How mobile can boost business performance

Nearly everyone has a smartphone in their pocket these days – 6.37 billion of us to be exact. That equates to just over 80% of the world’s population.

It’s estimated that the average person spends more than three hours a day scrolling, swiping, clicking and liking.

Our phones are the primary means we use to connect and communicate, not only with each other, but the world around us. As a result, mobile app usage has accelerated dramatically, and it’s driven a surge in demand among businesses of all sizes, across all sectors.

Beyond delivering services and goods to customers, business owners can utilise apps to boost their return on investment in a variety of ways.

So – from improving brand visibility and communicating with customers in real-time, to gathering better quality customer data and reaching new audiences – here are a few ways that apps can be that essential tool that helps you leverage business growth.

Connect with customers on a deeper level

There have been many changes to the way we do business over the last few years – technological advances, flexible working and sustainability initiatives to name a few.

But one thing hasn’t changed: the customer is still king.

Without repeat purchasing and a steady flow of new customers, any business is destined to fail.

Nowadays, customers crave convenience, and they expect value at every level from the brands they choose to engage with.

Apps tick both of these boxes; they cater to the instant gratification that customers seek, while loyalty schemes reward their interaction with discounts on products you already know they want.

But simply creating an app doesn’t translate to sales. Without great data and a strong analytics platform to understand how customers interact with your app, you’re in the dark about what potential customers want, need and expect.

A natural byproduct of this increased interaction with your brand is the collection of greater quality customer data.

It provides invaluable insight into customer purchasing habits and behaviours, which can then be used to inform a more effective product strategy. Not only will you improve your offering in the immediate, but you’ll be able to anticipate trends, trial different features and ultimately ensure that your roadmap is entirely customer-centric.

But what’s the biggest driver of customer satisfaction? It’s how quickly and easily information can be accessed.

With live chat functions and in-built surveys, you can not only build richer, more frequent touchpoints into the user journey, but you can also get feedback directly from customers, and communicate with them in real-time in a more personalised and convenient way – something websites can’t always allow for.

If you’re looking to improve the quality, frequency and speed of communication with your customers, a mobile app is the solution you’re looking for.

Build a stronger brand

One of the vital functions a mobile app fulfils is offering consumers awareness of and communication with your brand.

Regular communication helps breed trust with your target audience – the more they trust you, the more money they’re likely to spend with you.

But your mobile app should never act as a duplicate of your website – tech for the sake of it is never a good place to start. An app needs to add to the user experience, add value and address specific pain points of your mobile customer base.

Before building a mobile app, there are some important questions to consider:

Will the app provide value beyond what’s on your website?
What is your app’s unique selling point?
What is the primary function of your app?
Who are your target users, and why?
How will you promote your app to potential users?

Where old school marketing techniques once reigned supreme – think billboards and branded merchandise – apps have overtaken and proven to be far more effective in promoting brands in recent years.

Business owners can leverage consumers’ insatiable desire for screen time to their brand’s benefit.

One way of doing this is through app store optimisation. Essentially, this will help your app rank higher on the app store; the higher your app ranks, the more visible it is to potential customers. It’s a clever way to expand your audience and reach new customers before they have had the opportunity to experience the real benefits of your app.

Generate more in-app revenue

Your app has been built, it looks great and you’ve thrown a lavish party to announce it to the world. So, why aren’t the sales coming in?

A mobile app provides your business with a strong foundation to generate more sales, but only if used in the right way.

When consumers are engaged with an app and their concerns or questions are answered promptly, the likelihood of them spending money increases. It builds trust between them and your brand.

This is something that’s mirrored when we look at conversion rates – the golden metric used by marketing departments the world over. Online shoppers occupy a higher proportion of the market, we know that. But conversion rates increase significantly when consumers are using an app as opposed to a web browser as apps are easier to navigate and use.

Sending timely in-app messages helps keep customers engaged for longer, and area-sensitive push notifications can be utilised to give them a nudge and encourage them to buy.

The use of mobile apps can help boost business performance in ways that bricks and mortar stores wouldn’t be able to.

Imagine this: a customer walks into your store, tries a few things on, but leaves without making a purchase. You’re no wiser to their purchasing habits now than before they entered your store.

A mobile business app is a window into your customers’ browsing history. Based on this data, you can monitor and analyse customer behaviour, creating a curated experience for when they return next.

This is something Netflix does to great effect, with the majority of viewer activity being driven by recommendations generated from extensive customer data and insights.

Turn your app idea into a digital reality

Mobile applications have completely revolutionised the business world. But for businesses who haven’t considered the benefits of creating one before, they can be a daunting unknown prospect.

To be successful when going mobile, you need a partner who knows what they’re doing. It’s also essential to establish what type of app you want to create. The primary purpose of your app is to encourage interaction, but the desired end goal of interaction will vary from company to company.

At 6B, we specialise in guiding clients through this process.

We’ve developed and built bespoke mobile apps for clients in industries ranging from healthcare to housing, combining award-winning UI/UX design features with functionality. Our goal is clear: to provide your customers with a seamless user experience that promotes engagement and stimulates sales.

Here are some of the types of apps we’ve supported our clients with as their tech partner:

Task resolution: users can execute tasks and enjoy services your business offers
Customer service: enables users to report problems and find convenient solutions
Loyalty: run loyalty schemes to reward loyal customers with incentives and discounts
Entertainment: keep users engaged without offering incentives
Content: share exclusive content with app users to foster a community feel

From initial user research to deployment, we guide clients through the whole process to make their vision a digital reality.

We can help you boost business performance with a custom-built mobile solution.

The robust, secure apps we build for our clients are compatible with iOS and Android, and are fully scalable to enable future business growth.

If you’d like to gain a deeper understanding of your customer, drive revenue or enhance their experience with you to generate greater engagement, we’re here to help.

Get in touch now and we’ll support you in developing a bespoke digital roadmap that puts your customers first.

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