Do you have a smartphone? Silly question. Of course, you do. For most Americans, our mobile phone is our lifeline. The vast majority of US consumers – 96% – now own a cell phone of some kind.
In fact, the number of Americans that own smartphones is now 81%, up from just 35% in Pew Research Center’s first survey of smartphone ownership conducted in 2011.
How do use your phone? Ordering carryout or setting up a grocery delivery? Playing games? Checking the weather? Posting on social media? That means you’re accessing mobile apps on your phone. Recent research shows that Americans spend 90% of their time in mobile apps, and only 10% browsing the rest of the internet.
According to research from RescueTime, people generally average three hours and 15 minutes on their phones every day, with the top 20% of smartphone users spending upwards of four and a half hours.
Let’s face it. We are addicted to our smartphones – and to mobile apps.
Here are 8 really good reasons why mobile apps are superior to websites:
Mobile apps are faster than websites
At the end of the day, what users think about their digital experiences is what brings in business and profits. Mobile apps are usually 1.5 times faster than mobile websites. They retrieve data much faster, too. That means users perform actions more quickly and enjoy a seamless mobile experience.
Americans spend 90% of their time in mobile apps, and only 10% browsing the rest of the internet.
It’s more convenient to use a mobile phone
Your mobile phone is always in reach. It’s easier to grab your phone and open up a mobile app, rather than pulling up a website in your computer’s browser. Plus, you may spend most of your time on the go and aren’t even near a computer. Your phone is there for you – all the time.
Mobile apps offer better personalization
Mobile apps allow users to access customized content, such as organizing content by teams or groups, so they only see the information they need. Apps can track user engagement and see who is using the mobile app to the best of its advantage. Apps can also track users in real-time and provide geography-specific content.
Apps can communicate with push notifications
With a mobile app, it’s so easy to communicate by sending instant, non-intrusive notifications to app users. Push notifications can be sent globally to everyone in your app or to specific channels or groups that you set up. Share company-wide announcements. Let your teams know when a new product or service is available. Provide tips and updates to your employees who are working from home. Group chats can be set up to communicate among teams or departments.
Set up your own custom branding in the app
Mobile apps can be customized to your company’s branding guidelines. You can create a seamless, branding experience across your website, social media, and other marketing channels. Apps allow you to include your brand logos, icons, color palette, and additional specifications to make the app your own.
Build your brand presence
A mobile app allows your company to create a new brand presence and keep you top of mind with users. Even if your users aren’t always active on your mobile app, they see your brand’s icon on their mobile phone – like a mini billboard for the brand.
Taking it even further, businesses can build additional mobile app versions for specific purposes, such as a virtual catalog of products and services to share with customers, or creating a virtual conference series to take the place of in-person trade shows.
Increase productivity
Mobile apps can help you expand your audience reach in a short amount of time. One of the biggest benefits of an app is that it increases communications between your employees, customers, prospects, and vendors.
In addition, you can streamline your processes through a mobile app. Your customers want to be able to reach your content and information immediately. They want instant, real-time information – such as pricing, product images and specifications, and access to important content and documents that help them make an informed decision.
When you digitize your sales process, you no longer chase clients or send a paper trail to try and close a transaction. A mobile app can help you present information to clients, get the sale, and have a signed contract – all online and with instantaneous results.
Reduce costs
When you communicate directly with your customers and employees via a mobile app, you can reduce the amount you spend on marketing materials and sales collateral. Everything is available in your app. When changes need to be made to your content and materials, simply delete the current information and load newly updated materials – in real time.
READ MORE: 10 Reasons Email Is An Inefficient Way To Communicate
At CatalystXL, we want to help you quickly and easily share information and foster collaboration across your entire organization. We can deliver a custom branded app that unlocks answers and provides insights via our Cardware platform – sharing categorized content in a powerful flashcard format. In short, flashcards provide bite-sized content for quick learning. An mobile app fosters a community of collaboration, engagement, and connectedness for your employees – both in and out of the office.
Book a demo with CatalystXL here.