When it comes to investing in mobile marketing solutions for small businesses many may be wondering whether it's worth the time and effort in spending money on app marketing.
However, it would be a misconception for a small business to ignore the potential an app can bring to their organisation and to discount it on cost alone.
That's because apps can be used for a wide variety of purposes and not just for boosting customer engagement; they can also be used for monitoring productivity and delivering tools for staff for instance.
It should also be appreciated that mobile apps are much easier to develop now than ever before and are cheaper to market.
So, instead of looking at the costs, a business needs to appreciate that around two thirds of mobile phone use is spent on an app, which means that a successful mobile strategy needs to be at the centre of the business's marketing activities.
Indeed, business owners should consider how often they use a mobile app themselves rather than a company website, since apps offer users a much friendlier way of interacting with a company and frequently that app has been optimised for mobile device use.
Why small businesses should consider mobile app marketing
There are a number of reasons why small businesses should consider mobile app marketing solutions, greater profitability being a main one, delivered through App usage.
Customer service
The most obvious use for app marketing is to boost customer service since they create better communication between the customer and the business; they also provide a way to build customer loyalty.
For instance, customers can request additional information before they make a purchase, or book something and engage with the business with a friendly customer services person.
This level of customer service delivers loyalty and it is also possible to distribute discount coupons and other sales incentives.
Productivity
App marketing also boosts productivity for both employees and customers and apps for mobile devices, should interact with the business's own internal systems and tools, for greater efficiency and productivity.
Sales
This is an obvious result with a successful app marketing strategy, since regular interaction and incentives will help keep the business at the forefront of the customer's mind and engaging with them regularly, will turn them into repeat customers.
Once the business has a repeat customer, they can deliver various incentives to boost turnover and sales, which means the app will become a vital part of the company's marketing plans.
Beat the competition
While app marketing is growing in popularity, there is still huge potential for those firms that invest effectively in mobile marketing, who will be rewarded with a market advantage over competitors that do not use apps effectively, or have a mobile marketing strategy whatsoever.
This means a business can use their app to run exclusive offers or competitions and connect with customers on a more regular basis.
The bottom line is that all small businesses can benefit from mobile app marketing but the app itself needs to be well constructed and effective, to deliver what the customer wants - not necessarily what the business has been aiming for.
