The Benefits of Mobile Expansion for Your Small Business Growth

Smartphones and other mobile devices seem to occupy more of our time with each passing year, so they represent an important consideration for businesses. However, mobile expansion is about much more than simply creating a mobile version of your existing website. Many successful companies also create mobile apps. Creating a mobile app for your business can be beneficial in many ways, not the least of which is helping your business grow faster.
How can a mobile app increase the speed at which your business grows? In fact, there are several ways. Have a look at the list below, and learn more about the business-growing potential of mobile expansion.
Apps and Visibility
One of the best arguments for mobile apps is also one of the most obvious. Some estimates place our average smartphone usage at 33% of the time we spend awake each day. If your app is installed on a user’s phone, it could be providing them with dozens of daily reminders that your company exists and is ready to serve them. The more times a person thinks about your company in relation to a problem they have, the more likely they will be to turn to you for the solution.
The Convenience of Using Apps for Purchases
Apps also help your business grow by simplifying sales. Online shopping carts have an abandonment rate of almost 70%, but more than 80% of shoppers around the world now use mobile apps for shopping purposes. If you aren’t making the kinds of sales you want through your website, creating a mobile app can be a smart strategy.
In fact, since apps are likely to make mobile sites increasingly obsolete in the next several years you should probably create one anyway. Make sure that your app has user-friendly ecommerce features and it may provide you with many additional customers.
Direct Engagement Through Push Notifications 
Many people don’t fully understand the engagement potential that mobile apps can offer. However, it is important to note that apps can make use of one particularly unique feature to gain a user’s attention: push notifications. Push notifications are more urgent than emails, which must be checked and opened voluntarily by users before their contents can be read. However, users that receive push notifications will receive direct messages about new product launches, promotions, or services that you offer. These instant interactions with users drive up the chances that they will engage with your brand.
Higher Levels of Brand Recognition
If your app is fun or convenient to use, people will start to develop positive feelings toward your brand by association. Remember: an app is much more than just a visual presence. It’s also an interactive program, so you want to make sure those interactions all provide value. Be sure that your app displays the same qualities you want people to think about when they see your website or advertisements. It’s even better if you give it features that nudge users towards becoming paying customers, like in-app activities that earn points for loyalty programs. OpenTable uses a variation on this idea, by rewarding diners with points each time they keep a reservation made on the app. Those points can later be exchanged for discounts.

Creating a valuable app and keeping it useful can be an involved process. It’s a worthwhile investment, but it’s one that must be carefully planned. Many small businesses do not realize the costs of hiring designers and marketers to help them develop a strong mobile app. To make sure that you can invest the kind of resources your app deserves, consider a short-term working capital loan that you can easily pay back in small daily installments. Loans of this kind are specifically designed for startups and small businesses that need capital for specific operations such as marketing. They are often approved within days and can be totally paid off within a year.

Mobile apps aren’t just a smart way to expand your business—they’re also going to be an essential one in just a few short years. Make sure that you stay ahead of the curve by planning a successful mobile app as soon as possible so that you can reap the many benefits.

Nick Rojas combines 10 years of experience working with and consulting for small to medium business and a passion for journalism to help readers grow. He writes about technology, marketing, and social media for the aspiring entrepreneur. When Nick is not sharing his expertise, he can be found spending time at the beach with his dog Presto. You can follow him on twitter @NickARojas