Apps are the easiest way for people to interact with your company on their mobile devices. While mobile friendly websites are certainly important, an app is necessary if you want to make an impression with most of the population. Smartphone and tablet sales exceed those of computers, and this trend is only going to continue. If the people you’re trying to reach are mobile, then it’s time to start thinking about an app.
Perks of Having an App
There are some things you can do with an app that you just can’t do on a website:
● Send push notifications to customers to keep them informed of sales, new features, and new services.
● Keeps you directly connected to your customers. They don’t have to visit your website or open an email. You’re an ever-present feature on their smartphone.
● An app provides you with direct marketing to your customers. You can send them push notifications letting them know about any new products, sales, or features in your company.
● Apps are an easy and effective way for your customers to reach out to you and for you to communicate with them.
Tips for Developing an Effective App
● Make it a priority. In order to get your app to rank in the various app stores, people need to install it. You can’t just wait for customers to stumble upon it. You have to advertise it and let everyone know not only that it exists but also why they have to have it.
● Your app has to look, be, and feel original. This isn’t always an easy task, so it’s a good idea to hire a professional app designer to make sure you get the look and function you need.
● Have a social media tie-in. Make it easy to share something from your app on the users’ Instagram or Facebook pages. That could be sharing a product they love or asking them to share a post with an appropriate hashtag. Social media is everywhere and, if you can get people to engage with your app enough to share it, your brand can be everywhere, too.
● It’s okay to start small. For example, if you’re running a retail store, aim to start with your niche market and then attempt to expand until you reach a larger audience.
● Work out the bugs quickly. Budget part of your advertising for marketing your app early on. You need to attract users so you can make sure everything is working well and work out all the kinks before it really takes off.
● Track everything and analyze the data regularly. You can figure out the things that work and those that don’t by seeing where people are spending their time in the app and how they found it in the first place.
Having an app is essential if you want your business to thrive, especially if you’re an online business without a brick and mortar store or physical office. Follow these tips and you’ll be on your way to breaking into the app market.
