While there are several reasons that illustrate why building an app is vital for success in the modern business ecosphere, let us talk about the ones that are most significant.

1. Competitive advantage

Creating an app for your business can help you gain a much-needed leg-up in the industry. Look around and you will find that most of your noteworthy competitors are already serving their customers through a variety of mobile applications. It is important to provide your customers and prospects with a window of access to your business. This puts you on level ground in terms of competing with similar businesses and players in the market.

2. Visibility and exposure

One of the biggest advantages of having a mobile app for your business is the fact that it can help create a strong online presence. With a streamlined strategy for app store optimization (ASO), you can ensure that your business is exposed to a wide and relevant audience base. Creating visibility via mobile apps is the new mantra for businesses of all scales and types.

3. Convenience and accessibility

People spend close to 4 hours a day on their mobile devices (and a large chunk of that time on apps), creating a high-quality app for your business is a no-brainer. An app provides your customers with easy and quick access to your business and its offerings. Moreover, the luxury of accessing information, products, services, etc. on the go provides them with an added bonus.

4. Marketing and promotion

Apps are a great channel that businesses can use to market their brand, promote their products, and advertise their services. While the last decade and a half has been all about advertising via social media, websites, and a variety of scattered online assets, a business app can give you a centralized avenue to market yourself effectively.

5. Enabling the customer journey

Via an app, you can literally chart the entire buying journey a customer follows. Well thought-out mobile apps act as a customer acquisition and retention mechanism that attract, engage, influence, and convert potential customers into buyers.

6. Customer experience

70% of purchases are influenced by the customer’s experience alone, according to SalesForce. Delivering a remarkable shopping experience is key to customer satisfaction and retention. Apps help you do so by allowing a great deal of personalization. By designing a custom experience for every user, you can ensure that your customers feel valued and special. Mobile apps enable businesses to personalize content and customize the entire buying journey, for every unique app user. This enhances the buyer’s experience.

7. Customer loyalty

Gaining someone’s loyalty takes time and effort, especially when you want the person at the other end to spend their money on your products! With hordes of businesses vying for the same target group, it is vital that you offer customers something that they will truly value. Rewards, discount codes, coupons, and special offers are key to building customers’ loyalty towards your brand – and that is exactly what you can do with an app.

8. Cross-selling

An app is a fantastic avenue to encourage your customers to explore other things that your business has to offer. For instance, you can offer your app user extra content, premium features, related products, and subscriptions. Apps allow you to cross-sell your offerings via in-app promotions or purchases. Most leading app marketplaces, like Google Play and the iOS App Store, also allow you to advertise and offer in-app purchases directly on the app store.

9. Brand image

Branding is an indispensable activity in today’s overcrowded market. No matter how much effort you put into it, it always seems less. Gone are the days when having a mobile app would be considered a “differentiator”. Modern-day customers “expect” businesses to have an app. Apart from all the other wonderful benefits that an app offers, maintaining (or improving) your brand’s image, reputation, and recall value are among its most distinct advantages.

10. Revenue

Since apps enable you to significantly cut down shopping time, enhance the buying experience, and offer centralized access to your business offerings, this combination of factors is bound to lead to an improvement in sales. Several businesses have realized the potential that mobile apps have to increase their revenues, and have gained massive returns on their investment. Apart from giving you a platform to sell your products, strategies such as in-app advertising, in-app purchases, premium and paid versions of an app, can help create additional revenue streams for your business.

11. Customer service

An app gives you the opportunity to address customer demands and concerns in real time. One of the best parts about having an app for your business is that you can really elevate the degree of customer service you offer. While exploring and buying items is a priority for your customers, having 24X7 support to address grievances, is an equally important concern for today’s buyers. With an app, you can integrate real-time chat support, a help desk and several other options to increase the efficiency of the customer service aspect of your business.

12. Feedback

Apps allow you to get real-time feedback from users. Your customers may not find what they are looking for, or may have a question related to your offerings, or may want to make suggestions in order to fulfill their wish-list. An app can enable you to acknowledge customer feedback and make changes accordingly (whenever and wherever required).

13. Actionable insights

An app is by far the most convenient and effective way to gather priceless customer data. User information is the one big facet that enables a business to serve its customers better and generate more sales. Modern apps are equipped to collect, organize, and reproduce customer data in the form of demographics, lucrative markets (geographies), customer needs, and preferences. Insights gleaned through app analytics can enable you to make smarter, quicker, and better decisions.

