Since the creation of the smartphone, mobile apps have been a continuously growing industry not only for entertainment and technological purposes but also from a marketing standpoint. With the rise of mobile applications, marketing strategies for thousands of companies have evolved drastically in order to accommodate this popular new trend. However, while there are early adopters of this marketing tactic, some companies are still skeptical about whether or not to integrate mobile apps into their strategy. As a company, there are 3 important questions regarding mobile apps to ask:
1. The first question you should ask yourself is: “Who is your target audience?” If your company is a wholesaler or resides in a B2B related industry, chances are you most likely will not need a mobile app. This is because for the most part, a B2B or wholesale company is not trying to target the everyday mobile device user in the general public. However, if you are a clothing retailer for example, having a mobile app can benefit your company greatly. It can be used to offer promotions to a wider audience in the general public, thus increasing sales and promoting awareness.
2. The second big question is: “What’s my budget?” This question can be used to identify what exactly you would like to get out of a mobile app that is developed for your company. By investing a large amount into developing a mobile app, a company can expect to create an enhanced user experience, promote brand awareness, increase traffic to its website, present promotions and offers to potential customers, and create overall buzz about the product and/or company. By investing the minimum amount into a mobile app, you can seek to achieve specific goals such as only promoting brand awareness or just getting offers to customers. It is possible to have a goal in mind and achieve it without going over budget. One of the main benefits of mobile apps is that they are versatile and can be as focused or broad as you want.
3. The third question is: “Where do I start?” This too is a somewhat broad but important question. Some companies may not have a need for mobile apps and the best place to start is to perform an audit to see if it will benefit your company enough that it is worth investing money on. If it is, there are a 2 main ways to go about creating a mobile app. The first is for non-coders and involves using an online 3rd party platform to design and create the app. It can be simple and cost effective especially with a smaller budget. The second way is to hire a 3rd party mobile app developer. This will be more costly but can generate powerful results if done properly.
As long as smartphones exist, there will be mobile apps. If companies are able to utilize this form of communication, apps can be a huge asset. Stimulating sales and promoting brand awareness are among the huge advantages of investing in mobile apps.