Thinking about whether you need a mobile app for your company? In today’s contributed post, the app development team ALT Agency discusses 7 reasons you need a mobile app for your business and how to get started. See other posts by ALT Agency here.

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Does your business have a mobile app yet? If not, are you thinking of creating one?  Before you do, it is best to be clear on the reasons why you need a mobile app.  After all, having the use of a powerful app is not going to be as useful as it should if you are not clear on what to do with it!

Don’t make the mistake of thinking that it’s only the big brands that can benefit from having a mobile app in place.  SMEs can just as easily follow the trend, making use of the fact that a great mobile strategy encompasses far more than just a website that is mobile friendly.

Think about businesses that you interact with on a personal basis.  How many of them have their own mobile app?  Places such as your favourite barber shop or restaurant can be way ahead of their competitors when it comes to kicking their marketing up a notch via an app.

So that you can be fully informed, here is our take on 7 reasons why you need a mobile app.  Once you have digested these, feel free to add some of your own at the end!

Be memorable and visible

With most people spending up to 2 hours daily on their mobile, when they want to use an app, they have to scan for the ones they want. As long as you are there and visible, when other apps pop up, your company app will be there too; even if they are not actively looking for it now, it will register with them, being memorable and ready to use when they want it.

Related Articles on Mobile Apps for Business:

• Here’s What You Need To Know About Android & iOS
• This Is How You Make Money With A Mobile App
• Mobile Apps That Make & Save You Money

Use your app for marketing

While it may be providing your customers with prices, information, news and blogs etc., it can do so much more. Focus on information you would like your customers to see such as promotions and offers. Use push notifications to generate interaction, reminding customers about what you have to offer whenever you need to. If business is quiet, send through an unmissable special deal to boost new business.

Make things easy for your customers

The thing about making things far more convenient for your regulars. If you have a loyalty program, make it part of the app.  Offer valuable and must-have downloads too so that they don’t have to go onto your website to obtain them.

Build in your brand

Once you realize that your mobile app can act as a superb billboard, use it to showcase your brand in any way you wish. Whilst it should have some similarity to your website theme in order to keep your brand consistent, you can rev it up a bit. Make it more stylized or additionally informative or just more visually appealing.  Make it about your brand while including customer-friendly features. The whole thing can be wonderfully designed by your favorite app developer Birmingham.  Once your branded app becomes officially recognized and they get used to seeing it frequently, you will really begin to notice your viewing stats on the rise.

Make customer communication key

Customers love being able to reach you easily and quickly. They don’t want the faff of having to look up email addresses or phone numbers.  Provide a direct messaging service via the app to make contact easy.  If you are a restaurant, they can book a table.  A hairdresser?  They can check in for their next haircut.  They will also feel happy knowing that if any problems occur, they can immediately get in touch with you for help and advice.

Kick the competition into touch

If there are other businesses in the area doing what you do, be the first to provide a mobile app to your customers. You will be seen as caring about your customers and in touch with the latest technology. Both of these are great ways of attracting and retaining clients, making sure they choose you rather than the competition.

Build loyalty

With so much general marketing going on, it is no surprise that your customers are bombarded continually with all sorts of things; ads, flyers, emails, texts, banners – the list is endless.  If you are not mobile app savvy then gradually your messages will get lost in the ether.  Use your app to build allegiance and devotion, doing little things often to maintain your impact.  Remember that your interaction needs to be genuine and sincere all of the time.  Your clients are looking to you to be someone they can trust and rely on.  Stay close to your customers, let them know that you are only a click away and they will continue to choose you over the rest.

Getting your mobile app developed

Now you can see just how essential a mobile app can be to your business.  When you regularly need to interact with your customers, then an app is definitely or you.  But decision made, how do you go about the app development?

You have two options:

• Find a team of app developers that you know are good at what they do, professional and who will take the time to understand exactly what type of mobile app you are looking for.
• If you are a larger company with your own IT team in-house, get them working on your app development. You will of course need to discuss it with them in detail and be absolutely certain that they understand the company’s needs as far as the mobile app is concerned.

Whichever route you go down for your mobile app development, ensure that you are kept in the communication loop continually and that you are happy with the budget being used.

There are some app building sites out there which allow you to build your own app without having to get heavily involved in coding.  However, with so much at stake, do make sure that however you go about it, the end result is a mobile app that you can be proud of and that your customers will love.

In the future, all businesses are going to be going down the mobile app route.  By doing it now, you can be sure that you will be well ahead of the game.