How often do you shop online? And how often do you use a computer instead of a mobile device to do it? Mobile eCommerce is growing, and it will continue to grow for the next few years.

Mobile app development for small businesses can help you take advantage of this upward trend. But is a mobile app worth it overall?

Read on to learn how apps increase revenue for businesses of all sizes.

1. Build Brand Awareness

One of the best ways mobile apps can help increase business revenue is by building brand awareness. Of course, you can use social media and your website to tell others about your brand.

However, social media can be distracting, and it can be hard for people to focus on your profile and not the competition. While you can use your branding on your website, people may also have other tabs open, and those can be distracting.

But when someone opens your app, they can focus on that app. They can then explore your products or services, and they can learn more about your company. Even if they don’t buy something now, the app will be on their phone, so each may result in a sale later.

2. Extend Customer Experience

You can also use a mobile app to extend the online customer experience. Your most loyal customers probably already follow you on social media, and they may visit your website regularly.

However, you can use an app to create a better experience for loyal and new customers. You can build your app to include different features, such as a forum so that customers can connect with each other.

And even though you can make your website work on mobile devices, it can still be hard to use. When you design an app for mobile devices, it can be much easier for people to navigate on a smaller screen.

3. Get Exclusive

One great way to extend the customer experience and increase revenue is to offer exclusive deals or items as part of your Android or iOS app design. When you first release your app, this can be a great way to encourage people to download it.

You can use your social media and website to promote the special offer and link to your app. Then, you can direct people to the sale or item that you want to promote once they get to the app.

They can buy the product or participate in the sale, and that can make them feel part of a small club. Not everyone has access to the sale, and you can keep offering exclusive deals to keep people on your app.

4. Increase Customer Loyalty

When considering how apps increase revenue, don’t forget about customer loyalty. Many stores and restaurants use an app to house their customer loyalty program. The program can work like an exclusive offer, but it can apply to purchases in-store.

Customers can download your app and create an account to start earning points or rewards. You can set up the app so that customers can scan their receipts, or your employees can scan the app when they check out.

An app can also increase revenue for online businesses. After a customer downloads the app, they can see it whenever they browse their phone. If they decide they need to order something that you sell, they may think of you before your competition.

5. Can Retarget Existing Customers

Mobile app development for small businesses can also help you get more sales and revenue from existing customers. You know that the people who download your app already like your business and buy from you.

It can be easier to retarget the same people than to try and find new customers. After someone buys from you, they know what to expect when they place an order. And they can come back and order again and again.

As long as you provide an excellent user experience for people, they may want to use your app for everything they can. Then, you can really increase business revenue without much extra work.

6. Offer Better Customer Service

Fantastic customer service is crucial to growing your small business. A mobile app is the perfect way to offer customer service, and you can use it with other existing methods.

You can create a messaging system so that customers can contact a customer service representative. Then, the customer and representative can message back and forth more easily than with a desktop chat system.

If you get a lot of the same questions, you can also create a knowledge base and add that to your app. You can then refer customers to the knowledge base so that they can get answers without having to wait.

If someone needs more help, you can direct them to your email or phone line. You can even link to the phone line in your app so that people don’t have to type it out.

7. Ability to Send Notifications

One of the most useful tools you get with a mobile app is push notifications. You can use these notifications to connect with your customers and encourage them to buy from you more. Here are a few ways you can use notifications.

• Send order shipment notifications
• Remind customers of appointments
• Share exclusive deals and when they expire
• Encourage customers to return to an abandoned cart

Push notifications can be useful because people check their phone throughout the day. However, someone may not always check their email. If you want to notify your customers quickly, push notifications are an excellent feature.

Of course, customers can turn their notifications off, but some people may leave them on. Then, you will have quick access to your most loyal customers.

8. Collect Email Addresses

Another connection between mobile apps and revenue increase for your business is with email marketing. You can require people to create an account before they use your app, and you can ask for an email address.

During the signup process, you can ask people if they want to join your email list. If they agree, you can add their email to your marketing platform, and you can send them newsletters and other updates.

While someone may not always check their email, they may also not always use your app. Having access to them in multiple places can increase business revenue and sales.

9. Make It Personal

Once someone creates an account for your app, you can give them a more personal experience than on your website. You can design the app to help people customize their accounts.

They can create a profile and include their name, photo, and other details. Then, you can use that information to help personalize their experience.

If you sell products, you can let people save their favorite items or create wishlists. You can also let people save their cart if they want to come back and add more items later.

A mobile app can also use machine learning to understand someone’s habits. Then, you can create an algorithm that shows people the products they’re most likely to buy. When you do that, you can increase the chances of people buying something.

10. Diversify How You Make Money

Adding a mobile app to your business can also help with increasing small business revenue overall. For one, it can help you make more sales by attracting customers and getting them to come back.

You also don’t have to rely only on your website to sell products or book clients. The right iOS app design may be easier to use than a website, especially on a mobile device. Your customers may find it more easy and enjoyable to shop through your app.

Depending on the app you create, you can also use ads to make money. You can let people download the app for free, but you can show ads on each page or feature of the app.

If people want to get rid of the ads, you can create an in-app purchase to allow that. You can also create in-app purchases so people can unlock certain features of the app, so you can increase your revenue that way.

11. Simplify the Checkout Process

Mobile app development for small businesses can also help when customers are ready to check out. You can connect your app to services like Apple Pay and Google Pay, or you can let people place their order as an in-app purchase.

Another option you can include is access to PayPal or even Venmo. If people can pay with their phone, getting sales can be a lot more straightforward.

All of these options can make it easier for someone to finish their order and pay because they don’t have to get up. If they need to get up and find their wallet or credit card, that can slow things down.

The easier and quicker you can make paying, the easier it will be to increase business revenue. Then, you can grow your business and earn more revenue.

Why Mobile App Development for Small Businesses Matters

Mobile app development for small businesses may seem over-the-top. After all, you probably already have a website and a social media presence.

However, having a mobile app for your business can help increase revenue. It can make shopping more flexible for your customers, and you can use notifications to get people to come back.

Contact an Austin Based Mobile App Developer

Do you want to create a mobile app for your business? Get a quote for our mobile development services.