There are many statistics that point to the fact that investing in a solid mobile app for your business is something you definitely cannot ignore. So, what is holding you back? If you are on the lookout for an experienced mobile app development company in the United States, get in touch with us today!

QualDev is the go-to partner, for a wide array of businesses, for their mobile app development needs. With world-class solutions, a team of expert professionals, and an illustrious list of clients across industry segments, we are adept at creating unique mobile apps. Talk to us to Learn more about our app development solutions.

The post What are the specific reasons to develop an app for a business? appeared first on QualDev.

It has become a challenge for every business to make its presence felt on every channel in the world of digital marketing. An app helps you to expand the reach of your business faster, and to reach maximum customers. These days, even small and mid-size businesses are getting mobile apps to reach and communicate with their prospects. Mobile apps have taken marketing to a whole new level. These apps are portable and user-friendly, bringing web-based services to everyone’s fingerprints.

The popularity of mobile apps is attributed to the following:

1. Efficient – Mobile apps make the whole shopping experience very efficient. For example, having features like integrating a shopping cart with a way to order food, has helped many a business establish a digital footprint online. When a restaurant or a café has an online food ordering system integrated into their app, their business is able to grow manifolds. If you have a retail business assimilated with an e-commerce system, it will enhance productivity and give great sales. These mobile apps will augment user engagement.
2. Available All the Time – Smartphones are easily reachable as they are personal gadgets that people always keep close at hand, all the time. They provide an instant channel to reach out to potential customers. Mobile apps usually come pre-installed on phones, and if they are not already there, they are just a tap away. They provide instant solutions as compared to browsing platforms like laptops and desktops. Thus, mobile apps take less time to access.
3. More Sales – A business can increase its sales by giving their customer a reason to visit them repeatedly by making them spend more time on the app. This can be achieved by offering different loyalty programs. You can offer customers some rewards if they move higher to the next level in their buying capacity. You can also delight your users by offering them rewards through competitions, or by offering them discounts, etc. for performing some pre-defined activities. Another exciting feature is to add user a scratch-and-win like option to increase engagement with the app. This will further increase sales.
4. Accessible on User-friendly devices – Web application development service providers develop mobile apps as per the compatibility of the OS used on popular devices so that the app is available to the maximum number of people. This way users can access the apps on a user-friendly device at a reasonable cost. The best part about mobile apps is that they are easily accessible.
5. Loyal Customer Base – Any business must have a very loyal customer base. Building customer loyalty is a priority because customers are the backbone of a business and its growth. Mobile apps help to build a strong loyal clientele because they are very engaging. They are a single point of contact between a business and its clients. You can motivate your clients to refer your business to their friends, to increase your client base.
6. Affordable and Customizable – Smartphones these days are affordable and come with cheap internet packages. Thus, the end-user can easily access mobile apps, as they consume a lower level of internet data. Plus, users feel it is easy to access the app on their phone, rather than opening a company’s website in a browser.
7. Visibility – Smartphone are easy to navigate and use. Most mobile apps loaded on a mobile are clearly visible to the end-user. Mobile app developers aim to provide maximum information and usability as per the user’s device. Any kind of business can offer its services through mobile apps to become visible to potential customers.
8. Cross-Platform Marketing – Mobile apps provide the advantage of functioning on different platforms and gadgets like tablets, smartphones, laptops, etc. They provide an identical user-interface and make use of the adaptable operating systems on these devices to deliver a wholesome experience. This helps business owners promote their products/services to end-users more easily.
9. Ads and Brands – It is very cost-efficient to run ads, using mobile apps. It is a very low-cost online marketing strategy that works great for any business. You can share the address of the landing page of your website via paid ads. Mobile apps play an essential role in promoting the products and services to the targeted audience.

Conclusion

About 15 years ago, websites began to be used to promote products and services, and have since ruled the digital marketing world. However, only large and medium-sized businesses were benefiting from the trend. Now, mobile apps have taken over, allowing smaller organizations a chance to reap great benefits from digital marketing. Even a very small company can use the features and benefits of a mobile app, at a very affordable cost. This industry is thundering and flourishing on a daily basis with more and more experienced app development companies coming in to satiate the ever-growing demand for mobile apps. If you want to rule over your competition, partner with QualDev, a mobile app development company in USA that will take care of all your app-related needs.

