Step out of your role as a marketer and think as a consumer; how many apps do you install in a month? If you have the answer to that, you’ve probably figured out where we’re going with this. Apps are a rage these days. Even the best web design company in Mumbai will tell you to opt for an app in order to take your business forward. When you fall short on instincts, you just want to surf along the wave and create an app. But do you know why you need it? We’ll tell you:
- Your business has considerable brand recognition
If that is the case, your app needs to serve the purpose of rewarding customers for purchasing the company’s product. The second thing your app needs to take care of is the fact that it should not be a mobile version of the website. There lies no point in replicating your website in the app. If one wants to learn about your brand, they will go to their website and not download your app. One will first want to learn about your brand than just have your app installed.
- Your brand’s product or service will be the app
Brands like Snapchat only and effectively work with the help of an app. If your business runs on something like that, an app works just right for you. If your brand makes perfect use of all the features of a mobile phone, an app is the best thing. Snapchat is the finest example of app-centered companies being successful. Have you ever seen their website?
Now allow us to elaborate on why an app is not always the correct decision…
It is a common practice to admire the success of apps like Snapchat and Uber and get carried away. They fail to understand why it works for those brands and not for them. According to researchers, most smartphone users only use 6 to 10 apps per week. The only app themes that people regularly use are big brands and essential functionality ones. Only if your brand has the potential to be among those 6 to 10 apps should you go for an app yourself; otherwise, a responsive website should be the ideal pick.
People Do Not Download Apps
It is a lesser known fact, but most smartphone users download zero apps per month. Shocking? It is true. For new apps to top the charts, they will have to discover new needs or find a need gap in the market. Quartz states that only about one-third of smartphone users download apps in an average month. So, even if your app gets downloaded, how often do you expect for people to use it? That is the second major problem you are going to face.
On an average, an iOS app gets a 3.2% retention rate after being downloaded 30 days later. That means, only those 3.2% of the people who have downloaded your app have it on their phones after 30 days. Do you like that? We don’t.
What you should ideally choose
A responsive web design is the right solution. Your web design company in Mumbai has probably heard you saying, “I need an app so that my consumers can find my website and buy my products from their phones.” In short, a responsive website.
Do you look for answers on an app or on browsers?
On browsers, right? These browsers eventually lead you to websites. It may be evident to the best web design company in Mumbai, but not the general public. So, limiting your brand’s availability to just an app could have disastrous results. A responsive website provides the same level of user experience as an app does on all devices and gets all its contents indexed better. Imagine skipping this feature altogether. You will be sacrificing all crucial tools that help ensure a company gets found online.
In conclusion, you do not need an app for professional growth. They work well for those brands whose core functionalities revolve around them, but not for the rest. Consumers have proved to be very skeptical when it comes to downloading and using something on their phones. So, a responsive web design is your key solution for high-quality user experience across all devices.