Luke Woods is the managing director of APPTIQ Ltd, an app development company which designs and builds bespoke apps for businesses. Writing on the APPTIQ blog, Woods explores how a mobile application can form an additional level of connection between businesses and their client base and ultimately benefit everyone.
The question around how a mobile app can help businesses is one that we get asked all the time, and it is an interesting one.
To be honest, the answer is very broad because it depends on your industry, the size of your business and what you’re trying to achieve. So, most of the time, our answer would simply be: “it depends on your business.”
However, as a general rule of thumb, the way a mobile app can help a business is that it creates an extra level of connection with either your staff or your customers, based on what your app will do.
It is a way of people becoming much more hands-on in interacting with your company. They have your brand in their pocket, on their phone, which they use all the time.
Another great benefit of an app is that it offers a sort of subconscious marketing. Research has shown people generally spend on average between three hours and 15 minutes and four-and-a-half hours on their phones every day, so as they frequently scroll through, they will be seeing the app multiple times a day. They may not always use it, but they will subconsciously always see the app on their phone.
It also builds a level of trust in your brand. Some of the critical factors in marketing are building trust, developing an understanding of your product, and being memorable. This is exactly how an app can help a business. It’s all about bringing that extra layer of connection with whoever your app is aimed at, be it staff or customers or both. It means anyone can pick up their phone and be virtually interacting with your business within a matter of seconds. It’s much quicker than, obviously, having to go on the internet, search a URL for your website, and then try and send you an email. They can just go straight to an app, and they can get the information they need or contact the company immediately. The person knows exactly who they’re dealing with because when they click on the app, it is that company, it is you!
They know who you are, and they know what they are doing. It is quicker, there are faster transactions and it is all much smoother.
The beauty of it is that it can be done at any time, at the user’s convenience. Photo by Azamat E on Unsplash
