If you run a business or are planning to start one, there’s a good chance you’re well-versed in the importance of having an Internet presence. After all, the audience you become exposed to when you’re present on the web is staggering: there are more than 3.4 billion Internet users today, which is about 40 percent of the world population. You may think you need to create a website viewable on desktops, or a responsive site, in order to reach potential consumers on the web. However, in reality, it may be wiser for you to go mobile-only (or mobile-first), creating only a mobile app for customers to use rather than focusing on a larger desktop website. Here are a couple of reasons you may want to consider starting out with a mobile company app.
More People Are Using Mobile Than Ever Before
More and more people are using mobile devices to access the Internet than ever before. Tech giants like
Google have dubbed this the era the age of mobile Internet. A
study by Pew Research recently showed that people across the world — in both developing and established countries — are using smart devices with increasing frequency. In fact, 64 percent of adult Americans now own a smartphone while 85 percent of young adults own one. Furthermore, a study by
KCBP mobile technology trends showed that Americans are using the Internet on their smart phones 51 percent of the time while only accessing the Internet on their desktops 42 percent of the time. Finally,
MarketingLand recently reported that “all digital growth [is] now coming from mobile usage” — with many statistics to prove it. By creating a mobile company app, you can reach the people you want to where they are most frequently on the web and you can be prepared as the world continues to shift way from desktop computer usage to more mobile usage.
Big Companies Are Looking to Acquire Mobile Companies
As mentioned above, mobile is growing rapidly. This means that big tech companies like Google, Microsoft and Facebook are looking to new, mobile-first companies for potential acquisitions — which have proven to be
investments that provide big returns. If you create an app for your company that offers a product a bigger business might want to acquire, you could end up making a fortune off of your business — like the founders of Instagram did when Facebook bought their mobile photo-taking app for $1 billion.
It Can Work
Going mobile-first can be a smart strategy for companies – particularly those who provide a service or product that is used on the go. Several companies that chose to go mobile first have found huge levels of success and many are now valued at more than $1 billion. Some of these companies include Snapchat, WhatsApp, Uber, Rocket Fuel, Square, Waze, AirWatch and Evernote.
If you are a company looking to create an online presence, you don’t have to immediately think about building a responsive website. Instead, consider whether your business provides a service or product that is useful on the go. If so, you may be the perfect candidate for being a mobile-only or mobile-first business. Create a branded app for your customers and you’ll be able to serve them exactly when they need you and exactly where they need you.
App Store by Cristiano Betta is licensed under Attribution License