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Some of the most popular of these new mobile app development trends are as follows –

Artificial intelligence will revolutionize tech

The latest progressions in the field of Artificial intelligence will change the way we interact with mobile apps. Virtual assistants like Siri, Cortana and Google Assistant will now help us gather information, book an appointment, optimize productivity, or organize schedules. The International Data Corporation predicts that the market for AI will grow to $40 billion by the year 2020.

This clearly indicates the fact that a majority of the sectors are looking forward to integrate their systems with artificial intelligence. The medical and manufacturing sectors have made great strides in increasing the efficiency of their products or services by adding elements of AI to them. Tech giants like Google and Apple are releasing new AR demos on their latest devices. This proves that AR/VR is going to be a game changer in the near future.

These technologies are predicted to be seen on social platforms for branding as well as targeting potential consumers with the help of ‘Beyond The Screens’ AR/VR apps. Social media platforms like Snapchat and Instagram have already released their AR filters that can convert a human face into different funny digital characters.

A few examples of AR & VR trends are –

• Mobile AR disruption
• AR in advertising sector
• AR in manufacturing sector
• AR in healthcare sector

Wearable apps

Presently, most wearable gadgets are usually synchronized to smartphones. A forecast by CCS Insights, reveals that the number of wearable devices will triple, from 84 million units in the year 2015 to 245 million units in the year 2019. According to a report by Business Intelligence, the market of wearable will increase by about 35% in 2019.

Smartwatches will not only enhance personality and style, but will also become a crucial device in many aspects. In 2018, medical facilities made the use of wearable apps popular on a day-to-day basis. They use these apps to collect important details like heart rate and blood glucose levels from their patients. Apart from the medical field, other sectors are also likely to introduce similar features.

The popularity of smartwatches is set to grow to new heights in the market this year. This would result in the introduction of more apps that use impressive features that would work on smartwatches. Companies will integrate their services on smartwatches. Wearable apps will help you keep in touch with other activities without having to look at your phone. In financial terms, the wearable industry will be worth USD33 billion by the end of the year 2019. With so much demand for wearable gadgets like smartwatches, fitness trackers or wearable headsets, the wearable apps industry is set to inflate as well.

Chatbots are on the rise

In the year 2019, authorities on the matter predict that chatbots will take over more aspects of communication in the mobile app world. As it is very important to have human-to-human interaction in various fields, the need to have real time interaction between service providers and consumers will propel the use of chatbots. Chatbots are virtual assistants that substitutes and reduces that need for human-to-human interactions.

The Chatbot market is expected to increase to 1250 million by the year 2025. Nowadays, chatbots are being connected with AR and VR technologies to offer business enterprises a digital weapon that gives them a competitive edge over their competition. They have played a crucial role in increasing customer relationship management to a completely new level.

There is always a tendency for users to abandon mobile apps after a while. Many app will use chatbots to tackle this issue. As there are a number of companies that make a profit through consumer engagement, firms will compete with each other to launch unique chatbot applications.

Security is a top concern

Mobile app security remains one of the top requirements in the year 2019. We have already witnessed the growth of encrypted messages, industries protecting user data, mobile browsers protecting user privacy, Google’s efforts to improve app permissions and other efforts.

These are clear indicators of the need for app security. Improvements in the mobile security domain will take place in the year 2019, especially for apps that make use of payment getaways, privacy protection and data encryption.

Some important questions that cross the users mind while installing Apps on their smartphones include:

• Can the app keep private data secure?
• Is it possible for someone to hack into an individual’s data that is stored in the app?
• How much data does an app need?
• Will these apps drain resources and slow down one’s phone?
• Can an individual’s data be misused?

Mobile app development companies need to address these concerns if they wish to succeed. According to the Gartner report, the debate on security has shifted from being compliant, to adopting the right security measures in the year 2019. Mobile apps that can convince the users that they have taken care of their security can only succeed in this domain.

Increase in on demand apps

One of the most important mobile app trends in the year 2019 is the increase in the number of on demand apps that allow one’s life to be hassle-free and convenient. Starting from food, to healthcare, delivery, beauty and travel – there is always a need for on demand apps everywhere. The growth of on demand apps has largely reduced the gap between service providers and consumers.

This trend will soar in the year 2019, as more apps are introduced from every sector. It is said that 42% of the adult population have used at least one on-demand service. There is no evidence that this on-demand trend is going to fade away anytime soon.

