Why Small Businesses Should Invest in Mobile Apps?
Team Branex
Mobile app development is no longer considered just a branding exercise for small businesses. The rising popularity and inclination of the target audience of just about every business towards mobile apps have persuaded small business owners about the efficacy of mobile apps in generating incremental revenues for them.
Right from simplifying online purchases to ease in communication to easy access to information, the benefits of a mobile application development process are unprecedented for small businesses, and to top it all off, mobile apps are here to stay.
In previous years, the growing cost of custom mobile app development made it impossible for small businesses to spend that much on an app. However, the recent growth in software development technologies has streamlined the app development processes, so much so that even small businesses can have an app of their own created so that their brands can excel in their respective business industries by fostering increased customer engagement through mobile apps.
Also, as social media use continues to rise, consumers are becoming more open to engagement with brands on a day-to-day basis, even if they aren’t specifically loyal to or purchasers of that particular business. Business owners and marketers are capitalizing on consumers’ desires for interaction by producing entertaining mobile apps.
Also Read: Engaging Ideas to Create Remarkable Mobile App Experiences for Users
While being fun to use, informational, or inspirational, a common characteristic of these apps is that they feature a strong call-to-action to persuade the user to purchase a product or in some way benefit the company in question. A mobile app not only creates customer engagement for the business, but it also conveys a brand’s essence of being responsible and customer-friendly by making the services available to the customer's doorstep through an app that is user-friendly and works according to the requirements of the consumers.
According to the latest estimates, gyms and restaurants were the leading businesses that are actively engaged in the app development process, mainly to gauge customers and to score popularity for their brands, along with supporting their positive esteem in the market. However, golf courses, plumbing services, hotels, and even barber shops were found engaged in the app creation process, where most of the time the custom mobile app development services were outsourced to a professional app development service to fulfill their need.
But as the trend of app building is increasing, so are the expectations of the customers from the apps. The customer of today requires more functional apps and those that are on the top of their game, in terms of both functionality and features, along with a robust and intuitive app design. For businesses that meet potential clients at various locations, the ability to show data or portfolios is essential, which sometimes also goes on in an offline mode. Using an app for this purpose can make the difference between closing the sale and losing the prospect to a competitor.
A survey done not so long ago suggested that out of the overall sample size of small businesses that were surveyed, more than 62% had a mobile app or were in the process of building one. Out of these, 20% of businesses used their mobile apps purely for branding purposes, 30% were using them for business generation, and 50% used them to build customer support and induce engagement.
A common user spends about 174 minutes on their mobile devices each day and checks their mobile phone as soon as they wake up in the morning. The mobile sales are estimated to have surpassed $74 billion in 2016. Which was 32% higher than the preceding year. 30% of all online purchases were made by millennials in 2016 and through their mobile devices only. Imagine the kind of business opportunity mobile apps possess for small businesses.
However, apps aren’t just for commerce businesses. Push notifications can be used by any niche to put your brand name directly in front of the smartphone owner. Apps can be used for any type of activity: booking systems, file uploads, vouchers, newsletters, digital magazines, support, providing information, logging exercise or nutrition, showing videos, and so much more.
Why Do Small Businesses Invest in Mobile App Development?
In previous years, the growing cost of custom mobile app development made it impossible for small businesses to spend that much on an app. However, the recent growth in software development technologies has streamlined the app development processes, so much so that even small businesses can have an app of their own created so that their brands can excel in their respective business industries by fostering increased customer engagement through mobile apps.
Also, as social media use continues to rise, consumers are becoming more open to engagement with brands on a day-to-day basis, even if they aren’t specifically loyal to or purchasers of that particular business. Business owners and marketers are capitalizing on consumers’ desires for interaction by producing entertaining mobile apps.
Also Read: Engaging Ideas to Create Remarkable Mobile App Experiences for Users
While being fun to use, informational, or inspirational, a common characteristic of these apps is that they feature a strong call-to-action to persuade the user to purchase a product or in some way benefit the company in question. A mobile app not only creates customer engagement for the business, but it also conveys a brand’s essence of being responsible and customer-friendly by making the services available to the customer's doorstep through an app that is user-friendly and works according to the requirements of the consumers.
