Online businesses are thriving on the support of mobile devices. This is one of the biggest hacks that need to be taken care of for all over the world for business expansion and growth opportunities. Since the reliance of the online shoppers on mobile devices is increasing and the purchasing behavior of online shoppers have changed drastically, the key to success for SMEs is to stay in sync with the market trends. The number of online purchases has risen tremendously through mobile devices rather than desktops or laptops. Hence, it won’t be wrong to state that the mobile apps are one of the aspects that require close consideration of the online store owners.
Some of the crucial facts that explain the importance of a mobile app for an eCommerce store is listed below:
- The rate of global mobile app downloads is expected to reach up to 284 billion by the year 2020. The revenue generated by mobile apps were estimated to surge $51 billion in the year 2016. Hence, the potential that this market has got in the future is huge.
- Google Play is expected to reach the mark of 166 billion along with the market share of iOS which will rise to the level of 35.2 billion, in terms of the number of apps available on these stores.
Having discussed these startling statistical figures, it is clear that the significance of mobile applications on the online businesses cannot be ignored. This is especially inevitable when you have a Startup or if you own a small business with a limited customer base.
If you one such businessman, but you are still not active in the direction of mobile app development, you will have to bear the harsh business consequences. Listed below are some of the importance of mobile apps in a virtual environment, especially for small businesses that may bring your attention to this aspect.
Helps in boosting the brand awareness
With a surge in the reliance of handheld devices globally, the mobile applications provide higher chances of reaching out to their targeted customers. Moreover, there has been a significant increase use of mobile devices for doing online searches. As per a survey, 45% of the online purchases are done by mobile devices. While the mobile responsive websites are one of an alternative, it may even fail to enhance the customer experience. Hence, a mobile app can help you get a deeper reach among your targeted customers. Whether you have an eCommerce store on Prestashop, OpenCart or Magento, having a mobile app for your store is just a matter of moments. Mobile App Builder plugin from Knowband store offers an easy way to take your online store to the mobile devices. The apps so created are compatible with all the devices. Hence, with a greater reach and better user experience, you can effortlessly boost your brand awareness and image ultimately.
Better way to stay in touch with your target audience
In the competitive scenario, staying in the good books of your customer is the key. Moreover, with so many options to choose from, the chances of being forgotten by your customers is more likely. Hence, you need to stay at an arms distance to your prospective customers. Mobile apps are one of the ways to achieve this milestone. Considering the challenges experienced by customers while shopping online, mobile applications offer a better user experience. The expectation of the online shoppers of getting everything then and there is increasing at a greater pace. Hence, the chances that they would open up a desktop and then browse your store is less likely. The app can keep you just a click away from the lead. Moreover, the options of push notification is another way that can keep your customers reminded about the activities and deals that you are running on your store.
Enhances geo-targeting
Location-based services are in demand for the past couple of years. With the introduction and popularity of Voice searches, the search queries of online shoppers are changing. They now search for solutions instead of keywords. Earlier the query for a Chinese Restaurant was ‘Best Chinese Restaurant’, and others. However, now it has changed to ‘Chinese Restaurant near me’ or ‘Where can I find a Chinese Restaurant nearby?’. Hence, for a start-up and small business to have an edge over the big players of the industry, geo-targeting is the key. Smartphones allow you to collect information about its users, including their geographical location. Offering location based prompt services is easier when you have a mobile app for your business. All you need to do is to optimize your content in such a way that the online searchers get the solution for their queries.
Aid remarketing
The more efficiently you remarket your product, the more will the chances of conversions. Mobile applications not just allow you to sell the products easily, it even helps marketing your businesses in a better way. The Push notifications of the shopping applications have been estimated to have a strong impact on user’s attention. On an average, it has 40% click through rate. Moreover, their engagement is higher than that of an email and the SMS triggers. Since the target audience is most of the time glued to their phones, it is definitely the best platform to bring your business, no matter how small or new it is, in the eyes of the customers. Not just this, the modern day applications provide a better interface to keep a track on the orders generated through the mobile apps. The online activities can be tracked on the Google Analytics account of the store owner. Hence, coming up with a surefire marketing tactics is not a tough job.
Boosts customer engagement and conversions
It is now much easier to stay engaged with your customers with the help of a mobile app. Irrespective of the location of the customers, you can now stay in touch with them 24 x 7. The apps, thus, help in delivering better customer engagement leading to conversions. The ease of mobile connectivity with the company, especially, in case of eCommerce stores, mobile apps can encourage customers for a quick product purchase. It is often seen that customers are reluctant to make an online purchase. This is because of the complicated user experience offered on a site. Mobile apps offer a better user experience due to the presence of numerous features and functionalities on a mobile device.
Enhances visibility of your store
While enhancing the position of your online store on Google SERP quite a time-consuming task, ranking your mobile app on the app store and the se is much easier. The more downloads you achieve, the higher you’ll rank on the various search engine. Moreover, mobile apps are a brilliant way to target customers without any hassle. The store owners can give a personal touch to their marketing strategies. It can thus help you strengthen your relationship with your customers. Bridging the gap between UX and UI, the mobile app will definitely help enhance the visibility of your store.
Wrapping up
A mobile app can provide the much-needed competitive advantage to your online store. Engage the users in a more personalized and interactive way in a seamless and cost-effective way. If you are trying to take your business to the next level, then mobile apps need to be included in your business expansion plans. We, at Knowband, offer an intuitive to have a mobile app for your online store. So, create an amazing OpenCart, Magento, or PrestaShop mobile app for your website and grab higher conversions and sales.
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Do the discussed factors would work for my business as well or they are only fruitful for only already established businesses?
Hi Bruce,
Thanks for reading the article.
These tips would be helpful for every sort of eCommerce businesses. Whether you are a newbie in the industry or own a store for a few time, all the above-discussed factors should be considered.