Your customers are on their mobile devices. They spend nearly five to six hours on their phones. Research shows that a user has an average of 50+ apps installed on their phones and around three hours is spent on exploring the mobile apps on their device. So, are you still okay offering your customer a mobile-responsive website to shop or do you think it is high time to create your own mobile app?
It is time to move away from the myth that a strong web presence is enough to attract customers. Face the fact, you need to convert website to app if you are to boost your online sales and get ahead of your competitors. If you are still looking for reasons, let’s take a look at some of the strong reasons why you need to convert a website to an app.
1. Greater ease of use and fast loading
Want to shop for some good shirts? Tap on any shopping app installed on your mobile device and you are directly taken to the online shopping store. Unlike in websites where you have to open the browser and type in the website URL, accessing products through mobile apps is 1.5 times faster. Now, you don’t have to wait for the website to load the details. Mobile apps store most of the data on the user’s mobile devices so they load instantly when you tap on their icon on your device screen. So, who would want to shop from a website when apps do the same task easier and faster?
2. Push Notifications
These are non-intrusive notifications sent to the user’s mobile devices to promote products and services. The benefit of push notification is it has a five-time higher open rate than email. Though this feature is available on websites, it is proven to be more effective in apps because the mobile device is always within the reach of the user. Create your own mobile app to time the messages and segment users depending on their interests, location, and preferences for better conversion rates.
The push notification reaches the user’s device instantly. You can notify users of important information such as offers, product launches, or send them reminders of products added to the cart. For instance, it is nearing lunchtime and the user receives a message from a food-delivery app “Buy 1 burger, get another for $1 only”. There is a high probability of the user clicking on this and proceeding with the order. The basic purpose of push notification is to encourage users to click on the notification and use the app to register sales.
3. Device functionality integration
The benefit to convert website to app lies in its ability to access the user’s mobile device capabilities. By installing the app on your device, you allow it to use your stored contacts, photo gallery, camera, and GPS to offer you better services.
For example, apps use GPS to track your location automatically, when needed, to recommend products and services that match your geographic area. Face and fingerprint recognition can help in a fast credential authorization. Similarly, users can directly upload photos from their gallery to resolve customer-service issues.
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4. Better personalization
With mobile apps, you can offer tailored experiences to users based on their interests, location, and usage behavior. Apps let users set preferences during onboarding which then helps to serve users with custom filtered content. With the collected user data, apps offer recommendations and updates to users. It can also send location-based content to users in real-time. This has a great impact on generating leads and with personalized content, they have a higher rate of converting as opposed to general content.
5. Accessible offline
One of the significant benefits of converting a website to an app is its option to work offline. Not all of the app functionalities can be accessed offline. But still, many brands are offering offline functionality wherever possible to enhance the experience of their users. Though it may seem insignificant to you, there are instances when mobile apps help you with their offline functionality. Many retail, gaming, entertainment, and finance apps offer offline access to their end-users to enhance seamless user experiences.
For example, Kinder, Netflix, and YouTube allow you to download some files for you to access them when you are offline. Some payment apps allow you to fill the transaction details offline or when there is poor connectivity. The transaction is completed when the connection is re-established. Even in e-commerce apps, you can move the products to the cart when offline and complete the payment and delivery schedule once you regain back the network connectivity.
6. Higher engagement and interacton
With an app, sharing information and updates is easier than a website. There are many ways through which you can offer a higher user experience to customers. It offers an enhanced two-way interaction and with just a few clicks, users can access information swiftly.
The push notification is better than email marketing as users can receive instant updates on promotions, product launches, and offers. Also with attractive coupons, deals, and referrals, apps give businesses the chance to increase brand loyalty within the user base. Social media integration is a must nowadays as it helps apps in spreading the word about the brand and getting new customers. A customer will rarely make repeated visits to the website. Instead, if your app is already on the user’s device, it is a constant presence on the screen and you can expect them to open the app on a regular basis. Create your own mobile app for enhanced customer engagement and better rates of customer acquisition and retention.
7. Serves definite purpose
With a mobile app, you get around a 160% higher conversion rate than mobile-responsive websites. Apps are downloaded by a diverse set of users but for specific purposes. They may download the app because they are hunting for bargains on their favorite products. Some may download the app as they need a product or service. A user downloads the app when they are sure it serves their purpose. Hence, apps give businesses a better chance to turn these users into potential customers. Also, there are various means to get the customers back to use the app once they have downloaded it. Convert website to app to make it easier to target bargain hunters, need-based users, and returning customers.
Let’s wrap it up
Make no mistake. It is the age when you have an app for everything. From travel, health, shopping, games, leisure, to lifestyle, you can access everything at your fingertips. Businesses can no longer afford to stay away and be satisfied with a responsive website. It is time to take the plunge and convert website to app that is interactive and engaging.But if you are worried about the technicalities and costs, try Swipecart. It is easy on your pocket and doesn’t require you to have any knowledge of coding. You can transform any of your websites on platforms such as Shopify, Wix, WooCommerce, Magento, or Opencart into a beautiful mobile app for iOS and Android mobile devices. Now, create your own mobile app easily, fast, and at a rate that fits your budget with Swipecart. Call us for assistance, and we will be glad to help.