JoshJust like “everyone” needed a website a decade or two ago, it seems like the newest benchmark of being relevant in the digital world is having a company-branded app. Though it seems like the app store is already overflowing with applications that seemingly solve everyone’s problems, there’s definitely room for you and your great idea. Even if you aren’t a tech company, there is much for you to gain from investing in a company app, and you will find that it will bring your business to the next level in a number of different ways.
This is why you should have an app:
Optimize your workplace
An application is a powerful tool for you to use internally. Even if your app never makes it to the public app store and no one uses it apart from your employees, a properly constructed app can save you and your team time and money. Apps are a great way of collecting and synthesizing information from mobile phones, whether it’s filling out an incident report, collecting lab data, or even tracking kilometers driven in the company car. Instead of using a large database which is difficult to load and carry around, give your employees the opportunity to send in information from where ever they are with their mobile devices.
Connect with Your Audience
Whether you are selling cheap flights or generating recipes, by giving your audience an app, you are finding a way to connect with them more directly than by email. You can create push notifications alerting them about upcoming promotions, a drop in price, or else simply be an easy way for them to get the information they are looking for.
You Make it Easy
If you are a plumber, on top of your main job, you are probably also dealing with potential clients calling you, scheduling appointments, ordering parts and more. If your clients could just reach you through an app by filling out a work order complete with an address, contact information, detailed description and a photo, it would be easier for both of you to get a better understanding of the urgency and price of the work required. This gives you an advantage over others in the business who do or don’t pick up their phones and can’t give an accurate estimate on availability or cost.
You’re on their Radar
Once they download your app, the user has it on his or her screen until it’s deleted. That means that for that time, there you are, on their phone. They will most likely flip past your app a number of times a day as they look for a specific tool or function on their phone. Even if they only use your services every once in a while, thanks to the fact that they “see” you every day, when the need arises, you’re the first one they think of, and top of mind is exactly where you want to be.
Inbound Marketing
When you help someone solve a problem for free, it’s likely that they will come to you in their time of need over anyone else. By creating an app that “solves a problem” that your customer or audience member would have, you can take this opportunity to build them into a lead later on. Whether it’s a conversion tool that bakers use for measurements, or an optimal kitchen design tool, you now have that audience’s information and you are free to market to them as you wish.
Building a custom app sounds like an arduous and expensive task, however many companies specialize in programs that allow you to create online database applications fast, easy, and without coding. Though the end result might seem a little rudimentary, it’s a fully-functioning tool that you can use on a daily basis for internal use or use with your audience.