Mobile apps today have become the most immersible medium of consumer engagement. They have transcended the barrier of short attention spans and information-overload in a way that some of the earlier content delivery mediums could not. Mobile apps are personal, interactive and can be extremely effective when designed and used rightly. They also happen to be what the potential customers of most brands spend the most time on.
It is estimated that in 2015, about 180 billion mobile app downloads would take place. By the end of 2015, more than 780 million people globally would be mobile-only internet users, not owning a computer at all. An average user spends 194 minutes per day in front of a smartphone/tablet, which is significantly more than the time spent in front of a computer or a television. 88% of this time is spent on mobile apps. And 85 % of the people prefer mobile apps over mobile websites.
Around 500 business owners were recently surveyed, and it was found that 61% said an app provided better Return on Investment, 81% said customers preferred a mobile app over a mobile website, 75% said having a mobile app was better for customer generation, 86% said mobile apps were better for creating repeat customers and 61% business owners said mobile apps were used more often.
There are numerous routes a brand could take to app-ify itself. They could build an enterprise app that solves organizational problems and make the life of a manager easy, bringing teams together, sharing information and be ahead of the curve. They could build a gaming app to engage potential customers as well as existing customers with the brand across age groups. They could build a content publishing app to broadcast brand content to varied audience, with blog posts, brand articles, press releases, etc. They could also build an e-commerce app providing customers with latest offers and schemes while also giving them a convenient solution to reach the brand.
The balky, Lilliputian mobile ads represent the state-of-the-art in mobile advertising, and the fact is they don’t really work. Hardly anybody willingly clicks on them. Four out of five people even find them obnoxious. Many companies bet that with some tweaking, mobile ads could become an integral part of communication strategies. However, they couldn’t be more wrong. Smart marketers are embracing the mobile as a communications platform. Historically, it has always happened that whenever new media emerges, there happens a period of fumbling during which marketers try to repurpose ads that used to work for the older media. So, early 1950s had TV commercials featuring narrators reading radio advertisements and 1990s had websites with static display ads lifted straight off the print ads. However, new media need new advertising methods, and they evolve with time.
Apps today are not only the most effective way to reach mobile consumers; they’re also more cost-efficient than many traditional ad campaigns. Despite the ubiquity of smartphones and the hours many of us now spend each day with our heads bent over a small screen, sophisticated marketers will realize that “mobile advertising” is often a hollow phrase. People simply don’t like ads on their mobile devices. Even location-based ads that entice customers through context-specific discounts are merely serving a short-term objective, not engaging customers for the long run. Marketers will get better results by communicating with consumers in a format that enhances their lives and offers long-term value. In the coming years, creative minds may find new vehicles for achieving these aims. But for the time being, apps are the best way to win the hearts and minds of mobile consumers.
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