Blockchain technology

Although launched a few years back, blockchain technology created a buzz in the year 2018. When it comes to assets, most financial institutions and investors have reaped huge benefits from this technology. According to Transparency Market Research, blockchain technology is predicted to hit the $20 billion mark by the year 2024. For example, with the use of blockchain technology, it is possible to develop decentralized mobile applications.

A Decentralized Mobile App is basically an application that is not owned by any individual, but is also impossible to shut down and so would not experience any downtime. In simple terms, Blockchain is expected to contribute more to the mobile app industry by enabling mobile apps to be decentralized. This clearly indicates the fact that an increasing number of mobile applications are set to find ways to profit from this technology, by using key methods adopted from the decentralised currency platform.

Some of the future trends of blockchain technology include

• Asset tokenization
• Trading on crypto-currencies exchange
• BAAS (Blockchain-as-a-service)
• Crypto space and gaming

The Internet of Things

The IoT is becoming an important part of our lives. Smart homes, smart devices, smart cities, and smart vehicles, are emerging as solutions that sit at the top of research and technology that aims at making our lives more comfortable and secure at the same time. With the increase in the use of mobile devices, most connected solutions tend to include a mobile app, or go for a mobile-first approach. For example – it is much more convenient to control your home from your smartphone. In this case, having a mobile app that helps you to do so is necessary. The development of IoT mobile apps will be among the top trends in the year 2019.

According to an IoT report from GrowthEnabler, the Global IoT market has been growing at a CAGR of 28.5% since the year 2016 and will reach US$ 457 billion by the year 2020. Real time supply chain, smart healthcare and smart homes are not science fiction anymore. They have become a reality. With the increase in IoT devices and networks, the need for feature rich apps is also bound to increase.

Augmented and Virtual Reality

Augmented and Virtual Reality transforms the user experience in an app to make it much more interactive. From AR apps to social networks or apps for businesses, AR and VR have revolutionized the way apps function. This year will see further advancements in this technology, through app development.

In 2019 Augmented Reality is expected to revolutionize app development trends in different fields like health, engineering, real estate, retail, and others. For example, an Interior Designer can start her own mobile application that asks a potential client only to upload images of videos of the property they need to upgrade. With the help of augmented reality, the app can give the customer a show of the property based on the specifications they mention.

This is a win-win situation for both the designer and the customer. Here, the designer is saved from the pain of convincing the customer about the suitability of their selection. At the same time, the customer can also see whether their choices actually will or will not emerge into what they had wanted.

Virtual reality is another mobile application trend in the year 2019. The term virtual reality has usually been used to describe simulations of scenarios that are difficult as well as expensive to create. Examples of these simulations are recognizable as simulations of outer space for astronauts, simulations of the anatomy of the human body for medical students, and other such examples.

The Application of VR has also spread to businesses as it can help to recreate how a certain product would look to their customers. An example is certain applications that can show how a dress or jewellery like a pair of earrings, or a pair of shoes would look on you before you actually purchase them. As people prefer being online using their mobiles, businesses need to have their own mobile applications integrated with VR technology to provide their customers with these experiences. 2019 marks the year for the introduction of more of these applications.

Mobile payment services

When you talk about mobile commerce, making payments through mobiles cannot be far behind. As people are more comfortable and confident making online payments, mobile application must combine multiple payment gateways. Any successful mobile app will have at least three or four methods of making payment. These would include credit or debit cards, mobile wallets, gift cards, and others.

Many European countries are set to introduce crypto-currencies as a payment method by the year 2020. That means that including crypto-currency as a payment method is something that will materialize in the near future. In terms of mobile app development, in the year 2019 banking platforms will not lag behind. It is expected that the banking sector will introduce more mobile payment options in the year 2019. The rapid growth of digital services and ecommerce will pave the way for banks to develop convenient payment services for mobile apps.

Cloud storage platforms

2019 marks the increase in development of a number of apps for varied services and products. This can possible pose a challenge when it comes to storage space. Cloud storage is expected to curb this menace in this year. The integration of cloud storage platforms for apps will make security measures, as well as the management and storage of data, easier for businesses.

Professionals these days make use of Dropbox, Evernote, Google notes at their work place. These applications are hosted on cloud platform that enable them to obtain their personal as well as professional data anytime from any location. When these apps were launched, there were several issues about their security and privacy. No one can pretend that these issues have been resolved completely. They are however, under much more control nowadays. So, their use has increased manifold. These changes also have an impact on the mobile industry as well.

