Does your business really need a mobile app?

Adults in the United States spend an average of 87 hours a month browsing on a smartphone. That’s an average of about 3 hours per day, or a lot of time.

With so much of your clients’ time spent on mobile, it’s worth it for your business to invest in a mobile app. Some business owners worry that an app would be too expensive or too time-consuming to maintain, but an app customized to your business and brand can have a powerful effect on your bottom line.

Benefits of a branded mobile app

Maybe your business doesn’t need an app, but you’ll sure be glad you have one. The client experience isn’t just about what happens when they’re at your facility. It’s also about how they interact with your brand outside of their classes. Here are the three biggest benefits of a mobile app:

Stand out from your competitors

Mobile-friendly websites aren’t rare anymore. In fact, Google will actually penalize your website’s search rankings on mobile if your site isn’t responsive. So if everyone is doing it, that means you need a different way to stand out.

A mobile app is more convenient than a mobile site. It helps your business stand out with an icon on the homescreen of your clients’ mobile device. When your client is wondering which classes they should sign up for, your business, and not your competitor’s, will be right in front of them.

Be everywhere your clients are

Everyone who’s ever commuted on public transportation knows that the morning and evening rides to and and from work are prime times for mobile browsing. Everyone is staring at their phones anyway, so wouldn’t it be great if they were staring at your brand?

A mobile app makes it easy for clients to find and book classes from anywhere they are–on the bus, waiting in line at the cafe, lying in bed...you get the idea. An app is faster to get to and more convenient to interact with, so you’ll see more sign-ups from people who only browse when they have a quick second.

Enhance the client experience

There are a lot of perks that come with a mobile app beyond easy accessibility. With an app, you’ll have a direct marketing channel to your clients. Use an app to send reminders, promote classes, highlight merchandise, offer support, and communicate important information. This isn’t just good for your business–your clients will appreciate the feeling of always being in the know.

Why do business owners hesitate to get an app?

The benefits of a mobile app seem worth it, so why don’t more businesses have one? Here are the top three reasons we hear for why business owners hesitate, and why we think the investment is still worth it:

“An app costs too much.”

You live and breathe your business finances. Of course you don’t want to spend money if you don’t have to. And it’s true that mobile apps can be costly. But with the right app, the return on investment is more than worth it. A mobile app significantly improves the client experience, leading to more class bookings, greater client retention, and higher long-term revenue.  

“An app takes too much time to manage.”

Then you haven’t been using the right app. A good mobile app will sync with your website, automatically updating content. After initial setup there shouldn’t be an enormous amount of maintenance required unless you’re making major changes across your entire brand.

Call us biased, but we think the Pike13 app for clients is a pretty darn good one. It not only syncs with your Pike13 website so app maintenance handles itself, but you can completely customize the app so it looks like it belongs to your brand and not Pike13. A lot of apps don’t offer than much customization.

“I already have a mobile site. I don’t need an app.”

Mobile apps have a more powerful presence than a mobile site. That’s because there aren’t any paths away from your content. Think about it–to get to a mobile site a user has to pull up an internet app, type in a url or search term, and try not to get distracted by cat videos on their way to your site. A native mobile app keeps your brand top-of-mind with a dedicated icon and puts your business in front of your clients without distractions.

If you’re thinking about getting a mobile app for the first time it might feel overwhelming, but it’s well worth the investment. You, your staff and your clients will be happy with the added ease and accessibility it brings to your brand.