The Benefits Of Mobile App Development For Start-Ups And Transformative Businesses
The use of smartphones has taken the world by storm over the last ten years, and there’s no sign of it stopping or even slowing down.
Data from Statista projected smartphone traffic in 2022 to be 83 exabytes (one exabyte equates to one billion gigabytes). In 2027, it’s forecast to be 281 exabytes—a 239% increase.
For businesses, this means one thing: if people can’t find you easily by using their phones, you don’t stand a chance.
‘Easily’ is the keyword here. It’s not just the modern world that is obsessed with efficiency. As humans, we naturally look for the easiest, most direct and logical routes to completing tasks. From the perspective of a business with an objective, you want to put as few obstacles in the way possible for your customers.
Going further, if you can make these journeys, these processes, not only easy but pleasant and memorable, you’ve got yourself a return customer.
You might be here because you're toying with the idea of mobile app development for your start-up. Or perhaps your well-established business is taking more steps into the digital world. Either way, you need to know the real benefits before you make a decision.
And, of course, that’s what we’re here for.
Why is mobile app development important?
When we talk about finding the most efficient pathways to complete actions, that’s where mobile app development comes in. In 2022, it’s not always enough to have a swift, high-functioning website.
In 2022, almost half of all small businesses have an app, and only 13% won’t release one in the future. Statistics like these make start-up owners and businesses without apps feel the urgency to have one. If your competitors are cornering the market, then the last thing you want is to be lacking in the areas they provide.
App developers come up with more and more creative alternative ways to deliver information and perform tasks that work better than a web page ever could. The rise of app usage can be seen as the next stage in information consumption after the birth of the internet and websites. If you think there’s an opportunity for an app in your business, it’s likely only a matter of time before it becomes a requirement. So, why not get started early and reap the benefits over your competitors?
A Word on Start-up Companies and Transformative Businesses
Hiring a mobile app development agency takes consideration for start-ups, SMEs, and businesses moving into the modern digital age. We know this. Many of our clients approach us with apprehension about taking this step. Sometimes they have a clear idea of what they want, and sometimes, they simply have a set of problems that need to be translated into a solution.
As mobile app experts, we listen and work with you to find the best solution and develop an app that helps you reach your business objectives. Read some more of our mobile app development resources and guides in our blog, or give us a call on 02890 538511 to book a discovery session.
5 Fundamental Benefits of Mobile App Development for Your Business
At its core, the main goal in getting your app is to increase revenue, gain more customers, or elevate your brand. Here are five of the most important benefits a mobile app has to help you reach those goals.
1. Greater accessibility
Apps are generally faster than websites. Rather than storing data on servers like websites, apps store their data locally on mobile devices, meaning they can retrieve it much quicker when the app is opened and the user starts performing actions. Storing preferences and saving details further reduces the time needed to use an app.
Javascript is generally the core script used to run websites along with HTML and CSS, while mobile apps tend to be built using faster frameworks like C#. If your customer is waiting longer than a few seconds for a website to load, they’ll instantly see the appeal of using an app.
Apps also sometimes provide limited offline functionality, whereas websites do not. This gives them a whole other level of accessibility.
How do we optimise your mobile app for accessibility?
At the planning stage, we consider how to optimise your app's performance to give you the best user experience. We usually recommend cross-platform mobile app development as this means your app can be installed via any app store on Android and iOS, giving you maximum opportunities to capture your audience.
Using frameworks like React Native, we develop cross-platform mobile apps with a single codebase, meaning they can be deployed to multiple different operating systems, saving time and effort overall for their owners. Find out about other mobile app development frameworks we use.
Then there’s the mobile app programming language, the essence of the app. Mobile app programming languages are indeed like tools. You need a different tool depending on the job ahead. Developing a native app (an app solely intended for Android or iOS, for example) affects our choice of programming language. Find out about our favourite mobile app programming languages.
2. Convenient, Streamlined Processes
Your app removes myriad stages in the customer journey. This makes it more enjoyable and easier for your customer to use and easier for you to achieve sales. Compare these two processes:
Open your web browser.
Type in a search query.
Scroll down the results and choose one.
Load the website.
Explore the website and find a product.
Go to the checkout.
Create an account.
Input personal information and billing details.
Or
Open the app on your home screen.
Navigate to the product you want.
Buy it with one-click purchasing, thumbprint authentication, or swipe-to-pay.
From a customer perspective, the second option is much better. The hassle of entering your details for the thousandth time is over; all your details are already saved. There’s no need to go looking for a website and an unfamiliar interface.
From a business perspective, the app eliminates myriad different steps at which the customer could lose interest, get confused, or even fail to reach their website in the first place because it didn’t show up at the top of Google.
The process isn’t the only thing that makes an app highly convenient. GPS, in-app camera use, contact list sharing, and synchronisation with other apps give us humans that problem-solving feeling we all love.
3. A Tailored Experience
Customisability is another factor that improves ease of use. If your app has the ability to save certain details, edit preferences, and even change colours and themes, your customer now has a unique, tailored tool right on their home screen.
App users rated ‘stored settings’ and ‘more personalised content’ as the third and fifth most important preferences of using an app over a website (under speed and convenience). Offering this kind of bespoke experience to your app users demonstrates how much you value them as customers.
4. Better Communication
Communication between businesses and customers has been taken for a ride over the last few years. With the rise of the internet, particularly social media, communication streams can be overwhelming for business owners and frustrating for consumers. Customer service took a hit during the Covid-19 pandemic when brands had to adjust to reduced workforce resources, too.
In-app live chat functions and direct messaging can help your customers reach you via the easiest, most accessible route they’re aware of: your app. All communications can be stored here. There’s no fear of closing a browser tab and losing that crucial reference number or your place in the queue.
From a marketing perspective, you also have a direct line to your app users via push notifications to inform them about updates and offers with personalised messages.
5. Boost your Brand Image
Our final point is more PR-focused. The psychology of releasing an app under your brand is highly impactful—it’s something your marketing team is probably already rubbing their hands about.
Half of developing new, exciting, efficient, innovative processes for your audience is telling them that you’ve developed new, exciting, efficient, innovative processes. Use your new app to demonstrate to customers and competitors alike that you’re staying on the cutting edge of technology and aren’t afraid of taking leaps into the future to provide a rewarding experience.
