An app can be a great business tool—and it’s available to companies of all sizes. No longer is the world of iPhone promotion only available to those businesses in the upper echelons of industry, as prices have come down to a manageable level.
But, while it is now in the realm of possibilities—is an app right for your business?
Developing an iOS or Android app offers a number of benefits for business, and we’ve put together our top 5 reasons why you may want to develop an app (or multi-platform app)…
1. Service and support
To offer an app that will improve your brand it needs to benefit your public as well as you. By including service and support options within the app you can help build a stronger and deeper relationship with your customers.
2. Branding
Did you know that the average iPhone user checks their phone 110 times per day? That little icon that sits on their phone screen could offer you a chance for them to see your branding a hundred times a day—even if they don’t open it. That’s a serious branding opportunity, so design the visuals of your app carefully, and ensure they have continuity with the rest of your online and offline branding.
3. Cross selling and upselling
You likely have many clients who have purchased only one, or a few items, from you. An app is a great way to suggest similar and additional products. Of course the challenge is getting those new clients to download the app—which is why you need to offer them value. As an example, if a bike manufacturer put their warranty, instructions, service information and a trip counter on their app people would be more likely to use it. That bike manufacturer could then tie in cross-sales and up-sales, like brake pad replacements once the trip counter reaches a certain number.
4. Promotions
Almost everybody loves a discount, but very few of us know about all the discounts around us. Leverage your app to let people know about promotions and upcoming sales events.
5. Data
The data you can get from building an app is priceless. Well, almost. App data collection allows you to learn more about your customer than ever before. What do they like? What kind of information and promotions do they respond best to? How often do they interact with your brand? This data can be mined to improve sales campaigns—and can be used to make marketing material more relevant.
A real world example
Apps drive deeper customer relationships. Just ask Kraft. Their app iFood Assistant has capitalized on nearly all the above. The iFood Assistant app features over 2000 interactive recipes, which offers value to the app owners—but they went beyond that. Their app can also…
- Share recipes socially, which means exposing the app and brand to even more potential users.
- Build a shopping list (with Kraft products on it of course)—which is a major cross-selling concept.
- Offers interactive deals and coupons, which helps drive Kraft’s promotions.
The only major element where they didn’t capitalize on was branding, as the app isn’t branded towards Kraft’s brand. But, when you’re as big as Kraft though, sometimes a little subtlety can go a long way. Kraft surely decided that they didn’t need much help with branding. Their real goal was to promote Kraft products and promotions—and they did that beautifully.
Is an app right for your brand?
In deciding if developing an iOS or Android app is right for your brand, you need to think deeply about what it is you would like to accomplish. Without a goal the app won’t have the desired return.
We love talking about apps—so feel free to give us a call today for a goal-focused conversation about what an app could potentially offer your business, how it can (and can’t) help, and what value you can offer to your customers. We can also give you a no-obligation quote for you to compare against the potential value and revenue.
