As technological development continues to advance at a startlingly fast pace, business owners will find themselves with the need to constantly innovate and improve so as to better make use of more options effectively and advertise their products/services well. Internet marketing is a form of marketing strategy that cannot be missed, especially when the number of online users steadily gain in numbers on a daily basis. If you have already begun implementing internet marketing as part of your overall marketing strategy, you would be able to gain insight on recent marketing trends.
It is not difficult to notice that as of late, the number of mobile users contribute to quite a large amount of search engine searches. In Singapore alone, it is not uncommon for users to own more than one mobile device. Optimizing your website and marketing methods for both PC and mobile are good steps to undertake but there’s one more you should also be considering mobile apps. For business owners who are deliberating this move, here are some ways having mobile apps help internet marketing efforts:
Accessibility
By taking the time to create mobile apps and encouraging your customers to download said mobile apps, business owners can actually ensure that their business is accessible to their customers all the time. Consider the behavioral patterns of a mobile user studies have revealed that the average individual spends 2 or more hours daily on their mobile phones. While usually only a handful of mobile apps take up the bulk of the total time usage, mobile users will still have to scroll through their devices for said apps. This ensures that their line of sight and memory registers the image and text of the corporation’s mobile app as they come across it, thereby increasing chances of usage.
For example, mobile apps from shopping sites like Q0010 are very prominent against the mobile user’s phone menu. They stand out with ease and encourage leisure browsing, along with recapturing the user’s attention by sending them alerts, promotions and other essential materials.
Direct Marketing
What’s more, by creating mobile apps, business owners are essentially creating direct marketing channels for themselves. Mobile apps are created to serve multiple functions, including the provision of essential information, pricing ranges of products/services, contact/booking forms, chat & search features, news feeds and other related features! All the information that customers require as well as what business owners want to convey will be directly included into mobile apps. For business owners who go a step further with push notifications, direct interaction and reminders can be achieved.
Value/Convenience
Mobile apps also facilitate users with convenience, especially when it comes to loyalty benefits. For example, if business owners are holding promotions, deals, rewards and the like, mobile app users can simply rely on the app instead of having to go through many hoops just to receive their reward. This in turn, encourages more customers to download and use your mobile apps, thereby increasing the prominence and relevance. It can also help establish your app as a reputable source. This can also lead to more return customers as well.
In addition, business owners can keep users interested with specific content that users can access anytime. This is all the more useful when they are traveling, but also when they are simply browsing the app during leisure time.
Yet another factor to consider about mobile apps is that they allow users the ability to work offline as well. While it is true that certain app features may need internet in order to function, most mobile apps still are able to provide the basic functionality and content users require while in offline mode!
Brand Building
Mobile apps also contribute to online marketing efforts by improving brand awareness. Since they essentially function as a blank interface for starters, business owners can design them as they like while ensuring that they are functional and mobile responsive. They can rely on these to tie back into their business with related logos, colors and distinctive styles that their brand contains. By repeatedly involving customers with their mobile app and their design, they increase the chances of them buying or signing up for their products with effective frequency. Alternatively, mobile apps can also serve as a test platform to try out different branding styles without having to first transition into the new branding style on your website until you have been able to gain results and feedback. This ensures that you are allowed the freedom of experimentation while still protecting the performance of your websites and other relevant material.
Even small businesses can stand to benefit with the development of mobile apps. If you are able to free up some budgeting and time, why not try your hand in designing a mobile app catered to improving the user experience of customers? Find out the benefits mobile apps have towards your own internet marketing strategy today!