More and more companies are moving towards building mobile apps, but are they needed? It largely depends on the size of your business and what you offer. However, we’re going to look into it.
Do you need a mobile app to grow your business? Or, will you be able to succeed without one? Not all businesses have mobile apps, because it isn’t an essential requirement. However, those that do – are they improving their business? It can be argued that mobile apps make businesses more accessible, but this isn’t always the case. There are many for and against, let’s break them down.
Accessibility
Having an app can make your brand more accessible. People are able to download it and use it alongside their screen requirements. Having it work alongside the layout of their screen, means those who have visibility issues might find the app easier to use. There’s no need to search for the relevant website each time. Users can head straight to the relevant section of their phone and find the app they need.
Also, with the majority of websites you need to sign up. There’s a username and password requirement. When signing in on an app you can often stay signed in. However, if you’re using the web version, you’ll likely be logged out after each session which can be irritating. With e-commerce brands, you’re usually able to save items to your favourites and check back in with them at a later point. Not having to log in or out through an app makes this easy.
New updates mean apps aren’t always needed
However, on the other side of it, the majority of phone models these days allow the account holder to save passwords and usernames for each website. When heading to log in, typically your phone will then pop up with the correct information and auto-fill it. This saves time and hassle in the same way having an app would. You’re able to manage the passwords your phone holds too, so you can remove access at any point.
Not all apps run on all phones either. You’ll find some apps are made for iOS but not Android and vice versa. Likewise, even when apps are available on both platforms, they aren’t always designed with both in mind. Meaning, sometimes you’ll find a poor quality app. It could lag or be bugged in some way which doesn’t make for an overall great user experience. If a website is designed to be mobile friendly, then it will suit everyone.
Also, you have to take into account the amount of space an app can take up. Not everyone has the available space to download every app. The more that’s added to the app, the larger the file grows. Phones often only have a limited amount of storage space and not everyone wants to or can pay for more space. This limits what apps they can have. So, they’re likely to prioritise social apps instead of those that belong to brands.
Brand establishment
Does your brand look more successful having an app? Will it help you stand out from your competitors? You could argue that having a mobile app means your business is legitimate. After all, if someone has just started up a company they’re unlikely to have an app secured. Whereas, if a brand spends the money on creating an easy-to-use app, it could be argued they’re more reliable.
Why? Because they have obviously been making enough of a profit to then afford the creation of their app. It’s unusual for a start-up to have their own app, so sometimes it leads to people thinking any company who has their own app must be reliable. If someone is viewing your brand name every time they look through their phone, it’s going to stick. Therefore, having an app could lead to your brand becoming a household name.
Nail your marketing
On the other hand, you could argue that if your brand nails the marketing side of things, you don’t need an app. Many companies have become household names without having an app. It really depends on your target audience and your niche. After all, your audience might not predominantly use mobile apps. You can still grow your name across social platforms. Or, even word of mouth.
Apps aren’t going to secure your brand if the work isn’t there. If someone downloads your app and finds it’s bugged or lags, they won’t be interested. In fact, it’s likely that it will put them off using your company all together because you’ve overcomplicated the process and made it not an enjoyable experience. Only create an app if your brand is already established would be our advice. Otherwise, you could be setting yourself up to fail.
Our opinion
Do we think your brand needs a mobile app? The short answer is no. We ourselves don’t have an app, and while it could be beneficial, we would rather use our efforts to ensure our users have the best online experience they can. Therefore, for us at this stage there is no need to have an app. We have ensured our website is accessible from a mobile device, as is our blog. Therefore, we do not see a need right now for an app.
As your business grows, perhaps you’d like to look into branching out and creating an app. This could do your business wonders. Our opinion is, e-commerce platforms are far more likely to benefit from having an app than others. If you are in the selling business and people can purchase physical products, then an app might be great. With items such as clothes, or shoes, having an app can help because you can see photos in high quality, save your favourite products and store your details for next time.