What Type of Small Businesses Should Invest in Apps?
According to the latest estimates, gyms and restaurants were the leading businesses that are actively engaged in the app development process, mainly to gauge customers and to score popularity for their brands, along with supporting their positive esteem in the market. However, golf courses, plumbing services, hotels, and even barber shops were found engaged in the app creation process, where most of the time the custom mobile app development services were outsourced to a professional app development service to fulfill their need.
But as the trend of app building is increasing, so are the expectations of the customers from the apps. The customer of today requires more functional apps and those that are on the top of their game, in terms of both functionality and features, along with a robust and intuitive app design. For businesses that meet potential clients at various locations, the ability to show data or portfolios is essential, which sometimes also goes on in an offline mode. Using an app for this purpose can make the difference between closing the sale and losing the prospect to a competitor.
What Benefits Could They Derive From Their App?
A survey done not so long ago suggested that out of the overall sample size of small businesses that were surveyed, more than 62% had a mobile app or were in the process of building one. Out of these, 20% of businesses used their mobile apps purely for branding purposes, 30% were using them for business generation, and 50% used them to build customer support and induce engagement.
A common user spends about 174 minutes on their mobile devices each day and checks their mobile phone as soon as they wake up in the morning. The mobile sales are estimated to have surpassed $74 billion in 2016. Which was 32% higher than the preceding year. 30% of all online purchases were made by millennials in 2016 and through their mobile devices only. Imagine the kind of business opportunity mobile apps possess for small businesses.
However, apps aren’t just for commerce businesses. Push notifications can be used by any niche to put your brand name directly in front of the smartphone owner. Apps can be used for any type of activity: booking systems, file uploads, vouchers, newsletters, digital magazines, support, providing information, logging exercise or nutrition, showing videos, and so much more.
A clearly verbalized, compelling mission statement not only attracts clients but also encourages a strong commitment to the team. A clearly put mission statement also keeps the team members glued to the achievement of unified goals over time. When jotting down your mission statement, start with why, then how. For example, why is the company set up? Why is your company better suited to fulfill the needs of your clientele? Why should you be considered over others? And so on.
Finding and hiring the right talent is crucial for the success of any small or medium enterprise. But that’s not it. The hard part is finding people with the right character. And by that, I don’t mean the cleanliness of the character but how well the person is equipped to work in teams. Too many people around the globe face difficulties working in teams, that’s because in a team, more than one mind is working for the accomplishment of a uniform goal and when people are not suited to work in a team environment, there will be conflicts among them that will eventually lead the organization in negative.
It is always good to hire people who are champions of change, along with a natural ability to establish processes, structures, and plans. These personality traits are critical because people who lack them will not become a good fit for your team, thus hampering productivity and organizational growth. Ultimately, it also comes down to the thinking of your staffers. Their beliefs, attitudes, and actions, along with their commitment to that mission that you all are trying to accomplish collectively.
The process of setting up short-term and long-term goals for the achievement of the mission is also critical for your business’s health. Clearly articulating these goals will ensure that the people, along with the processes, will work together for the achievement of the goal in the right direction.
Consider an example of a school of fish in the sea. Their goal is to travel from point A to point B from point A. Imagine if all the fish in the school are traveling in different directions. There would be no goal achievement at all. Therefore, to achieve success, all the wheels of a trailer should move in the same direction.
Selection of the right marketing media is imperative for the success of your company. Companies are there to offer any kind of service or product to the customers and customers would know only if you market your product service on the right mediums. Naturally determining your target audience is also a must before embarking on the marketing efforts, however wrong selection of the 
Marketing today, be it for any product or service, is highly influenced by digital technologies. The Internet has literally taken over our lives, and consumers search their smallest to largest queries on the Internet. Let alone the 
Once upon a time communication between people was done purely on the basis of symbols. People used to share ideas and thoughts based on whose content was rich with meaning and the entire thought was conveyed with a single symbol.
Now, although letters are also considered symbols, they must be placed together with words to make sense, and those words are put into a sentence to understand the context of those words.
To start with Instagram itself is a prodigy. Passing the 300 million user mark and surpassing Twitter and its 284 million active users. As per the Instagram website, there are approximately 70 million photos shared each day on Instagram.
