How can starting a mobile app help your WordPress blog traffic?
As an exercise, make a list of all the popular blogs in your niche.
One common theme you will find is that only a handful of them have a live mobile app on Google Play and App Store.
The reason behind bloggers largely staying away from mobile apps is obvious. App development is a complicated process riddled with obstacles.
Not all bloggers know coding or have the resources to hire a development agency.
Furthermore, bloggers are generally happy to get web traffic and not worry about managing mobile apps.
This view is short-sighted when we take into context the larger scheme of things in the digital space. The numbers show that mobile app downloads will touch 258 billion by 2022.
Such a seismic shift towards mobile devices and apps cannot be swept under the rug. Bloggers cannot hope to keep getting web traffic as users across every vertical move away from mobile apps.
In this piece, we cover the different ways your WordPress blog traffic can grow if you make your own app and go live on Google Play and App Store.
#1: A counter to falling attention spans
All bloggers are constantly inundated with advice on grabbing the attention of their readers.
In reality, this is a very difficult objective to reach.
Online readers are connected to a bucket load of networks and platforms that are designed to distract them. Think about the last time you were reading an article and a notification popped up to take away your attention.
Neither apps nor blogs can do anything to have the full attention of your readers.
Starting a mobile app though can help you grab the attention of your users.
With apps, you can send direct notifications to your users and quickly introduce them to your content.
Users generally do not grant websites the permissions needed to send notifications. However, apps fare better when it comes to getting the user permissions necessary to send notifications.
You can thus bring your content in front of more eyeballs by sending push notifications with your mobile app. It is a direct counter to losing traffic due to falling attention spans.
#2: A USP for your blog
As mentioned before, bloggers don’t generally launch mobile apps.
This presents an interesting opportunity for bloggers. By starting a mobile app, you can stand apart from a majority of other blogs you are competing with.
Even in a small niche, there is always some amount of competition you have to live with. Mobile apps can help you quickly gain a march on all your rivals.
Mobile apps are still an afterthought in the blogging community. There is no established playbook for bloggers when it comes to succeeding with mobile apps.
You can gain a first movers’ advantage and establish yourself as one of the few bloggers with an app in the market.
This is a great way for your blog to stand apart.
#3: An additional channel to promote your content
Promoting content to a large audience is one of the key reasons websites chase traffic. A lot of bloggers depend on traffic to monetize their website as well.
For instance, it is difficult to earn affiliate revenues without getting a decent amount of traffic.
Getting traffic is a major challenge in digital marketing. You can find endless literature online promising different ways to get more people to visit your website and checkout your content.
By starting a mobile app, you can essentially create a new medium to get online traffic from.
Depending on websites alone to deliver on the traffic front is never a good idea.
Launching a mobile app gives people an alternative medium to consume your content. Furthermore, you get an opportunity to attract an entirely new cohort of people after venturing into the world of mobile apps.
#4: A new medium to build a brand
Many bloggers look for ways to grow their reputation beyond being a simple blog.
Let’s take an example. We all know the popularity of Moz in the world of digital marketing and SEO. Moz puts out amazing content on its blog and YouTube channel.
However, it is known best for the SEO tools and metrics it provides. Moz is thus bigger than just a simple content blog. It is an essential cog in the world of SEO.
You can brand yourself in a similar light by launching a mobile app. It will help you establish your presence on multiple platforms.
The primary objective of every blog should be to become an inextricable part of a niche. Moz is a great example of this trend.
A mobile app will help achieve a similar status in your niche. It is the ultimate tactic you can use to brand your blog.
#5: An alternative to the competitive world of SEO
The world of SEO is full of competition. Every day, over 5 million new websites are created.
Anyone who starts a website wants to get traffic and attention. Search engine optimization (SEO) is the most popular technique businesses use to get organic traffic to their website.
Mobile apps offer bloggers a direct route out of the competitive world of SEO. Bloggers can write content for their app users without worrying about SEO considerations.
The history of content writing is built upon SEO guidelines. Content writers are trained to write blogs and articles based on keyword data.
Writing for an app audience will likely bring changes to conventional content practices. Writers will be open to adopting innovative content tactics that they couldn’t try earlier because of marketing constraints.
Overall, this will help bloggers create better content and attract readers who consume content primarily on mobile apps.
Building apps for your blog without coding
As we covered earlier, bloggers tend to avoid app development because of its inherent complexity.
With tools like AppMySite, you build a native mobile app with a free app builder without coding.
Here are some features you can use to build an app with AppMySite:
- A complete package of appearance options that will help you design your app effortlessly.
- A simple WordPress plugin you can use to connect your website and app. This will eventually ensure that all your WordPress blog posts, categories, and menus are shown on your app.
- A ton of setting options to help you configure your app based on the needs of your users.
- An app preview section you can use to test your app on mobile emulators.
- An exciting library of add-ons that provide additional features and services for your mobile app.
You can watch the video tutorial below to learn more about creating an app with AppMySite:
In conclusion
It is not feasible for bloggers to learn how to make an app from scratch. And yet, starting an app is very important for bloggers. The points made in this piece underline the same.
Using an app creator online is now a viable alternative to code-based app development. You can use tools like AppMySite to start a mobile app using your WordPress blog or WooCommerce store.
