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In this blog post we will cover the following points:
Having an app of your own developed can help your business in a number of ways.
- An app is a compliment to a website and offers extra features
- Having an app can help you to get new customers
- An app makes accessing your products and services easier for customers
- Unique app-based features will help you to stand out from the crowd.
- Your own app will help keep your customers coming back regularly.
- You will gain insights into your customers
- An app and associated web console can save you both time and money and improve your relationship with your customers.
- Being more sustainable is easier to achieve with an app. It also helps you to communicate your green credentials and activities to your customers.
Looking for an app? Let’s start the conversation today! Contact us by clicking the button below to get the ball rolling.
Benefits of an app over a website
What is an app?
An app is a piece of software which is saved to your mobile device. Unlike a website, which is temporarily sent to your web browser, the app code is on your phone or tablet.
What is a website?
A website is a piece of software that runs on a remote computer called a server. A web page is generated by this server and sent to your computer or mobile device. Each time you move to a new page or visit the site, this information is re-sent to you.
Why get an app?
We suggest having both an app and a website for most businesses which involve customer interaction.
Apps look better on mobile, give you access to a new channel for sales (app stores), they can often work offline, they are easier to access and use on mobile, are faster than websites, can access mobile device equipment like cameras, microphones, contact lists, etc and have useful things like push notifications.
Get new customers
New Channel
Having an app also gives you another sales channel to find new customers and make your brand known. By having an app you get a place to advertise your company and show your logo to the world and you can publish your apps in a wide range of different app stores. There is less competition than with websites as less companies have their own apps than have sites.
Mobile Users & Younger Customers
By having an app you can attract the increasing number of clients using mobile phones. This often includes a lot of younger clients who might be making decisions around which business to become a regular with.
Easier Process for customers
If your business has appointments, events or online classes you can make it easier for customers and customers will often opt for the service that they can book quickly and seamlessly.
A handy calendar based appointment system on an app can be more useful than a website for one big reason – customers are automatically logged into their app and their data is stored right there on their phone.
When a customer opens their app they will be able to immediately access their existing appointments, create new appointments and reschedule if needed.
The customer can also get push notifications reminding them of upcoming appointments.
Apps can also faciliate things like product delivery reminders or appointment digital checkins or allow you to easily send questionaires and forms to customers assured that these won’t go into a spam folder.
Standout features
With an app you can attract your ideal customers indirectly by offering them features that will appeal to them.
For example, if you sell baby’s clothes, you could offer an app for new parents giving them advice, tools for the early days, useful content, special offers, loyalty schemes, social sharing and an easy way to buy your products.
Keep Customers coming back
Loyalty
A loyalty scheme is a great way to give customers an extra incentive to choose your business time and time again.
Why not add little extras like double loyalty points for bookings made on certain days or at certain times or ask customer questions about your business services or products in exchange for extra loyalty points.
If you add games to your app you could even introduce an extra thrill for your customers by awarding them with loyalty points if they win a games tournament or achieve a certain high score.
Create in-app special offers
Exclusive Special offers give customers a great reason to download your app. You can combine this with games to allow customers to play in tournaments and win special offers.
You can also provide flash sales to your customers via notifications and in-app messages or offer special offers in exchange for customer feedback.
Instant message chat
Instant message chat is also really useful to have if a customer has a quick question before or after an appointment or while buying a product.
You can also broadcast messages to all your customers or a particular group of customers or create different groups for your customers to talk amongst themselves.
Daily News Blog
You can create and share a daily news blog to your customers through your app.
You could even associate this with a push notification to get your customers to regularly think about and learn about the products and services your business offers.
This will make you a household name with your customers.
Customer Insights
Analytics
In-app and App Store analytics about how many customers view or download your app.
You can learn which screens customers spend most of their time on, which services, classes or products they focus on, can give you valuable information about your customers wants and needs.
Feedback
You can get valuable, insightful feedback from your customers by asking them questions while they are using the app or providing them with questionnaires with customers.
Loyalty points and exclusive special offer deals can be used to reward customers for their feedback.
Pre-release new treatment options and get customer’s votes
A great way to test the waters with new products and services you are considering is to ask your dedicated app-based customers.
Ask them to vote or give you feedback on your new idea and see what your customers think!
You could even offer an exclusive, pre-release trial for your select customers giving them a feeling of being in your inner circle and allowing them to get ahead of the trend!
Save time
Having an app and associated web console can save you so much time with your business.
Make appointments and services easier
Easily see new appointments and associated information about your customers. Handle appointment booking/rescheduling or product sales automatically at any time of the day.
At the touch of a button allocate resources like rooms, staff times, equipment for the day or week ahead.
See what you need and where there are gaps so you can easily and quickly make changes.
Make Communications easier
Get real time, dynamic information from your customers and easily reach out to one customer, a specific group of customers or all your customers in one go.
With push notifications and in-app messaging it’s easier for customers to be aware of these announcements.
Make Customer Service easier
Add FAQs and detailed videos to help give information on commonly asked questions.
Use instant messaging, polls, comments areas and feedback forms for get information from customers and to sooth their concerns.
Add automation to your instant messaging to triage customers between serious issues and lighter, more commonly asked questions.
Be more sustainable
Save Paper
An app can help you to reduce paper waste as you can replace promotional fliers, informational leaflets, paper receipts client documents with an eco friendly digital alternative that customers can keep in a handy place on their app.
Save Food or Energy
If your business involves food or any other perishable commodity (e.g. flowers) you can reduce these energy overheads.
This can be done by encouraging customers to order ahead of time or change their order (if needed) via the app.
You could also get immediate alerts to let you know what’s happening.
This also works if you provide products or services which use energy to prepare or for transport.
Promote your Sustainability
You can use your app to let your customers know about how sustainable you are or about your suppliers and their eco friendly credentials.
Add things like news blog posts, Sustainability FAQ sections and live chat hours for your customers where they can find out more.
Circular Economy
Got a ‘waste’ product from your business that could be useful to someone else. Advertise it on your app and allow your customers to spread the word and claim this product through your app.
For example, if you are a craft beer brewer, the grains you use might be useful to someone else. If you are a florist, left over flowers could be useful to an artist.
Key Takeaways
- An app has useful features to compliment websites and gives you a sales channel that is fast, reliable and mobile friendly.
- Having an app can help you to get new customers through extra sales channels, useful features and a more mobile friendly sales journey.
- Make things easier for you customers by providing them with a quick and intuitive way to access your products and services.
- Standout from the crowd with additional features and companion apps that will attract your ideal customers.
- Keep Customers coming back by giving them support, added tools and extras, improving communication and by making them feel that they are part of a community.
- Gain valuable customer insights and useful feedback through your app.
- Having an app and web console will save a busy business owner time and money by making every day tasks quicker and easier and by improving and speeding up communications with customers.
- An app can help you to be more sustainable through reducing paper, food and energy waste and through utilising the circular economy. You can also communicate your sustainable activities or give customers advice on this through your app.
These are just some of the benefits that an app can provide to your business. Get in touch with us to discuss what we can do for you!
