Consumers spend a great deal of their time on mobile apps. Many prefer the use of mobile apps for interactions with businesses as opposed to visiting websites on a desktop or laptop. But is your business ready to build one?

It’s actually much faster and easier to create a mobile app than you might think. And with a market poised for the creation of mobile apps, it’s a logical step. However, it’s an expensive investment that might not pay off if your business isn’t ready.

You want to be sure it’s the right step before making the investment. If you’re considering a mobile app for your company, watch for these tell-tale signs that you need an app.

You’re constantly fixing mobile website problems

For many companies, a mobile website is more than enough for their customers. Their online interactions are simple, and their responsive design is good, so there’s no reason to add a mobile app. However, other companies experience so many problems with their current mobile website that an app is the only logical solution.

Evaluate the tech requests you’ve made in the last few months. If you notice a clear pattern of user problems that require constant attention, it may be time to look for a better platform.

A mobile app can better handle many specific requests from your customers. They’ll be pleased to discover that you’re redirecting their requests to your mobile app for better user experience.

Your mobile website is limited

In addition to constantly making repairs, you might find that there are certain limitations to your mobile website. There’s a lot you can do with a mobile app that you can’t with a website, including push notifications, opt-in features, insights, marketing popups, location-based recommendations, and more.

If you’re trying to establish a loyal following of mobile users, give them what they want. Make a list of all the additional possibilities you can add to the mobile experience through an app. This will help you determine if it’s worth the expense.

Your customers need offline access to your website

Depending on the business type, your customers may need access to your site without the internet. For example, if your target audience is a group of traveling business professionals, they may need to access your content when on a plane or traveling through tunnels with little reception.

Additionally, many users avoid apps that burn data when they’re not connected to Wi-Fi. They don’t want to run out before the end of the month, so they’re more willing to use mobile apps that don’t require a connection.

You might consider providing an app with offline access if your content includes things like blogs, podcasts, videos, note-taking, maps, and more. It’s useful to have at least a few features that don’t require an online connection.

Your brand needs greater visibility

When trying to establish brand visibility, there’s no better place to do so than on a mobile device. With the average American consumer staring at their cell phone screens for more than two hours a day, it’s clear this is the platform you need to be on if you want to garner more attention for your business.

Additionally, the average consumer between the ages of 18 and 44 spends more than half their time on their smartphones using mobile apps. The ratio is even higher for those between the ages of 18 and 24 at nearly two-thirds. If you have a target audience within this age range, an online app provides excellent opportunities for online visibility.

You need to increase sales and conversions

Many businesses find a rapid increase in sales and conversions thanks to the creation of a mobile app. This is the result of several factors. First of all, it’s often easier to complete checkout on a mobile app. Consumers find it easier to shop and place items in their cart, and they feel more secure when entering credit card information.

Conversions may also increase as the result of data retention. Customer accounts will track essential information about your customers through the app. It will remember their shopping history, make recommendations, pick up their location, and provide extra insights so that you can encourage more sales.

You need more insights about your customers

Because you have the ability to retain data for your customers, you can also use that information to learn more about your target audience. The same data mentioned in the previous section can be used in every aspect of your business to improve the user experience.

You’ll learn what your customers like and dislike, when they’re most likely to shop, how they interact with your business, why they abandon their cart, where they are when they make purchases, what content they use when interacting with your app, and more.

Depending on the development of your app, you may be able to include custom graphs and visuals that can be accessed on the backend. You can use the presented data however you see fit for the betterment of your organization.

Your competitors all have apps

If your major competitors are using apps for their business, you should too. However, it’s not enough to simply create an app if you want to beat your competitors at this game. You must also fill a gap in the industry that hasn’t already been filled.

For example, Credit Karma was among the first mobile apps that allowed you to check your credit score whenever you wanted without it hurting your credit. There were plenty of apps that allowed you to check your credit score, but their unique value proposition quickly led them to one of the top spots in the credit industry.

Your consumers need a platform to access your content regularly

When considering the success of a mobile application, consider how often it will be used. If it’s something consumers will only use for a one-time purchase, it’s probably not the best investment. For example, an app for a one-day event that’s never to be repeated will be downloaded once, deleted, and forgotten.

However, if they’ll use the app at least semi-regularly, it will remain downloaded on their phones. They may even leave online reviews for it and recommend it to their friends, increasing your download volume.

You’re having a difficult time getting your customer loyalty program off the ground

If you’ve decided to start a customer loyalty program, you’ve likely been promised increased retention and increased online traffic. It’s true you can achieve these things, but only if the program is handled correctly.

A mobile app is a perfect way to get your loyalty program up and running. Individuals can track their purchases and redeem points for rewards through the app. It’s very simple for your customers to use, and you’ll be able to track the program a single platform.\

You need a more direct marketing channel

There are two goals of marketing: acquisition and retention. Retention is more affordable and often more effective than acquisition. Your mobile app is the perfect catalyst for retention, providing a direct marketing channel to encourage repeat purchases. Your app can send push notifications when your customers aren’t using the app to remind them of special promotions or the app’s existence. Banners and pop-ups within the app also encourage additional purchases.

As you can see, there are many conventional uses of a mobile app. As your business grows and expands, pay attention to the signs that you need a mobile app to carry your expansion.