top of page
Articles Library

Should Your Small Business Have a Mobile App?

Writer's picture: Barb FerrignoBarb Ferrigno

Updated: Mar 3, 2022


Masterful marketing or miserable money hole? In truth, developing your own branded mobile app may be a little of both.


On the plus side, a simple, well-designed app can make it easy for customers to interact with your brand whenever the impulse strikes them. Apps can also help integrated marketers:

Elevate your (real and perceived) marketing sophisticationBoost engagement, loyalty and trustIncrease order frequency and dollar value


Conversely, app development can quickly devolve into a rambling, protracted and expensive proposition, especially if you’re winging it without a clear strategy or plan.

AllBusiness.com, among others, goes all in for small-business mobile apps, touting additional benefits it says help your firm leave rivals wallowing in the digital dust.



Direct Marketing Support

One of the greatest benefits of having a mobile app is the ability to put a trove of truly useful information right at your users’ fingertips, such as: pricing, promotions, account information, newsfeeds, brand stories and more.


“Through push notifications, you’re getting even closer to a direct (marketing) interaction,” the article states, enabling you to “remind customers about your products and services whenever it makes sense.”


One related side note: 52% of people opt-in to receive push notifications when they download an app, plus, segmented push messages have more than double the open rate as push messages blasted to everyone.


Brand Building

Think of your mobile app as a blank billboard sign, AllBusiness suggests, one that you can fashion in any way you want, from stylish and hip to informative or utilitarian–even outrageous or shocking.


Just remember that there are two goals which can’t be compromised under any circumstances: effective branding alignment–apps must clearly integrate your branding elements, personality and voice–and useful simplicity.


Nothing will doom a newly downloaded app to the trash faster than irrelevant, company-centric content or a bloated complex interface.


There’s a lot more to it of course, including how to rank highly in the app stores. Big pharmacy brand Walgreens also did things with its app and integrated marketing that SMBs may find useful.


Bottom line: mobile marketing is here to stay. And even at $5,000 to $10,000 for a simple version, mobile apps may be the way for forward-thinking marketers to go. Though we’re not certain of its real-world utility, we offer kudos to one app-development company for creating this very efficient self-serve app-pricing tool.

72 views0 comments

Comments


If you enjoyed this article, receive free email updates!

Thanks for subscribing!

Join 45,000 subscribers who receive our newsletter with
resources, events and articles

Thanks for subscribing!

Barb Ferrigno, Concept Marketing Group

We are passionate about our marketing. We've seen it all in our 46 years - companies come and go but the businesses that are consistent, steady, and have a goal are the companies that succeed. We work with you to keep you on track, change with new technologies and business strategies, and, most importantly, help you to succeed. It's not always easy, and it's a lot of hard work but the rewards are well worth the effort. 

2024 Concept Marketing Group                                 cmg.barbferrigno@gmail.com                                         www.MarketingSource.com
                                                  

  • Twitter Concept Marketing Group
  • Facebook Concept Marketing Group
  • LinkedIn Concept Marketing Group
bottom of page