessed mobile phones at their greatest potential. Now if you have a website, the first thing is to make it mobile responsive and provide the same user experience of a desktop website on mobile devices.
Secondly, small businesses are providing native applications on mobile websites to take the next step in the customer journey by staying connected, reaching out through push notifications and promote business strategically. A mobile application gives you an edge compared to your competitor, as the consumer will directly come to your Mobile App rather than searching the term on a search engine.
4. Increased Sales
Many small businesses ponder on the main objective of building an App should increase their sales. A business application generally provides much more than sales. It offers seamless connectivity in your organization, reaches out to your customers, and deliver a unique experience.
There can be multiple ways of monetizing a mobile application or have your eCommerce store which sells products or services. Apps tend to increase sales for businesses as they provide alerts and notifications about the sale, discounts, offers, and stay with the consumer in a loop. Having a Unique Selling Proposition can give your business a competitive advantage over your rival in the industry. Small businesses can increase customer loyalty by personalization and retain customers by understanding user behavior.
5. ROI for small businesses
The ROI for the mobile application depends on the objective of the mobile app owner's and the total capital invested. Generally, if the mobile application hits break even in less than 18 months, it is considered quite a good investment.
If the application needs massive promotion and marketing, it can increase the cost but can yield the largest sum of profit. Understanding the market, the niche you are serving, and analyzing the changing audience tastes and preferences have proven to be successful for earlier businesses.
Small businesses owned by young people and millennials are mainly geared for a mobile application. 55% of small businesses owned by millennials have mobile apps.
6. Beat The Competition
An iOS or Android app can be a tremendous competitive tool for small businesses, as still many companies are struggling to create a digital position. It is a perfect time to start connecting with your audience by delivering a mobile app through the App Store or Google Play Store. A mobile app can give you organic visibility and be more relatable to the younger audience at large.
User experience plays a vital role if it is a competitive market. For example, the taxi-hailing applications, e-commerce, and music streaming applications, they all deliver more or less the same features; the only different element is the User experience and interface.
Way Forward
Your mobile application can be the new storefront, a delivery channel for small business's products and services, provided you understand the customer's mind, which leads to building and positioning the app effectively. Cross native application development is one such method, in which the applications can be exported for Android and iOS both, without developing both applications separately. This provides small businesses a chance to reach all kind of consumers irrespective of the type of the device.
If you are a Business Owner and want to develop a Mobile App for your Business then Check out our Blog Post 10 Mobile App Development Trends in 2019.
If you are also looking out for resources, just Contact us at +91 989 002 4972 or email us at info@mobikode.com.
