Why Your Home Business Needs an App

How many apps have you got on your cell phone? In 2019 there are more than 2.6 million Android and 2.2 million iSO apps on the market, and these numbers are growing all of the time. The average person has between 60-90 apps on their phones and uses around 25 apps per month. Some of these are used multiple times a day, and others when they are needed. You might use apps to do your shopping, to read reviews and to communicate with your friends, and favorite businesses. 

But, even though we use apps every day, less than half of small businesses have an app of their own, and generally, the smaller the company, the less likely they are to have a business app. The main reasons for this are that they don’t think that they need one and can’t see how an app would benefit their business, or that they are worried that an app would be too costly and complicated to be worth it. 

Well, with enterprise application development, creating an app for your business doesn’t have to be complicated. And, it’s almost certainly something that could benefit you. Here are some of the reasons why your small business needs an app. 

An App Can Make Your Life Easier

If you spend a lot of your time answering customer questions or finding solutions to their problems, then you might find that an app could save you a lot of time and make your life easier. It gives your customers more information. It can be an easy way for them to find the information that they need without having to get in touch.

To Make a Good Impression

Now that apps are such a massive part of our lives, one of the first things that we do when we discover a brand, website or store, is look for an app. We use apps for many different things; they make our lives easier and more fun, and often offer great convenience. If we love a website or company, we assume that their app will make things even better, offering us something extra. 

Your customers are no different. Yes, they love your business (hopefully), but they’ll still search for an app, to see if you are offering more than they currently have. If you don’t, they’ll be disappointed. An efficient, exciting and up to date app, helps your business to make a great first impression. 

It Could Slash Your Marketing Costs

An app gives you a great way to reach more people. People that have never seen your website or heard of your business might happen upon your app in an app store, or recommended online. This might be the first contact they have with your business. 

An app also gives you a quick and easy way to promote specific products and services. You’ll be able to highlight new products and services and even send users push notifications and text messages to advertise offers and deals. This can be an exceptionally effective marketing and, seeing as you have already paid for app development, it can slash your marketing costs moving forward. 

A Business App Gives You a Fantastic Way to Communicate and Engage

An app gives you an effective way to communicate and engage with your customers. You’ll be able to quickly send them messages or alert them to new updates and information, instantly without having to contact them all individually. An app can also be a great way to engage with your customers. You can reply to their messages and requests, ask them questions and build meaningful relationships. 

It Gives Your Customers an Easy Way To Leave Reviews and Offer Feedback

Customer feedback is an integral part of modern business. A bad review can make a big impression. People read reviews online, and one negative can be off-putting. But, unfortunately for business owners, people are more likely to take the time to leave a review if there is something to complain about. 

An app makes it easier to leave reviews which means that people are more likely to take the time, and you’ll get more positives as well as more constructive feedback. You can even use your app to send reminders and feedback requests. 

An App Will Keep You Up to Date

If you haven’t got an app, people might wonder why. Even people that like your business will wonder why you don’t have an app when so many others do. You’ll quickly start to look out of date and behind the times. Consumers today are looking for and beginning to expect more. An app is one of the best ways to give it to them. 

With an App, You’ll Be Able to Make Faster Decisions

An app is instant. If something is selling well, or there’s an upward trend on a particular product or service, you can see it. You could quickly add a special offer or extra service, and have immediate access to results. This can allow you to make decisions and judgments rapidly, which can increase profits substantially. 

It Will Be Well Worth the Cost

App development can be costly. And then unless you have the skills or an employee that does, you may also have to pay for maintenance and other services. But it can be well worth it. You might save money on marketing and other areas, while increasing profits, eliminating issues holding you back and gaining a more in-depth understanding of your customers and their habits. Over the life of your business, an app can be hugely beneficial and incredibly cost-effective.
 
Beyond this, instead of building your app completely from the ground up, you could utilize pre-existing app templates and create your business app on top of them. App templates represent a starting point for developers and provide a set of pre-built components, layouts, and features that can then be customized for optimum functionality. Utilizing app templates can make the app development process even more profitable as you may not even have to hire a developer and can, instead, undertake the work yourself. 

An App Offers Great Analytics

When it comes to growing a business, boosting loyalty, increasing sales and converting customers, analytics are essential. They help you to see what is working and what isn’t. Where you could improve or what you should let go of as it isn’t worth your time. Analytics help you to identify trends and patterns, which helps you with future plans, budgeting and marketing campaigns. An app gives you access to an all-new set of analytics. You’ll get a much better idea of what your customers want from you and who they are by monitoring app usage and demographics.