Today, if you think of a store or even a restaurant you frequently visit, it’s likely they have an app to help you book or glance through the options. If you’ve used their mobile app ever, you know how easier and seamless it is to get what you need in a jiffy.
For beginners, seamless navigation and ease of payment with plenty of options are really eye-catching. Retail apps have made it easier for consumers to convert repeatedly, thereby turning even infrequent consumers into brand loyalists.
It is obviously clear that apps are the loyalty card of 21st century – mobile apps are cost saving and revenue driving forces for leading retail brands worldwide.
Millions and millions of retail business apps have been introduced in recent times to make it convenient for customers to purchase what they need.
For retail businesses, mobile application development offers several unique opportunities to reach out to customers, promote and market their products, and sell. Retailers have finally woken up to the innumerable benefits that mobile apps can offer to their business in this modern technology-oriented era.
So, if you are still wondering why your retail business should have an app, we have summed up 10 good reasons to do so.
1. Apps are mobile and handy, easier to reach
It is a fact that apps provide much faster and reliable experience to users than websites. Here are a few points to justify the same:
A. Compared to latest mobile websites, apps are undoubtedly more responsive, having fewer connectivity glitches and issues.
B. Mobile apps are the new age communication tool, which offers customers a new, more convenient, and personalized experience.
C. A logo right at the centre or the front of a mobile device increases opportunities for success and growth. In today’s time, everyone has a smartphone with internet connectivity and plenty of apps loaded in their phones. Considering that a sizeable chunk of customers are likely to interact with their retailers through their phones.
D. In addition, native apps enable retailers to send promotional content and push messages instantly. Push messages are really effective for marketing your brand across apps and internet.
Because push messages have open rates higher than emails or other methods of marketing, they are timely and direct – it reaches customers regardless of where they are.
When combined with location-based GPS technology, your business can reach customers anytime, anywhere. It would enhance your business opportunities.
Apps are perfect tools to incorporate features like Bluetooth, GPS, address book, camera and much move.
2. Caters to a global audience
With the growing popularity of mobile apps and the increasing number of tablets and smartphone users, more and more users want to shop across multiple channels.
Since mobile devices are easily accessible, it serves the purpose of a bridge between digital stores and conventional stores to give end users a seamless retail option engaging shoppers at remote locations, in store and even on the move.
The concept of cross-channel networking is really essential to survive in the market. It is widely accepted and the most convenient way of shopping online.
Today, brands are selling through various well-networked channels, which is also beneficial for customers. As consumers are adopting new technologies and convenient methods of shopping as well as payment platforms, retailers should also adapt the same technology to deliver quality products and services.
3. Achieve your sales target
Juniper research reveals that the m-commerce market, which was £93 billion in 2013, is likely to reach £2 trillion in 2017. As such, most retailers are going to experience continued success depending on how much they can predict, accept and cater to the ever-changing consumer behavior. Mobile applications are undoubtedly the fastest growing ecommerce segments today.
According to Internet Retailer Mobile reports, ASOS app gathered 44% revenue in 2015 alone, which was a massive growth. There’s no second thoughts about the fact that mobile is the future and apps are a great investment for retailers.
4. Cater to consumer demands and needs
Mobile apps are in demand for every sphere of business. In fact, it is the most preferred way to interact with brands. For customers, this is the most convenient, fast and really easy way to buy anything on the move with a steady internet connection.
5. For increased revenue
With mobile apps, conversion rate can be really high and average value of transaction is also on the higher side. In addition, tablet apps have also shown remarkable growth in conversion rate and profitability across the globe.
Whilst apps may not be able to achieve the same amount of revenue as desktop websites, but it opens up an avenue for window shopping function. Everybody loves window shopping. So, when consumers come across an app that displays a lot of goodies on the move, there’s always a high chance of sales conversions.
6. For increased consumer loyalty
An app increases the frequency of contact with customers. It is a great way of staying in touch and letting your customers to sign up for all the deals you have to offer. Also, push messages can be a powerful tool to help you connect and interact with your customers personally and directly.
In fact, study reveals that promotional push messaging is more responsive than emails. Because push messages always appear right on the lockscreen of smartphones and tablets, the recipient has to either tap to open it or dismiss it – customers are inquisitive and they would always prefer to open it and see what’s inside.
You can use various promotional tools and strategies, and discount offers to engage your users, such as:
– recommend styles
– present product listings
– post how-to videos
– provide exclusive offers – and your customers would keep coming back to your app.
7. Personalized shopping experience
Mobile apps are meant to allow retailers the unparalleled opening with their users and provide a new mode of communication between the consumer and the brand. With latest developments in mobile technology, customers can be engaged by push messaging, widgets and in-app messaging techniques.
Interactive notifications can be used to send personalized and relevant communications to customers. A combination of all these in-app rich messaging techniques have become powerful and proven solution to improve conversion, engage customers and generate profitable revenue.
8. For better experience in-stores
Having a store and an app has dual benefits:
- Firstly, customers can physically visit your store and check out new range of products.
- Secondly, if they don’t find a chosen product in store, they may find it online.
Likewise, a customer might have selected a product in the app, but he would like to see it personally before purchasing. With geolocation-specification, it is really useful for retailers to offer such choices to customers. It increases possibilities and promotes growth.
9. Ease of payment
With apps, payment becomes incredibly easier using your tablet or smartphone. Retailers should take optimum advantage of the camera of their smartphones for credit card scanning, saved customer details and address book.
Today, there are Touch ID facilities from Apple for iPhone users too. This is certainly an indispensable plan for retail expansion. Self-checkout apps are great ways to allow retailers to fulfill functions of physical checkouts at reduced costs.
10. For increased efficiency
It is very important to have pertinent information as well as rewards related to shoppers in one place, which is digital. Mobile orders and pay have increased line efficiency significantly, thus reducing wait time and long queues.
With apps, you can grant your shoppers the ability of ordering via the mobile app, which reduces pressure of resources needed in brick-and-mortar stores. Finally, with mobile apps, customers can get digital receipts, which cuts down retail paper expenses and waste.
Conclusion
Mobile is now the present and future of communication and the most convenient medium for shopping. But, when brick-and-mortar stores combined with digital world coexist, it enhances customer experience and satisfaction, which leads to better returns. Mobile apps can enhance in-store experience of customers by giving them a more personalized environment for shopping with efficient means of interaction.
This post was written by Mehul Rajput. Mehul is a CEO of Mindinventory, a leading mobile app development company. He does blogging as hobby and love to write on mobile technologies, Startups, Entrepreneurship and mobile applications.