According to global research conducted by Accenture Mobility in 2015, most senior executives in all key industries found applications to be critical to their business, especially in light of the digital ecosphere that many corporations are building around expertise. and customer commitment.
Of course, today, applications technology is commonly integrated into the entire customer experience, from major product innovators like Tesla to day-to-day service providers like utilities. For many of us, application technology has been a part of our daily lives for the past ten years. More importantly, applications are often the way many customers prefer to interact today.
The cost of application development
Because it is so widespread, it is typical to make the mistake of thinking that application technology is easy, which is pure fantasy, at least for business applications that are making a difference in customer experience and engagement.
For example, the real cost of an application lies in the custom engineering required to make it do all those wonderful things that appear in real time on our screens. Many potential app buyers are surprised to learn that the average cost of a mobile app is $ 270,000, according to a recent survey, and development can take anywhere from seven months to over a year.
But I have good news for SMEs. If you’re determined to deliver a better customer experience, don’t let the high cost of typical app development fool you! If you are a small business, many useful applications can be developed for less than $ 50,000.
5 application development apps for SMEs
Here are some important points for your business to consider before writing off mobile application technology as a loss of capital. According to Mehul Rajput, CEO of Mindinventory, these are the top 5 mobile apps that SMBs can use internally and externally to improve customer and employee experience, convenience, loyalty, profitability and productivity. Let’s see if you identify with any of them.
1. Customer engagement (it’s about instant access to what’s important)
Mobile apps allow customers (and employees) to access necessary and often secure information at their fingertips, when and where they want it. As a result of reaching your customer anytime, anywhere, and on their terms, you generate goodwill directly from the experience. This type of positive experience with your brand often leads to peer-to-peer recommendations and possibly a positive review. Since peer review and recommendation is the number one source for gaining a loyal customer across all demographics, this could be a more significant benefit than you ever imagined. Above all, the interaction with the application does not have to be flashy to be valued. Even the most mundane tasks, such as account management or remote multi-asset management, can be hugely successful with clients.
2. Promotion of products, services and discounts
Using a specific mobile application for your business, you can provide customers with accurate information about products or services, discount offers, etc., or attract them with personalized promotions that increase relevance. If you are a retailer, an application installed on a smartphone also opens the door to another possibility. It makes it possible to take advantage of in-store beacons that can trigger on-site special offers, announce events or contests, or perhaps most importantly, provide more personalization to purchases or the visitor experience.
3. Facilitate sales
You can also promote business sales by integrating a mobile shopping cart. If you already sell your products and services online, a mobile app is likely your next best step in increasing sales, especially since it gives your customers the flexibility and convenience to do things that they would have otherwise done sitting at their desks. This certainly benefits retail, but B2B buyers also have similar needs when they are away from the office, at a remote workplace, or anywhere else.
4. Customer service
Mobile apps provide customers with a simple yet efficient way to get in touch with your business, as you can include detailed information about your business, products and services, hours, and direct contact via text, phone, or email. What’s more, solicit feedback and suggestions from your customers simply by inserting polls and surveys.
5. Improved customer experience
Businesses can make the best use of apps like never before by customizing features like messaging, photo sharing, loyalty programs, and push notifications that connect us to the things we want or need to know.
Of course, there are many factors that can disrupt a successful business, even a well-established one with famous business models. However, most are not as relevant to small businesses. However, small businesses are not immune from disruption.
We consider a superior disruptive technology that is the most important for SMEs to consider now and in the near future. Mobile apps can be an important business tool for all kinds of reasons, and you may have an idea even now that it can differentiate your business. If so, share it with a trusted app developer who can give you a rough estimate to turn your idea into reality. Then you can weigh its benefits against the projected cost to see if it is worth pursuing.
The big guys like Amazon can’t easily disrupt your business if your business is local and offers more than a shippable product. And when you combine your local business with the ubiquity of an app and all the convenience it brings to customers, your business can provide the best customer service like the greats.
Maybe it’s time to brainstorm with a developer? A unique app for your brand could be the edge you need to match the competition and boost your business.