Is an app for your business worth it?

We live in a smartphone age. Spending 5 minutes on a bus, train, or tram can show you that. Everybody has their eyes glued to a screen, scrolling, clicking, and swiping through their favourite content.

 

There are over 2 million apps available to download on Apple and Android. Is it worth your business investing in an app? Panthera investigates.

 

If you already have a website

 

This is the most common response to the question, “why don’t you have an app?” However, there are some problems with that answer.

 

If you look back even ten years ago, not every business had a website. Many business owners believed that it was unnecessary because they already had a sign on their premises and that “our customers know where to find us anyway.”

 

Nowadays, that attitude would seem strange and counter-productive to many. Consumer expectation now requires you to have a website – consumers may well take the same attitude towards apps in the future.

 

Businesses in the early 2000s did not rely on their websites to continue to trade. However, those which did invest in that technology were ahead of the curve and positioned to take advantage as the population became more connected and comfortable with online shopping.

 

Many analysts would now argue that this is what is happening again today but with apps.

 

How will having an app affect your business?

 

Having an app makes you more visible and present to your customers and those who might become your customers. Once they have downloaded your app, they will see it your app’s logo on their phones every day. This will keep your brand at the forefront of their minds.

 

You can use your app to engage with customers. The technology that a smartphone provides allows for instant feedback on a product or service that they have bought – invaluable feedback for improving what you sell.

 

This direct and quick information can be used both ways. If you are having a slow month, you can directly contact your customer base to notify them of a sale, for example.

 

Ongoing dialogue between you and your customers will increase their brand loyalty by making them feel more special as you offer them special, app-only deals.

 

What are the benefits of having an app?

 

Unlike websites, apps can be used offline. Even if it’s only a small part of your app which can be used without an internet connection, your app will still allow your customers to engage with your business when they otherwise would not have been able to.

 

Apps can also be updated. It doesn’t matter what new technologies come out over the next few years - your apps will be able to keep up.

 

Are there any downsides?

 

Apps aren’t free or even cheap, for that matter. The cost of developing an app for a business will depend on the type of business you have and the proposed functionality of that app.

 

You may need to establish whether there is actually a market for your app. If nobody wants it and they’re happy with your website, then it may be an unnecessary expense.

 

Your business might not even be right for an app. If you supply steel to industries or provide the navigation systems to intercontinental ballistic missiles, the chances are you can give the app a miss.

 

We can help

 

Have you been approached about getting an app for your business? Want to talk about it? You can call us on 01235 768 561 or email enquiries@pantheraaccounting.co.uk.