Creating your own company app should be considered
Nowadays, companies should consider carefully whether their own app is helpful for the business strategy and the associated goals. Simply creating your own company app and hoping that customers will discover it is the wrong approach. However, as long as apps add value to customers or app users and improve the user experience, they will have a significant impact on business success.
Own company app or mobile website? How customers find businesses
There are several ways customers can find companies. Either they accidentally stumble across their existing business app in the App Store or they use their smartphone’s mobile browser. Offline advertising measures such as flyers or posters with a QR code with a link to the App Store or a link to the mobile website do the rest. Native apps and mobile websites can therefore be a promising strategy in combination to reach several customer and user groups at the same time that were not previously addressed.
How is the app usage?
You will find detailed and meaningful statistics on national and international App Usage. These provide an insight into how often apps are downloaded on average and to what extent consumers use these apps. The adjust study from 2018, for example, examined 11,000 apps worldwide, recorded 10.7 billion app installations and 1.29 billion activities (including purchases, orders and clicks in game apps). Let’s take a look at Germany: the ARAG study found in a study that in 2018 76 % of Germans stated that they used apps on their smartphones. In 2017, users worldwide downloaded 60% more apps than in 2015. On average, almost 40 apps were used per month. The average user has 80 apps on his smartphone. This is the result of the AppAnnie study. This clearly shows that the demand for apps is still not satisfied. An own company app can play therefore its part in this and can be the reason for the company’s success.
Added value and user experience are at the top of the list
The use of an own company app is linked to expectations. App users voluntarily give away their – often already very limited – storage space so that companies appear on their smartphones. They want to be offered something. On the one hand this is the added value of the corporate app (that it really brings them something) and on the other hand they want the best possible user experience. They expect more than just the usual information and communication of new products. Personalized messages and offers in the form of chat and push notifications play a major role here. This promotes a “sense of belonging” and customers feel they are in good hands with the company. This means that they feel connected to the company and develop into loyal customers.
These reasons speak for an own company app
Once companies have considered the above-mentioned points and analyzed them sufficiently, they can decide to create an app or have an app created. After all, an own company app can achieve the following:
Increase sales
If the app runs successfully, it also affects the company’s sales. In addition, user engagement is increased.
New and existing customers
A company’s own app not only appeals to new customers, but is primarily important to identify the most loyal customers. These help to test new products in advance, to obtain feedback and even to win customers for success stories.
The company app enables direct and reciprocal communication
Whether new or existing customers: they can be reached at any time and provided with interesting information.
Individualized service
Apps are ideal for motivating customers to drop in again and place an order or booking with personalized chat and push notifications. As an incentive, individual offers can also be brought along.
Quick and easy
An app is easy to set up so that checkout (booking/ordering products) can be carried out more quickly. The same applies to payment methods. This saves time and is easier for customers and automatically ensures a better mobile user experience.
