Are Small Businesses Building Mobile Apps?

• August 27, 2015
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Are Small Businesses Building Mobile Apps?

Small business owners and marketers could learn a few things from using the Starbucks app.

“If you are a Starbucks customer and you have their app on your phone, the more you use it the more you intuitively understand how an app might work for you as a business owner,” says Shira Anderson of mobile app company Como.

Mobile vs. Desktop

Those who remain skeptical about the power of mobile apps as part of an integrated marketing campaign should note that 2014 was the first year in which mobile usage surpassed desktop. “Of that, 80 percent of mobile time is spent in an app – not surfing the mobile web, as many would think,” said Krista McLandress of Apps Builder. “Consumers are using mobile apps to research locations to shop, eat, play and relax – and it’s up to businesses to be where their audience is.”

But are small businesses investing their limited marketing dollars in mobile apps?

Before answering, let’s first clarify our terms. Mobile apps are not meant to be merely a smaller version of a company’s website. They create new channels for communication and offer a new level of engagement specifically tailored for the mobile experience.

In its recent 2015 Small Business Digital Marketing Survey, Clutch asked 350 small business owners whether they were using mobile apps for marketing and sales. Of the respondents questioned, 15% had a mobile app and 18% planned to make one in the future.

Why Build Your Own App?

While many small businesses remain hesitant or unconvinced about the need for their own mobile app, those who have done it list the following reasons:

• To improve customer service: 76%
• To increase sales: 37%
• To remain competitive: 35%

These reasons can all be traced to one primary motivation, according to Vasily Malyshev, of Messapps – the desire to increase revenue.

Where Is Mobile Headed Next?

In a possible sign of future mobile trends, Google quietly purchased a company called Agawi in 2014. What’s so special about it? Agawi has developed a process for mobile-app streaming that allows people to use an app without having to download or install it!