Since the advent of the fifth version of Hypertext Markup Language, both business and social life have been rapidly relocating to our smartphones and other mobile devices via corresponding mobile applications. Entrepreneurs now want to do business on the go, and the majority of customers prefer to shop this way too.
But more convenient delivery of your commodities is not the only advantage of these apps. They can also facilitate a more productive and efficient business activity in a variety of ways, which we will highlight in the following sections. More specifically, we will mention the most common types of mobile business apps and describe the most significant ways in which you can use them in your business operations according to the mobile app development company IT-Rating.com.
Varieties of Business Apps
Which of the following four types and aspects of mobile business applications you will most benefit from will depend on the nature of your enterprise. In some cases, you may even want to use all four. Still, you should keep in mind that the main and overall purpose behind all of them is to establish, facilitate and improve a constructive and efficient communication channel between the company and your clientele.
Task Execution
The most obvious need for a mobile application is to use it to perform specific business tasks, and virtually all apps on the market provide task resolution functions and features as part of the basic package these days. Yet, there are also plenty of apps that focus on this aspect exclusively and even stick to one or two particular types of operations.
As such, they are ideally suited for remote workers, but they can also make life easier for regular office employees, who can now perform their immediate work duties from the comfort of their homes. On the other hand, there are apps designed specifically for retail operations, and these are used mainly by consumers for more convenient shopping on their mobile devices.
Loyalty Rewards
There are also some apps that are designed specifically to reward active customers for their loyalty and commitment. Commonly known as loyalty programs, they offer incentives for a high level of active participation on the website, as well as for spending comparatively large amounts of money on the company’s products and services.
Loyalty apps serve as easy yet very powerful tools to boost the company’s sales and promote its image on the market. But they also help to improve the overall customer experience and satisfaction, making your clients feel wanted and appreciated.
Entertainment
Another way to attract your potential customers and retain the existing ones is to keep them occupied with something in between the actual business transactions. Most organisations do that one way or another:
- Company directors arrange corporate parties
- Colleges provide extracurricular activities
- Book markets open coffee shops on their premises
- Online retailers offer opportunities to take part in all sorts of competitions
The principle is the same here. And when it comes to the specific choice of entertainment, you can let your imagination run wild, as long as it is something that will suit the tastes and psychological profiles of your target audience.
Customer Support
The last type of business applications on our list serves to establish convenient and effective communication channels with the customers in the case of trouble or technical difficulties. In fact, professional and responsive mobile customer support is what tells a successful enterprise apart from one that will most likely not last long.
Ideally, it should be available 24 hours a day, seven days a week, as well as be fully integrated with support services through alternative communication channels. An excellent way to achieve this is with a cloud PBX communication system like the one offered by Broadvoice. This app unifies business phones, video conferencing, texting, and collaboration under a single phone number, allowing your team to call and collaborate from anywhere.
Besides offering expert assistance when needed, some apps can also provide convenient means of:
- Notifying your customers of upcoming changes
- Confirming various financial and delivery transactions
- Researching consumer and user behaviour
- Staying open to your clients’ suggestions and complaints
Advantages of Business Apps
The list of potential and actual benefits of business apps is almost endless, so we will only highlight the statistically most widely appreciated ones.
Improving Your Customer Services
Mobile apps will make your services and products more readily available to your potential buyers, and the entire purchase transaction will be made considerably easier too. Furthermore, doing business and shopping on one’s mobile device has become so normal that apps are taken for granted and expected in any case.
Besides the obvious convenience for the consumer, an app will also allow them to personalise their shopping transactions. This feature helps them save a lot of time and increases their chances of being satisfied with a purchase.
Increasing Your Brand Awareness
Business apps also make the process of branding your services or goods a lot easier and more productive. A variety of branding features, such as logos and colours, can be easily included in your application design, making them visually available every time your customer uses his or her smartphone.
Staying in Touch with Your Clientele
As we have mentioned in the previous section, providing a mobile app is an excellent way to stay connected with your customers on a continuous basis in order to:
- Offer them the required support and assistance
- Notify them of upcoming changes as well as new products and services
- Receive their feedback
- Study their shopping preferences and consumer behaviour
- Personalise your commercial transactions
Boosting Customer Satisfaction and Commitment
Business apps will help you keep your clients satisfied and loyal by:
- Enhancing the overall customer experience
- Providing additional entertainment features to use at their convenience and pleasure
- Rewarding them for their commitment with various perks, cashback options and VIP offers
Winning the Competition Race
Most online entrepreneurs provide mobile apps these days, and having one of your own will give you an invaluable opportunity to excel in the diversity and quality of your services. “Make your apps better than theirs” is the way to compete.
Expanding and Improving Your Marketing Strategies
Since business apps provide access to the user information, you will be in a better position to research the customer behaviour of your potential and actual clientele and study their preferences for the sake of more constructive marketing.
In addition, it will help you integrate with social media networks and establish a more effective SMM strategy. All in all, these benefits will enable you to maintain a much better and more productive control over your entire commercial activity.
Final Word
A good mobile business app is a must for any commercial activity nowadays, and your enterprise will benefit from it immensely. The next question is where and how to find a good one for your specific needs, but it will have to be the topic of another article.