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As the digital landscape advances at a high pace, the way businesses function is entirely different from what it used to be a couple of years ago. Companies need to take into consideration the digital transformation that their business is going through and act in a way that helps this transition, rather than diminishing it.
Mobile applications provide retailers have become the primary method of communication with their customers. As with more than 3.5 billion smartphone users globally, it is only understandable that companies want technology to increase business potential with well-made mobile apps.
Despite the multiple benefits that a mobile application has to offer to e-commerce businesses, there are still companies out there that believe that a mobile app is more of an additional feature, rather than a necessity.
Another commonly encountered problem with businesses while developing mobile apps is that they tend to forego the significance of frequent maintenance (updates). Once they’ve created and launched their mobile app, these businesses make no effort to update or improve their application, which could prove extremely dangerous for their business in the long run.
Fortunately, in an attempt to help our readers come to terms with the significance of developing, as well as updating a mobile application, we’ve compiled an article that delves deep into everything that there is to know about mobile apps, starting with why you might need one.
Why Do Businesses Need Mobile Applications?
If you’ve read our article up till this point, and are still unconvinced about the significance of mobile apps, we’ve still got a few solid reasons up our sleeves that may convert you.
More and more people use their mobile phones for online shopping, and Nathan Finch from Aussie Hosting advises the owners of e-commerce stores to invest in an e-commerce platform that is mobile friendly. This way your customers can easily access your store wherever they are which could significantly increase your sales.
Recent data coming out of Australia’s Digital Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) group support Finch’s claim; e-commerce market share, as a percentage of total retail, continues to grow rapidly down under.
Some of the most valid reasons as to why businesses, particularly e-retailers, need a mobile app, consist of the following:
- Mobile apps are an excellent marketing tool. It is crucial for companies today to market themselves as much as they can on mobile. By investing in the development of a mobile app, companies can ensure that their products and services reach their customers at the right place and time. By utilizing the mobile application, users can get details about the company and information on the latest promotional offers and news.
- Businesses can offer better customer service through mobile apps. One of the most significant benefits of creating a mobile app is that it offers consumers a direct link to support.
This provides the e-retailer with the golden opportunity to better enforce their customer service and is one of the reasons why investing apps like Robinhood have become so popular with millennials in recent years. It also gives users access to information about your business by providing fast and simple ways to get in touch with your business.
- Having a mobile app gives your business a competitive edge. Since today’s e-commerce landscape features multiple retailers offering the same product, or service that you do, designing a mobile application might be the very thing that separates you from the rest of the competitive herd. Furthermore, if you run a small business, offering your consumers the luxury of a mobile application is to improve your company’s reputation relative to the competition.
- Businesses can expect better customer loyalty. By making an investment in the development and maintenance of a mobile application, companies can enjoy the support of a loyal and efficient customer base. Through the multiple perks that businesses will be able to offer consumers through the mobile application, such as the better and effective distribution of rewards and frequent updates about promotional offers.- businesses will be able to leverage their mobile apps to enforce customer loyalty. Having a mobile application significantly aids small companies by enabling them to connect with a loyal clientele.
Why Should Businesses Update Their Mobile Applications?
If you’ve gotten through the tedious process of mobile development, once you’ve launched the application, you might be tempted to leave the mobile app. Not only can the mistake of ‘leaving the app as it is’ cost you thousands of dollars, but it could also potentially put you out of business- which is why frequently updating your mobile app is critical for a business’s survival.
Some of the most crucial reasons backing up the significance of updating your mobile app, consist of the following:
1 Removing Bugs
Perhaps the greatest hindrance in consumers enjoying a seamless mobile app experience is the existence of bugs. If you’ve got bugs present within your mobile application, not only will consumers stop using your app, but they will also avoid buying from you in the future.
To guarantee that your consumers are being offered the best possible experience through your mobile application, we’d suggest that you undergo a strict testing cycle. Only by daily testing, businesses ensure that their mobile application is free from any bugs, along with remedying any flaws caught immediately.
Contrary to popular belief, testing the mobile app once before its launch will not detect all the security vulnerabilities and bugs present within the app. Additionally, there is no telling that there won’t be any bugs that arise once you’ve launched the application, which is why it is so significant that you update the app frequently and test for any bugs and security vulnerabilities continually.
2 Combatting Security Issues
Operating a business in the ever-evolving threat landscape is severe enough, but it takes a turn for the worse when we account for the threats and vulnerabilities targeting mobile applications specifically.
Since customers will be entering their financial information, and other confidential data on to your application, there’s a high risk that hackers and other malicious entities might gain access to this data, and exploit it for their own benefit.
Businesses should ensure that their consumers’ data is being protected. The e-retailers must exercise innovative technology solutions to ensure that their users’ private information remains private. Furthermore, a lack of security within your mobile app will drive customers away since they’ll be wary of entering their data.
The easiest way to uphold cybersecurity within your application is through regular updates. By utilizing tracking tools and top tier security solutions, businesses can ensure that their organization is safe from the perils of a data breach.
3 Leveraging the Latest Technology
Since your business’s mobile application will work in tandem with popular mobile operating systems such as Android and Apple, companies need to stay on top of updates within these OS to ensure that their mobile app’s useability isn’t affected by it. In a worst-case scenario, businesses can see their mobile app crashing, because they hadn’t thought about the necessary adjustments needed on their app to work with the updates on either Apple or Android.
With that being said, recently, Apple and Google have also taken it upon themselves to force app owners to update their mobile apps accordingly to the latest technology, or else they won’t be able to list their applications on the App or PlayStore. Fortunately, if you’ve been regularly updating your mobile app, your application is already compatible with the latest technology- which implies that you won’t have to worry about your app being taken off the App or PlayStore.
4 Updating the Interface of Your App to Engage Users
When it comes to maintaining relevance in the e-commerce landscape, updating your mobile app’s UI and UX design is a crucial way to keep your consumers engaged. Along with improving elements that help foster a better usability experience amongst users, updating the UI and UX can also help businesses solve user complaints.
It is also worth mentioning that completely altering your UX design all in one go is not recommended. Instead, businesses should opt for small and gradual changes that focus on elevating the user experience.
5 Better Marketing to Re-engage Users
Once you’ve updated your business’s mobile application, chances are you’ll see a spike in your app store ranking- which gives you a perfect opportunity to re-engage old customers through new marketing tactics.
Not only will frequent updates assure users about your business’s commitment, but it will also serve as an attesting to customers that you’re in the industry for the long run. Moreover, by updating your application, you’ve got an excellent excuse to send out push notifications, which is almost sure to draw in both old and new customers.
Final Words
At the end of the article, we hope that we’ve cleared the air of any mobile app related doubts that our readers might have been harboring. As soon as you launch your business’s mobile app, you should start working on your next update- so that you’re always ahead of the game!
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