Businesses often wonder if they should rely on a web or mobile-based platform to grow their business. The answer depends on a few factors—nature of business and product, nature of customers, customer online browsing behaviour, and company budgets.
As more and more users are getting access to mobile devices and the internet, it is becoming easier for users to stay connected with your business or store through online channels. Therefore, one must explore mobile platforms for their businesses.
If a business is already selling through a website and see a lot of users coming to their website, then they can definitely create an app for mobile device to make it easy for users to access their platform.
Businesses can use a mobile app builder like AppMySite to convert their existing website on WordPress and Woocommerce into a native mobile app.
Why build an app
1. Web platform work inefficiently on mobile devices
Web-based platforms, however good, do not offer an efficient user experience to users on mobile phones. There are dimension and other issues when non-responsive or responsive websites are opened on mobile phones. Apps, on the other hand, are designed specifically to work with mobile devices. They are optimized to show the most valuable features to users.
With an app, users are conveniently able to navigate to different screens to complete tasks that you have planned for your app users. Products and payment options can also be displayed with efficiency in apps, so that users are able to quickly able to choose what they like, to complete transactions. Apps designed and developed for mobile devices are also able to use many features of mobile devices like camera, microphone, contacts and images to function effectively.
2. User preference and behaviour
Businesses, who have a target audience or customer base which heavily uses mobile devices, should consider building an app. This will help them enable their customers to shop or access their products and offering easily. Mobile apps can be accessed by just a tap of an icon; therefore, they will be preferred by customers who purchase with you often.
Businesses who make themselves accessible are more likely to attract new customers and retain existing ones. This shows that businesses are ready to step forward to make shopping and product consumption easy for its users. You can also identify the operating systems—iOS, Android, etc.—used by your users and create apps for the ones that are used by a substantial segment of your audience.
3. Easy purchase and payment
Apps have easy-to-use user interface and search options, which enable users to easily find relevant products. This helps them make quick purchase decisions. With a good cart and product recommendation system in place, you can also encourage your users to enlarge their purchase basket. Use a WooCommerce mobile app builder to create a user-friendly app.
Native mobile apps also provide easy payment options to users. This ensures that customers who add preferred products to carts can easily and successfully complete their orders by making payments through their preferred payment modes. This will reduce the chances of customers abandoning their carts due to unavailability of a preferred payment method. Apps allow users to pay though cards, net banking, mobile wallets, cash, etc.
4. Economical marketing opportunities
Apps offer very cost-effective marketing opportunities to businesses. Through apps, businesses can send push notifications to users. This helps send transactional and promotional messages directly to users’s mobile screens. This feature can be used as many time as required; however, it’s essential to use it aptly and not excessively.
Other ways to market products and other campaigns through an app are to place banners in the apps, create special product categories, and offer discount codes. One can also search-engine-optimize their app download pages to create awareness about their platform and attract new customers. With integrated loyalty and referral programs, apps can also help cost-effectively grow customer base.
If you have an e-commerce website, then you can use AppMySite’s WooCommerce mobile app builder to create an app that is synched with your website in real time.
This helps you save money spent on hiring developers, designers, testers, and publishing of app.
AppMySite team only wants you to select your preferred app plan for iOS, Android or both, and then provide them your existing website’s URL.
Their expert team extracts information from your website to develop an app that works in perfect sync with the website. This helps you manage the content on your app and website from a unified admin panel.
Once you have developed an app, you will need to migrate your existing users to the app. This will not only make the life of your customers easier, but will also have many benefits for your business, as mentioned above.
How to migrate website users to app
Some of your users will naturally migrate to your mobile app, due to the inherent advantages and convenience of using a mobile app, while other will need a little encouragement to explore the valuable opportunities offered by your mobile app.
You benefit by motivating users to use your mobile app instead of your website because mobile apps help retain customers for longer and they encourage users to purchase larger quantities and more often with you.
Here’s how you can help and encourage users to migrate from your website to mobile app:
1. App download button on website
You can place app store download buttons on your website to inform your website visitors that they can access your platform easily through mobile phones. Highlight the benefits of using your mobile apps to motivate them.
2. Search engine optimization of app download page
You can create a landing page for your apps or use app store app download pages and search engine optimize them, so that people searching for products similar to yours are able to find your app.
3. Offer rewards to users who download and use app
You can offer app download and use rewards to your customers to encourage them to use your app instead of your website. Some businesses offer special discounts and products that are available only on apps to attract users.
4. Newsletter announcement on launch of app
You can announce the launch of your business through your emails and newsletters. Use your existing customer database to get initial app downloads and gain visibility in the market. You can also prompt satisfied users to rate your app.
5. Website prompts to download app
You can use website pop-ups and other prompts to get attention of users. Highlight the benefits of your app in such prompts and give them a reason to download the app instantly. Apps help you retain customers.
6. Newsletter announcement on launch of app
You can restrict some features of your online platform to only your app, so that the customers who wish to use them have to download and use your app. You can also provide added benefits to app users.
AppMySite’s mobile app builder helps you create an app that is easy to promote among your users.
