How Mobile Apps Can Be An Asset For SMBs

What is the first thing that crosses your mind when we talk of small business owners? More often than not, it will be the lack of financial muscle that bigger companies have. The parity in the resource available is quite considerable. 

When it comes to scaling their business, large business houses have it easy while small business finds it difficult. Limitations breed innovativeness and change. 

Any mobile app development company could become the source of change. Small business houses imbibed the change, and the results were game-changing. Initially, there were apprehensions regarding security, but with the assistance of cyber security professionals, related concerns were put to bed.  

The ubiquitous use of apps across social strata also justifies the trend of going digital for small scale business houses. According to a recent study, almost 90% of people have mobile devices with internet access. Now, it’s not just about owning a phone, as much as it is about internet penetration that has changed it all.  

Here, we will discuss how the mobile apps became the knight in the shining armor for small business owners and startups. How did apps, somewhat, squared out the competition?   

Getting the small business out there in the ocean of competition

Small business houses intrinsically have a tough time getting out there amongst the masses. The only medium they could think of before the advent of apps were the ads on Print, radio, and TV. The nature of affordability dipped as they moved from different mediums.

Today, the mobile app development company provides a footprint with minimum cost. The apps developed so far have been integral in bringing out the brand story and making people aware of its existence. Websites also provide a sense of the existence for the small business. However, with mobile devices inadvertently becoming the primary screen, apps have become a must. 

Mobile apps plant small businesses amidst the vast number of users who rely on such applications day-in-and-day-out. 

Merging with social media

Social media is the way of modern life. Facebook me, Insatrammagable, and Bird of Mouth are some of the common social media lingoes that have become an integral part of social life. Various mobile apps help small business houses to form their own virtual identity and become a part of social media clans. 

There are more than 2.32 billion active monthly Facebook users covering a major share of the social media population. Instagram has more than 500million daily active users, while Twitter has 145 million daily active users. 

Phew! Those are some gigantic numbers. Now, imagine even if you have a fraction of followers from such numbers, how tough it would be managing social media presence. Apps like Hootsuite, Buffer, and Agorapulse are some of the prominent social media management apps that help in navigating the virtual world. 

Increasing sales

Once you have a dedicated app and a proper social media integration, the result will show up in the form of a sales figure. It is said that nearly 79% of smartphone users commit to online purchases. In fact, for eCommerce platforms, sales through mobile devices have become a major source of revenue.

You never know who might discover a product while scrolling through your feed and place an order. Mobile apps have become a new marketing tool to gain traction. It would be not wrong to state that apps inadvertently generate leads from different strata of society, which otherwise would be left untouched.

Today, any new eCommerce platform can find its sustainability from sale through mobile apps without being intimidated by an existing giant. 

Better use of financial resources

Managing funds in a small business setup can be difficult. It is a vicious circle in which new startups and business owners get strangled.

The vicious circle

It starts with a lack of funds in a newly formed business house. They naturally cannot hire the best fit for the task. So, they settle for the next best alternative, which leads to mismanagement of resources. Thus, funds shrink even further, and the loop goes on.  

Financial management apps like Quickbooks, Gusto, and Freshbooks provide flexibility and affordability in managing funds. Such apps provide detailed reports on every penny spent, which helps in setting a budget based on existing ROI data.

Such apps also provide crucial data demographics data about consumers, which helps in tracking the leads. Further, it helps in uncovering newer markets to expand.

Gaining trust and credibility

Another important aspect of apps that stems from mobile sales is security. Yes, we are more connected today than we were ever before. But security is the price we had to pay for it.

We are living in a world where security is fragile. Any minor mishaps will lead to important information being leaked online. Hacking is more prevalent today than ever it was before. If the internet was an actual place with real breathing mortals, then it would have far less vulnerable as compared to its current virtual existence. 

One such security arises due to keylogger technology through which you every single keystroke gets recorded. So, you might be unknowingly giving away your credentials. Such security issues can easily harm the credibility of a small business. The hard-earned trust can go for a toss just with a single security breach. After which the road to redemption becomes steep. 

Apps today are developed with enhanced security features to combat such concerns. The assistance of cyber security professionals also helps to maintain the security standard. Thus, each set of data you enter in the app is impregnable.  

Conclusion

In a nutshell, apps have broken numerous shackles, which earlier restricted the growth of the small business. Now, everything boils down to an assessment of the problem or situational diagnosis and picking the right apps to act as a cure.

The mobile app development company has also left no apps unturned to make life easy for small business houses. It is just about embracing limitations and switching towards one of these companies for flexible assistance.

General FAQ