There are a total of 2.2 million apps in the Apple app store and 3 million in the Google Playstore. That is far too many apps to compete with for sure. However, there’s still always room for a good app, because users download an average of 30 apps in a month, and use about 9 apps every day.

 

It is no longer surprising that people today spend a large part of their day looking at their smartphones. According to data from Flurry Analytics , 86% of the total time people spend on their phones is spent on apps. Clearly, apps have captivated the imagination of people and they take their apps seriously. On an average, a user spends 2 hours and 15 minutes using apps every day .

 

 

So as you can see, the number of apps vying for user’s attention is immense and you are up against a pretty stiff competition. But the good news is that since users are spending so much time on apps, they are clearly always on the lookout of good and useful apps. So if you can solve a problem with your app, you are surely going to see success.

Why Does Your Business Need An App?

 

Having an app is one of the most effective ways of connecting with your customers and forging a relationship. And don’t we know how important that is to a business? Let’s think of it this way – the average US consumer spends over 2 hours a day on their mobile devices, and as we discussed, 86% of this time is spent on apps. So clearly, your customers really love apps and if you manage to succeed at earning a spot on their phone, you are set to enjoy a great deal of their attention, all day, every day. In fact, 70% of smartphone users agree that the mobile presence of a business is very important to its growth and success.

 

50% of users make their purchase decisions through apps and 77% like to receive offers, coupons and product notifications through apps. So for you to be able to entice such users and turn them into your loyal customers, having an app can prove to be a trump card. After all, 84% of small business owners saw positive results after launching an app and so will you.

Here are a few ways having an app helps your business:

1. Staying Connected and Visible To Your Customers 24/7

According to a survey , 46% of Americans check their smartphones first thing in the morning, and 75% people keep their phones on all day and all night. If your business apps have earned the coveted spot on a user’s phone, it means that you are going to be visible to them all the time. Clearly, this is good for your business.

2. Creating a Better Customer Experience

Today’s digitally empowered customers no longer settle for anything less than the best. Customers look at not just your product and price, but also the kind of customer experience you offer. How easy do you make it to find a product, know more about a service, contact customer care, solve problems and give feedback, are all vital aspects of the customer experience and an app helps you knock them out of the park.

3. Building Brand Recognition

Creating a branding that sticks in people’s memory and makes your business stand out in the crowd is a difficult but crucial task. Businesses spend thousands of dollars on advertising and billboards to do this. As opposed to these ways, business apps are one of the most effective ways to establish your brand recognition and gain an edge over the competition.

4. Cultivating Customer Loyalty

In an age of diminishing brand loyalty, making your customers stay loyal to you takes tremendous effort. An app can help you achieve this by creating a direct channel between you and each of your customers, facilitating personalized services and improved customer service. If you can provide truly good services and couple it with a fantastic app, you can definitely achieve increased customer loyalty.

5. Improving Customer Engagement

The more a customer actively engages with a business, more they are likely to purchase from it and also stay loyal to it. Apps, with calculated push notifications personalizes attention and a myriad of other upsides help boost engagement tremendously.

6. Creating a direct marketing channel

With an app, you can direct your marketing efforts to the right place at the right time. Whether you are running a special seasonal discount or a flash sale, sending a push notification straight to the user’s mobile phone is the most effective way to communicate it to them.

7. Getting Nuanced Customer Insights

What products do your customers like the most? What day of the week gets the maximum activity? Which group of customers is spending more – millennials or Gen Z? All these questions can be easily answered by mobile app analytics.

8. Standing Apart from the Competition

Millennials and Gen Z are a highly tech-savvy generation. They use smartphones for the maximum of their daily activities, including business. Having a mobile presence is a clear way to demarcate yourself from the competition and appeal to these tech savvy consumers.