How A Mobile App Can Improve Your Business And Boost Sales

There is no denying that we are a nation on the move. We want everything at our fingertips. In recent years there has been an ongoing debate about whether progressive web or native apps are the way to go.

According to Smart Insights in April 2018, “app usage (90% of the time) dominates browsers in mobile usage”... “more than 80% of mobile minutes in all markets are spent in apps” and considering eMarketer reports that UK users spent an average of 1 hour and 59 minutes a day on their mobile, with this figure expecting to rise to 2 hours and 14 minutes by 2019, that’s a significant amount.

Despite this, mobile still remains behind desktop and tablet conversions. However, this isn’t to say that mobile isn’t imperative in purchasing. Many of us tend to browse websites for inspiration, to catch up with news, social media and what is trending.

According to Retailing Today, 81% of shoppers research online before making big purchases. In fact, in many industries such as retail, travel, health and food & beverage, over 50% of us use our mobile device to search online, with 26% of consumers beginning their search with a branded app (Smart Insights).

A key finding in Google’s Mobile Path to Purchase Report tells us that consumers spend 15+ hours per week researching on their smartphones, with over half of this time spent on mobile apps. According to Digital Marketing Magazine, downloads of mobile apps are forecasted to reach just under 250 billion by 2020.

Below I’ve listed five reasons brands and business owners should invest in creating a mobile app.

1. Convenience

Access to a brand’s native mobile app means the business can be visible and easily accessible to a global audience 24 hours, 7 days a week.

Once a user downloads your app, whether or not they are aware of it, their mind will subconsciously record the icon app and its use every time they unlock their phone. So next time they are looking for a particular product or service your business caters to, they will likely remember to use your app.

According to research carried out by Criteo, users view 4.2x more products per session in mobile apps than they do when using mobile websites. In the new age of technology, mobile is simply a natural way to purchase.

2. A Quicker and Faster Checkout Process

Customers are more likely to return if their shopping experience is easy and seamless. Streamlining app content and making it free of clutter, more efficient and simple to use ensures that users are less likely to get distracted and move down the sales funnel and make a purchase.

Apps are quicker than a progressive mobile web and can instantly return information and product offerings.

3. Push Notifications

Push notifications are a brilliant way to remind and entice your customers to purchase. Notifying app users about exclusive offers and new products can make them feel included and valued, generating more traffic and sales.

Recommended: Increase User Engagement With Rich Push Notifications

Often, companies will create ‘in-app’ only offers. Groupon introduced exclusive cash-back offers for customers who purchased via the Groupon mobile app. This increased the number of app downloads and their app conversion rate.

4. A Personalised Shopping Experience

With more and more apps fighting for consumers’ attention, it is paramount that, as a business, you make the experience valuable for the user. Inbuilt app software makes collecting user data easier. Therefore, you can personalize the shopping experience to each individual user; for example, send a notification if an item on a user’s wishlist is back in stock or the price has decreased.

Adweek discussed how brands use mobile apps to personalize the customer experience.

Advertising, reaching customers with direct interaction and collecting user data is easier and more focused than when operating on a mobile website. With this in mind, businesses can also create a loyalty rewards program that benefits customers.

Think of it as a traditional loyalty stamp card that works similarly. Every time a customer purchases the app, they receive reward points which can be used for free delivery or a percentage discount, for example.

5. A Stronger Brand Message

A study in the US by Indiana and Murdoch University students found that “consumers feel much more engaged with a brand and far more likely to purchase after interacting via a mobile app” (Digital Marketing Magazine, 2016).

Mobile websites are used for initial awareness and engagement of a brand before the consumer downloads the mobile app for better speed and convenience. Once the consumer is ‘hooked’ on the brand, serving a personalized experience, notifications and offers via the app, the business can determine what the user sees about the brand by sending relevant push notifications and app features, which can lead to repeat purchases and a higher retention rate.

If you don’t already have a mobile app, now is the time to consider how developing a mobile app could benefit your business and boost sales. When m-commerce is increasingly competitive, you must stay current with your competitors. Mobile apps can also provide a way to get ahead of the curve by implementing new virtual reality or artificial intelligence technology.

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