Mobile apps continue to expand, and companies are realizing the value they have in engaging customers. According to study conducted jointly by Forbes Insight and Adobe, businesses use apps in a number of different ways.
According to the research, almost 85% of those responding said that main purpose of their mobile app campaign was to communicate directly with their customers. That was closely followed by customer service and support (almost 80%); providing information about products (74%); and then transactions and brand engagement at close to 70%.
Because mobile apps allow consumers to research the products and services offered by a company, they are a vital component of the purchasing process as well as helping to maintain contact with the customer after transactions and build brand loyalty. This was acknowledged by almost a third of those who participated in the survey, saying that customer retention, and subsequently loyalty, was a key reason to develop and deploy mobile apps.
When it came to realizing a significant return on investment for mobile apps, more than half of the participants indicated that the greatest challenge was in designing a user-friendly product that could compete for the customer’s attention and could support multiple operating systems or devices. The cost of developing an app did not factor into decisions to employ one.
While mobile apps can have either a broad or a narrow purpose, there is no denying they have evolved as important tools that can help businesses deliver timely and engaging information, help build a brand, and facilitate managing a range of customer relations’ services.
Reference:
eMarketer. “Mobile Apps Help Lure Customers, Spur Loyalty,” January 15, 2014.
