According to data by Statista, almost half the population of the world owns a smartphone and this number is expected to rapidly increase in the coming years. With the ever-increasing popularity of these devices and new marketing channels, we feel obligated to take a closer look at the pros and cons of developing and using mobile applications for business.
Today, more people than ever own and use smartphones on a daily basis for both personal and professional lives. This means accessing information and keeping in touch while on the go has become a matter of course. The increasing dependency on smartphones has garnered a lot of attention from marketers and every company is on the search for ways to leverage this channel as a tool for not only providing information and communicating with the audience but also generating leads, making sales, and retaining customers.
Apps are even being considered the new websites for many businesses and numerous companies have already successfully launched their own, putting them at the cutting edge of their niche, while increasing the quality and quality of leads they get as well as maintain customer loyalty.
For Business to Business (B2B) companies, apps are rapidly becoming popular as they allow users to achieve business operations in a relatively easy manner. This includes checking on outsourced work (project management applications) or showcase new products and services (catalog applications), without the need to sit at the desk or carry a laptop everywhere.
As an example, data shows that service provides who have mobile app versions of their services receive better feedback from their target audience. This can be attributed to the fact that app versions are usually easily accessible and more portable.
What Should an App Provide?
When developing an application, one thing you should ensure is that it’s not a carbon copy of your business website. Studies show that mobile apps have a completely different user emotion behind them compared to conventional desktop applications. They are meant to be more accessible, make things easier, and simplify tasks while an individual is on the move.
As such, a good mobile application should fulfill a certain purpose or solve a problem while catering to the needs of the end-user. This should be the case whether the role is to help the sales team in showcasing products, generating leads, or helping customers order and buy products in a fast, safe and seamless manner whenever they wish. Your mobile app should offer a unique touchpoint opportunity for business to business company.
However, creating an app for your business regardless of the niche is no walk in the park. It is both time-consuming and expensive, not to mention you need to keep it updated with every new OS iteration and introduce something new occasionally to keep your clients and potential customers engaged. Get in touch with a mobile app development company to guide you through the process.
The Benefits of Developing a Mobile App
- About 50% of the world’s population owns a smartphone and most of them are app savvy.
- Mobile apps keep your business prominent in the industry and ahead of the competition.
- People usually spend more time on applications compared to websites
- Mobile apps help boost customer loyalty and retention.
- Mobile app technology helps you showcase products and services in a more creative manner, connect with clients and offer more in-depth information, all of which provide a better customer experience.
- Apps tend to load faster compared to websites
- Once clients utilize your app, you can stay connected whenever they are. This can provide valuable data that can help improve your business campaign and strategies. Data is important for knowing what works and what doesn’t.
- Mobile apps are environmentally friendly as they create fewer needs for paper sales and transactions.
- Most applications are easy to download and use. They can be easily accessed on Google Play, Appstore, etc. Also, training your workforce and customers to use your app is relatively easy and in most cases, training isn’t required.
The Downsides of Developing Mobile Apps
- They need to be developed in a manner that suits every platform including iOS, Android and Windows. This can be both expensive and time-consuming.
- They are not easy to optimize compared to mobile websites
- They call for continuous care in terms of technological updates and fresh content.
- They can be really expensive. The more functionality your application has, the higher the maintenance and updating cost.
- If you launch an app that is just a smaller carbon copy of your website, it will not work well enough for you and might end up damaging your brand’s perception.