One of the most popular trends in mobile application development in the year 2019 is cloud integration for mobile apps. This development will ensure that the users across the world, receive a seamless experience. It will be helpful for organizations who are involved in training people as the trainees can make use of training material from anywhere in their own convenience. With more businesses trying to engage people, the integration of cloud solutions with mobile applications is expected to take a jump in 2019.

Cloud computing trends in 2019

• Quantum computing
• Hybrid cloud solutions
• Evolution of cloud services and solutions

The post The Latest Mobile App Development Trends In 2019 appeared first on QualDev.

1. Improves Brand Recognition

Apps are recognizable from the screens of computer devices and mobile phones. This means that a user or even a stranger will be able to identify your icon directly even when they are not thinking about going to your website. As your brand is recognizable, customers will want to order goods or services from you. To improve brand recognitions, you need to have an app that catches the eyes. It should be easy to recognize among other icons on the screen. The app you commission for your business should also use features that relate to your products or services.

2. Improves Visibility

The penetration and uptake of mobiles means that an average person will spend two or more hours on their phone. Apps appear on the screen whenever a person uses their phone. The best mobile app development company will help you make your app visible among other icons on the screen. It means that people will always see your app on their phone for hours each day. This exposure cannot compare to a website, as visitors need to visit the site in order to see the information displayed on it. When your apps icon is displayed, there are higher chances that a customer will order goods or services from you whenever the need arises. You will be constantly marketing what you offer.

3. Provides A Direct Connection

Apps offer a direct connection between the brand and potential customers. Customers do not have to look for your URL or use search engines to find your website. A simple click on your app takes them directly to your website. This is a powerful way to improve customer experience and provide target audiences with access to information about your business. With no intermediaries, you develop an uninterrupted relationship with your clients. This stimulates brand loyalty, a relation that each business desires to build.

4. An App Is Portable

Apps are mobile. This makes them effective tools for promoting brands. They are installed on mobile devices like phones, tablets and other computerized gadgets. These devices are always in the hands of users. This means that they can access your services anytime they want and at any location. The absence of limitations that restrict usage means that clients will always have you in mind. The convenience of mobile use frees potential clients from the burden of needing to go to a cyber cafe or their computer to access your services or get in touch with you. It is as though the client has a direct line to your store regardless of his or her location.

5. A Marketing Channel

The best mobile app development company can turn your app into a marketing platform. Every business will concentrate on investing on technology to build an audience for their business and brand, with an aim to improve profit margins. By developing an app, you have a perfect marketing tool for your products and services. This platform allows you to push all the information you think is important, to your customers. This information could be to inform them of new released products, improvements on old products, new stores locations, or to educate about periodic offers on goods and services, among other elements. Using push notifications in apps provide excellent marketing opportunities for your brand. You can take assistance of expert web designers and developers, to build a powerful marketing platform.

6. Nurtures Brand Loyalty

There is a feeling of personalized service that comes with using apps. After they create accounts on your app, users will find all their information on the app whenever they return to use it. This is one of the most effective ways to build brand loyalty. Further, the app is always there waiting to be tapped. This gives the users all the opportunities to remain with your brand. When customers are loyal to your brand, they will always return with more business.

7. Reduce the Noise

The internet is full of websites that have nothing to do with the services or goods a customer is looking for. Before getting to your website, there are chances of meeting other sellers and buyers who could distract your customer. To reduce this noise that your competitors generate you need to provide a point of direct access to your store. This comes in the form of the app.

8. Allows You To Customize Your Approach

Customers are interested in brands that pay attention to their identity. Apps developed by a competent mobile app development company in USA will offer you a chance to provide your clients with personalized services and attention. An app gives customers an opportunity to choose the theme, a name, images and other visible elements. When the client logs in, he or she is welcomed with familiar elements like his or her image and name. The information found on the app is exclusively his or hers. Notifications are also specific to the client. These customized approaches to the delivery of services are highly valued. They will transform your clients experience and perception towards your brand.

9. Complements Your Website

A website appears like a public place where customers can drop by when looking for information. This is different from an app where customers receive personalized attention. Most of the time this personalized approach is not available on websites. An app helps customers feel more valued. One cannot achieve the same level of services and attention that comes with apps, from a website.

The fact that you have an app is not a guarantee that you will run a profitable business or store. You should begin with a well-designed and developed website before going for an app. Hire the best mobile app development company to ensure that your app is interactive and meets your clients expectations.

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