According to a study by Localytics, 26% of mobile app visitors are considered fickle in the way they interact with the apps. Although many people are willing to give all mobile apps a try, this 26% of people never use these apps again. However, the study also shows that another 26% is likely to become loyal to the app and use it more than 10 times.
This poses a question that many small business owners have when building, or considering making, a mobile app.
Will the efforts bring in actual customers?
The answer? It depends on how you implement and use the app, how you connect with the people who download and if the app truly offers any value to your customers.
It's easy to say that you should make a well-designed app with tons of valuable content, but what are some actionable tips you can implement to turn your mobile app visitors into actual customers? The article below explains how a few simple changes can strike loyalty into the folks who download your app.
Keep the Interface and Message Simple for your mobile app visitors
Take a step back to think about what your most important pages are on your mobile app. By this I mean, which of your app pages are the ones that make you money or bring in potential new clients?
Is your homepage clean and simple enough to push mobile app visitors to those pages? One of the main rules to turning your mobile app visitors into customers is to clear out all the junk, also known as tabs and pages that don't provide value to your visitors or money for your business.
Focus on white (or black) space, and run through your written content to cut out unnecessarily long paragraphs, statements and call to actions.
Show Off Your Style With Images and Videos
In the world of mobile sales, you don't have a sales person to talk to your customers and show off the products. If you sell items, you need a well-devised media strategy to give your customers visuals, using videos and photos. For example, is anyone going to become a customer through your mobile app if they can't see the hats you're trying to sell through your hat shop app?
What about artists and services? A band can't expect to find fans unless they show off their music through videos. Photos work well for showcasing concerts and behind the scenes action. Mobile apps require visual content in order to make money, it's that simple.
Generate an Atmosphere Filled with Urgency
Consumers are more likely to buy from your company if they know that a sale or special won't be around for long. Sharing your products through a mobile app is a good start, but the key is to develop a feeling of urgency whenever your customers come to your mobile app.
Consider using banners on your homepage to feature exclusive promotions, implement timers on your sales so that customers know exactly how much time they have, and tell mobile app visitors what the price previously was, so they know how much money they're saving.
Point Users in the Right Direction
This ties into making a simple interface, but it has more to do with the funnel in which you send your app users through.
Let's start with your homepage. Are there buttons that clearly send them to your booking page or mobile store? Does it take two or three steps (way too long) for them to reach your sales pages?
Your mobile app serves as a road that leads your customers through the entire sales process, without too many roadblocks along the way. Directional cues come into play here, so consider trying lines, arrows (icons) and other design tactics to send user eyes towards where they need to go.
Make Your Call to Actions Pop
It's important to realize that opposites attract. By that I mean your design elements need to look different. If a button has a transparent background, it blends in with the background image and doesn't look like somewhere your customers should go.
The same goes for tabs and buttons. Use colors that contrast with the background, and show your customers the ideal buttons to press for you to make money.
Over to You...
A mobile app is only a benefit to small businesses if you figure out how to turn those users into paying customers. Obviously all businesses have different goals for their mobile apps, but the idea is to achieve those goals, whether they be for more email subscribers, a stronger social presence or additional people walking through your doors.
Leave us a comment in the section below if you have any other ideas for turning mobile app visitors into actual customers. Are you implementing all of the tips we talked about above?
Joe Warnimont is a freelance tech writer who mans the iBuildApp blog, along with his personal Write With Warnimont blog. When not playing around with apps and gadgets, he's brushing up on his German or riding his bike in Chicago.
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