Blog

With online shopping and other business transactions being the norm and most customers expecting to interact with companies online, it only makes sense to try to reach prospects and communicate with customers using Web-based tools as much as possible. Why? Many customers and potential customers expect to get things done online. Web-based software applications also help employees work more efficiently too. These tools offer some definite advantages over both mobile apps and desktop software too. First, to understand why these web-based applications are so useful, it is important to know what’s possible with this type of software.

An Overview of the Business App Landscape

Web apps can be classified by what they do, or how they function. If you investigate the subject, you will find that there are single-page, multi-page, progressive, and other types. Those classifications focus on how it works not the purpose. As far as primary purpose goes, most business-related apps fall into one of these categories:

• Customer Support – This includes a chatbot, FAQ (frequently asked questions), or a troubleshooting guide
• Content Apps – Deliver information or advice on topics relevant to the creator’s business model
• Training – New employee orientation, self-paced courses, testing
• Shopping – Shopping carts, suggested add-ons, related items, customer account management
• Entertainment – Games of all kinds to keep users engaged and interested so they can be served ads
• Productivity – Writing, spreadsheets, presentation, and database software

You might already have a sense of this software can deliver benefits but here are seven reasons why investing in a Web app may make sense.

1. Increased Brand Engagement

The best way to get shoppers to become customers, and encourage customers to be repeat customers, is to keep communicating with them. A Web app gives you the chance to present marketing messages, deals, news about upcoming events, and more. More specifically, businesses can target their content to different customer segments. A personal finance app might present different information to site visitors who are just out of college versus those nearing retirement age.

2. Greater Brand Awareness

If people aren’t thinking about your business, they aren’t going to buy from you. This is Marketing 101. This is also why having a branded app can be valuable. A business app can reinforce a brand’s identity in a few ways. You can use an app to educate customers about new products and services, the company’s history, and values, and more. Buttons that encourage sharing via email or social media can get new potential customers interested in your business. Giving users a reason to keep coming back helps keep your offerings and unique value proposition on their minds.

3. Fast Updates and Better Security

A Web app runs from a central location, usually a cloud server or servers. This makes it easy for the app owner to perform updates and address security vulnerabilities. Mobile apps and desktop software take more time and trouble to update. The software also runs inside a browser, which means it benefits from browser-based security.

4. Competing with Larger Businesses

One of the best ways to compete with larger businesses with larger marketing budgets is to use technology in creative ways. An “order ahead” app may help a small bakery and sandwich shop take some business from the big chain stores in the area. A service business might offer free, customized information that you must search for on a big company’s site after you figure out how to phrase your search or what category the information might be in.

5. Providing a Personalized Experience

A Web app makes it easy to serve up information tailored to distinct categories of app users. If you can segment your customer base and offer them customized information or advice, you can sell more or keep them engaged in a way that a standard site with standard functions could not. For example, a city’s parks and recreation department could offer event listings tailored to a resident’s lifestyle. A business could offer tailored recommendations based on the user.

6. Better and Faster Customer Support

One of the best ways to alienate customers is to provide a terrible support experience. A Web-based tool that handles complaints, requests, and frequently asked questions can prevent lots of user frustration and save time for customers and staff alike. Cloud-based software can record all of those interactions, at least basic details like time and subject matter. You can use this information to identify problems or find opportunities to improve.

7. Higher Employee Productivity

Even a modest increase in productivity can be a huge boost to a company’s profitability. For example, a consulting firm might use custom software to manage customer engagements, including file sharing, billing, brainstorming tools, and research. While this increase in productivity might be mostly a boon for the company, it can also enhance the company’s image.

The Ultimate Benefit – Increased Revenue

The result of creating and promoting that Web app should be increased revenue. Timely exclusive offers, coupons, and deals for app users only give these customers incentive to buy now, from your company. Those things should create more sales, more appointments, more donations to your nonprofit, and so on. Increased efficiency cuts costs, which is just as good as generating more revenue so employee-facing apps that consulting toolset might more than pay for themselves.

Business and Consumer Web Apps Offer Multiple Benefits

A custom-made Web-based application offers several potential benefits for a company or nonprofit, all of which boil down to the potential for increased revenue. The key to success here is professional software development. The DevDigital team has created dozens of Web apps for Android and iOS devices for clients in many industries. If you think an app would be valuable for your business, contact us to set up a short discovery call.