“As an Entrepreneur, I started my second venture on Instagram and from there onwards it was all easy to get orders without spending a dime on marketing,” says Yousuf Rafi, Serial Entrepreneur and Digital Strategist at 
You can label 
There are a lot of images you can use on your website such as images of products, images of satisfied customers, or anything that represents your company culture. To make your life easier, you can use SmartMockups. All you need to simply upload your app’s screenshot and download a mockup. No need to use Photoshop, no hassle at all.
Website design is not often considered part of digital marketing. However, the website design is the major influencer for the online visitor to stay on the website and act as desired by the web owner. For any business, its website is the center of its digital marketing efforts. So, if the website design is not attractive, or its content lacks readability, let alone the information that it intends to provide to you, then the strategy that the owner developed earlier at the time of the website launch is faulty.
Not every business owner is a digital marketing expert. If you are among the kind, then there is absolutely no harm in hiring a 
One good example of Picasso’s working method was his studies on the “deconstruction of a bull.” You see how he started off with a realistic form of a bull and kept subtracting until he was left with what he considered the “essence” of the bull.
Just like Picasso did, you as an Entrepreneur need to focus on what is most important for your business. Not your parents, not your neighbors, not your annoying high school friend, it is you who needs to do what is good for your business. And how to do that. Simply, write the pros and cons before making any decisions and then follow your gut to eliminate what you think is not right for your business.
It is said that if you have multiple agendas in your to-do list, do the ones that challenge you the most when your day begins. Because in the morning when you are fresh, you can come up with multiple solutions to a single problem.
The best approach I use as an Entrepreneur to solve difficult problems is, to close my eyes and see the task already done in my mind. I have completed the task and people are praising me for the task well done. This same approach has been followed by many 
Furthermore, when your customer lands on the website, do not give them the chance to think about what to do next. Your website needs to be self-explanatory. From landing to placing the order, make sure your ecommerce website passes the usability test with flying colors. Moreover, be in front of your customers. Use a chat messenger that is both simple and intuitive. And most importantly, keep your chat messenger in front so users can access it in a few clicks. Make it easy for customers to connect with you.
While there are small tricks you can use to improve your SEO rating like links and consistently using major keywords, understand that the best way to get high on a Google search is to come out with consistent, quality content. I cannot emphasize enough how important content and content marketing can be for any online strategy.
Whatever your reason may be, split-test your content & see if it is making sense to the customers. If the content is good, it will engage the customers, and once the customers get engaged, it will be easy for them to trust you & make the purchase.
Next is to use your content to target your relevant audience. Content alone can tell grab the attention of the audience you are trying to meet. Often social proof is an excellent way to hook your customers onto your website. Confused customers visit the feedback page to get an assurance that your website is safe enough to use & what people are saying about you.
For a general audience, Facebook is the best choice, for small businesses or corporate people, LinkedIn is the smart choice. For Entrepreneurs, it is a mix and match, but because Entrepreneurs start with a limited budget, Instagram is a great choice to jump-start your business without spending a dime on marketing.
While there are small tricks you can use to improve your SEO rating like links and consistently using 
However, let me warn you first. If you are faint-hearted, I request you to abort your dream & go for the 9-5 job instead. Entrepreneurship is not elementary school; this is hard work, long hours, and high pressure, and if you cannot handle all that, don’t go that way.
Commitment is the core of Entrepreneurship. Whatever you want, wholeheartedly commit to it, burn the midnight oil & learn the traits of the trade first. The success you are seeking lies within you. Entrepreneurship is just about having a different diet than ordinary people. Your appetite is calculated risks and absolutely no fear of failure. You will drink more Coffee and less water because you need to stay on the mountain edge most of the time, and for that, you need laser focus.
Generally speaking, Entrepreneurs are the most misunderstood creatures on the planet (well, of course, they rate second after husbands). What sets a mediocre Entrepreneur apart from a successful one is their passion and vision that is unique from everyone else.
As a fellow Entrepreneur whose biggest dream is to create more jobs, and to flourish business around, here I am compiling some tips that make your journey a little bit easier.
