benefits of a mobile App
Can you recall the last time you were holding your smartphone? Of course, you can! It was likely only a few minutes ago. You might even bee holding your smartphone right now to read this article.
An App that is optimized for mobile viewing is one that delivers this information effectively, and more importantly — fast!
Editor’s note: Build a mobile App that loads quickly yourself with Appily App Maker (truly no tech skills needed!)
Traits of mobile App
Here are a few traits we often see in App that have been built with mobile in mind:
Apps are quick to load
Apps have less text
There are fewer moving parts
There are fewer pop-ups
There are fewer text boxes to fill out
Menus are simplified dropdowns
Contact information is strongly featured
Store hours are large and in charge
Calls-to-actionare prominent
Buttons are large and easily targeted
Google and mobile Apps
How does neglecting to have an App affect a business?
Well, Google now organizes it search engine based on mobile version Apps as well. It can also give ranking boosts to Apps that are fast and easy to use.
Most people have chosen mobile
The No. 1 reason to make sure your company’s App looks good and works right on everyone’s mobile devices is simply because so many people have one, including your potential customers.
In 2020, it was estimated that about two thirds of all internet users, which is around 4.4 billion people, accessed a website or App from their mobile device.
You want to make sure your online presence is functional and attractive for the increasing number of people who will be accessing your business through their phones and tablets.
Most of a business's online traffic comes from a mobile device
Let’s face it, desktop computers are no longer flying off store shelves like they used to. Mobile devices now account for more than half of all ecommerce traffic.
At this rate, the next generation of consumers might not ever see a traditional desktop website because they won’t have a machine to access it on! This means that their first introduction to your store will likely be with their mobile device, so it’s critical to make a good impression at this stage.
Mobile users behave differently
Mobile users aren’t using their phones to hunker down for long periods of time to write research papers — they are likely using them for a few seconds at a time while they are waiting in line at the grocery store.
They are using their devices frequently, but at shorter intervals.
Mobile users don’t have time to wait for massive graphics to load quickly, or have the attention spans to click through to the 5th page of your App to find the information they are after. Research shows that 40% of people are willing to abandon an App that takes more than three seconds to load, so mobile Apps are designed with this type of user behaviour in mind.
Mobile users are bigger buyers
The psychology of this next point is still anyone’s guess, but studies show that mobile users buy more than people who primarily use desktop computers. We believe this is because mobile devices give people the power to be informed consumers. They can use their phones to instantly read product reviews and compare brands, which removes second-guessing every purchase.
Mobile consumers also use their phones to research sales, find coupons, and seek out clearance items. Whether they do this via e-newsletters, or just simply walking the aisles of the store, a person with a mobile phone can research their purchase and is more serious about making one. In fact, 81% of consumers go online before heading out to the store.
Mobile users have lots on the go
In other words, people with smartphones are multitaskers who make use of multiple screens. They are able to check Facebook, send a tweet, look up how to get somewhere, and check the weather in under a minute.
To keep them on your App long enough to find what they want before switching screens, your App must be optimized.
Not only will you grab a App visitor’s attention right away, you’ll have also made it easier for them to pick up where they left off on your App before they were interrupted by answering a text message.
Mobile landing pages require different strategies
Although it takes some effort to get it up and running, a mobile App is a valuable thing because it allows you to target messages to suit people who are on the go. For example, on your mobile App, you should only be including the most important information about your company.
Visitors don’t need wordy mission statements, access to all your previous press releases, or a lengthy background about how your business came to be. With this in mind, mobile landing pages offer you the chance to really streamline your message so your customers can hear you in such a crowded arena.
Social media shares are huge on mobile
One of the great things about mobile devices is how easy it is to share interesting pictures, posts and articles with friends. On a mobile device, you’ll notice social media buttons are everywhere. Otherwise, the word SHARE is featured prominently on the top of the article, then at the bottom for good measure.
If a SHARE button is not there, it’s built into the device’s browser, meaning mobile users and their social media accounts are inherently linked. The cleaner your App looks and the easier it is on your visitor’s data plan, the likelier they are to share your page with their followers.
After all, they don’t want to look bad for recommending an overbearing, spammy-looking App.
Mobile advertising is less obtrusive
Beyond the sheer convenience our devices provide us, another reason they are popular for App browsing is because — at this point in time — there is less advertising out there on our mobiles. When you click to view the content, the content is still the prominent object on the page you are viewing.
Help make it easier on your mobile App visitors by providing them with an experience that minimizes display ads. The ads skew your overall message, are slow to load, can eat up a person’s monthly data allowance, and often appear so small on a hand-held device they are no longer valuable.
Having a good mobile App makes you more memorable
In other words, a good mobile App makes your brand stand out in a crowded market, making it more likely that a visitor will take the time to place an order and keep coming back. A good example of this is multimedia Apps like magazines and newspapers. The Apps that provide the better user experience will always come out on top.
It’s the same for stores selling goods or services. If your online store is the easiest one to navigate, your brand shines brighter than the one that reflects a business that has neglected to provide its mobile users a friendly experience.
Next Steps:
It depends on the situation. Depending on the App that’s already in place for a client, the best approach might be to create a dedicated mobile App that allows users to switch between the App and website version as they see fit.
Otherwise, if the client’s App is new enough and developed with a modern framework, you might use responsive design to detect what device it is being used and the App automatically will adapt to suit the screen size.
