While your website may be your main and most robust platform for your online presence, one should not underestimate the app as a potential way to really drive sales to your business and increase and maintain brand awareness at the same time.
An app can be a more condensed and straightforward affair that takes the crux of your website and delivers it in a more bite size version for mobile users. Of course, it does not have to be a watered-down version of your website, it can feature all the same design elements and features if you would like. In fact, if your website is mobile responsive (and we all know that it should be), you may wonder why you necessarily need an app at all. What really sets websites and apps apart are what are known as ‘push notifications’ and these can be the deciding factor as to why you should consider having an app for your business.
If somebody has your app on their mobile device (i.e. their smartphone), a push notification will come up on their device like a text message or e-mail alert and draw their attention to what you would like to say. You can control the message here and send it out simultaneously to those who have your app and have opted to enable these push notifications.
This is a great way to let people instantly know if you are starting a sale or if you have a new product in stock – an instant reach that your website does not possess the ability to do. Like with branded SMS, your message comes straight to their device and is labelled with your app/company name; thus thrusting your brand into their sphere of consciousness.
Depending on the industry, push notifications can be used to deliver any type of instant message:
- E-commerce – inform app users of any sales, promotions or updates to stock levels etc.
- Health & Fitness – let your app users know in an instant if a class is full, cancelled or rescheduled.
- Leisure & Hospitality – convey hotel room availability and last minute deals and special offers.
Like with your company newsletter and if you use remarketing ads online, push notifications are a great way to keep your company and brand visible in your customers’ conscience to make your company come to mind when they need something that you offer. This can go a long way to fostering customer loyalty and repeat spending – aspects that will nurture your business for years to come.
Those who receive your push notification messages may also recognise that you are taking the time to think about and consider them as you go about business activity. In this way, they do not feel left out or annoyed if they miss out on a sale or deal etc. that they may not have known about. A win-win situation for all.
