Why are mobile apps important for businesses?

Quintersol
5 min readApr 7, 2020

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Mobile application usage continues to take the world by storm. According to this report by emarketer on the amount of time spent on mobile devices by users in the US,

  • adults in the US spent 2 hours and 55 minutes per day on their smartphone in 2019,
  • and about 90% of that time was in apps.

Almost 50% of the time spent on mobile apps was on social media. However, mobile apps for businesses are beginning to see an increase in usage as shown in the above image (where we have finance or banking apps making it to the list of the most used apps)

Other industries are beginning to see significant usage in mobile applications too:

Image source:

https://www.usfoods.com/our-services/business-trends/2019-food-delivery-statistics.html

In the food industry, users have 2 food delivery apps that are used at least 3 times a month.

And in eCommerce, the time spent on shopping apps globally on Android devices increased by 45% in 2 years by January 2019 as shown in the image below.

What do all these statistics mean? That the best time to build a mobile app for your business is now.

In this article, we answer a question that is probably on your mind as a business owner: why a mobile app is important for your business.

Different types of mobile applications

It’s important to know the mobile application types that exist in order to know which one would work best for your business needs. There are 3 main types: native, web and hybrid. Let’s briefly look at each one of them below:

Native apps

Native applications are specifically built for use with particular operating systems (OSs). There are two main OSs that work with mobile applications: iOS and Android. This means that native apps built for Android can only work with devices running in Android. The same stands true for iOS. Native apps follow the stipulated requirements for the OS that they are built for.

What makes native apps a great choice?

  • they have optimized performance
  • they are launched without the need for other tools or even browsers
  • they are able to take advantage of features meant for use by the particular OS and can adapt newer or better technologies faster

Web Apps

Web apps are usually accessed via browsers and need you to be connected to the internet in order to use them. They do not need downloading or installing.

What makes web apps a great choice?

  • cross-browser compatibility
  • they can be used via desktop and mobile
  • they are quicker to build and launch as they do not require approval from the two app stores (Android’s Play Store and the iOS App Store)

Hybrid apps

These are the best of both worlds — web apps and native apps. Hybrid apps, like native apps, need to be downloaded from an app store and installed on your device. They, however, display web content on launch or for parts of the app.

What makes web apps a great choice?

  • they are quicker to build and launch
  • cross-browser and cross-device compatibility
  • they can be used on both Android and iOS, as well as on browsers

What are the benefits of mobile applications for businesses?

Mobile applications can impact your business in several ways. Let us explore them further below:

They are avenues for more customer engagement…

Mobile apps give you a chance to engage with your existing customers more. You could, for example, share your latest discounts and offers via push notifications. They are brands that also use their mobile apps to grow their customer loyalty programs. Since the programs come with discounts, offers, and gifts, customers are happy to use your app and benefit from your brand and its products or services.

They make it easier for customers to give feedback…

Giving feedback on a mobile app is easy when compared to emailing them requesting for surveys or asking them to fill out survey forms. A notification could pop up for example which directs customers to the play store where they can rate your app. You can also integrate your social media pages with your app, encouraging users to give feedback.

Mobile apps can expand your revenue stream…

Depending on the mobile app that you have built, your business can earn from in-app purchases. This is highly popular with gaming apps. On the other hand, you can allow customers to place orders via the app. Moreover, you can allow other brands to advertise via your app. This, however, should be done carefully, as you only want brands that are related to your niche or industry to advertise, and those that complement your own brand.

Increases brand visibility

As users download other apps from app stores, they get to see other apps related to what they are looking for. This gives your app a chance to be seen. Users will also search for apps in the app stores. You surely want your app to be existent in the app stores if users will ever find it.

Examples of brands that effectively use mobile apps for their businesses

Wondering whether mobile applications have actually worked for brands? Here are two brands that have seen massive benefits from using mobile apps in their businesses:

Starbucks

Starbucks uses its mobile app to run its customer loyalty program. Customers get rewards based on the tier they are in. The tiers are determined by the amount of money that you spend. You can get points every time you spend money via the app. The points can be redeemed to get free coffee, handcrafted drinks, breakfast, sandwiches, or even select merchandise.

The app gives the brand a chance to get to know its customers better, so customers also get rewards on their birthdays.

Other perks include ordering before you actually get to the restaurant, reducing waiting time, and access to member-only events.

Amazon

In 2018, the giant retailer came in third when the apps with the most active users were ranked on both Android and iOS. Over 80% of the users came from the company’s apps. While this may be arguably one of the eCommerce brands globally, it is no coincidence that most of its users make their purchases through apps.

In conclusion

There are many benefits to building a mobile app for your business, from engaging with your customers more, getting feedback, and even getting more customer data that can be used for marketing decisions as well as other decisions in the business.

If you are looking to work with a reputable company to help you build your app, talk to us for customized solutions that best suit your needs.

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Quintersol
Quintersol

Written by Quintersol

We are a software company aimed at building clean, custom and customer-centric solutions in code. We serve clients in the US, UK, Ireland, Australia and Ireland

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