Does Your Business Really Need an App?

Reading Time: 7 minutes
Janet Lee
By Janet Lee

December 6, 2016

In today’s business world, utilizing technology to its full capabilities is of the utmost importance to more businesses. While a few years ago all the rage was in building a responsive website design, today’s modern businesses, depending on the industry, knows the way to stay ahead of the competition starts and stops with apps. In fact, compared to when the “.com” era was at its peak, businesses are adopting mobile apps at a rate eight times faster, making this a vital part of the marketing campaigns of businesses big and small. However, while many businesses do have apps, that doesn’t mean they are suitable for all businesses. If you own a business and are facing a crossroads regarding app development, here are some factors to take into consideration.

apps for business

Assess Your Competitors

Before you go head over heels and invest thousands of dollars in an app, take a look at your competitors. If they already have an app, you’ve probably fallen a bit behind and need to play catch-up as soon as possible. But if they don’t have an app, you have a choice to make. On the one hand, they may not have an app because they simply haven’t grasped the possibilities apps possess. Or as many small and medium businesses decide, the costs associated with app development are high, so using apps is a decision that must be weighed carefully. But as more companies begin to partner with Google partner SEO companies with a focus on digital marketing, not having an app is almost a guarantee you’ll fall behind the competition.

mobile seo for businesses

Determine Your Goals

Since all businesses have many of the same goals to meet, it’s important to determine where apps fall on your list. Whether it’s generating revenue, increasing employee productivity, reducing costs, or improving brand awareness, an app can most often help with meeting and exceeding these goals. Even if your brand is already well-established, an app can strengthen your company’s identity even more by letting customers know the true value of your products or services. In addition, a digital marketing agency can help you establish even better connections with your customers by creating a customized app that results in even more leads and revenue for your business.

business apps

Apps and Employees

While most businesses assume apps are geared strictly toward customers, the fact is they are just as important when it comes to employee productivity. By being able to minimize the efforts of employees, save time, and provide access to key information anytime and anywhere, apps can help keep employees focused on the tasks at hand while making their jobs easier. In fact, even innovative tech companies and SEO agencies develop in-house apps for employees to improve workflow and internal communication. 

app store optimization

App Store Optimization

Once you have decided your business needs an app, it’s important to ensure it gets noticed by as many customers as possible. The best way to do this is through app store optimization (ASO), which is a crucial piece of the mobile SEO marketing puzzle. With more than 2 million apps in major apps stores, getting noticed can be a challenge. However, it’s not an impossible task if done correctly. For example, while 63 percent of apps are discovered by people who are simply browsing through an app store, there are things you can do to make your app stand out from everyone else. To maximize your ASO, work with an award-winning digital marketing agency to come up with a great title for your app, which along with popular keywords can enable your app to be found by more and more customers. Along with this, encouraging customers to rate and review your business will also help your app to go higher and higher in search results.

mobile friendly websites for business

Is a Mobile Friendly Website the Answer?

If you are hesitant to commit to an app development cycle yet you want to capture mobile traffic, there is a solution that offers you a big chunk of the smartphone user audience.  Make sure your website is optimized for handheld devices so customers can get the functions, convenience, and versatility of a traditional website. By not having to commit to a long-term app development cycle, a mobile website can let you proceed slowly, enabling you to evaluate the mobile website’s performance as well as how it contributes to the productivity and cost-effectiveness of your business. Having a fast load time, a responsive design, local SEO, and flawless navigation is key.

mobile apps for your business

Make an Informed Decision

When considering whether or not your business needs an app, having the ability to make an informed decision is important. Whether it’s customer recognition, cutting costs, or improving employee productivity and efficiency, working with SEO companies in order to make full use of app store optimization and other opportunities can make all the difference. By doing everything you can to get your app discovered by customers, you’ll be well on your way to not only outdistancing your competitors, but satisfying your customers and employees as well.

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