Mobile Apps are kind of a big deal. It's not really breaking news. Pokemon Go, YouTube, Facebook, Google Maps, you name 'em, they're all accessed nowadays through your phone with a quick tap of a finger. In fact almost 90% of time spent online on mobile devices is now done so through apps rather than web browsers.

According to a recent survey by B2B research company Clutch, small businesses in the US are now ready to jump onto the mobile bandwagon and invest in their very own app. Indeed, 47% of small businesses surveyed by Clutch said they'd potentially consider developing an app in 2017.

So why are small businesses turning to apps?

Apps have long been associated with the big boys of business, with companies like Uber spending millions on app development and their daily operations depending on high powered app technology.

But in recent years the technology needed to develop an app has become much more accessible, with companies like Six Ticks now providing affordable mobile apps to help small to medium sized businesses tap into the mobile revolution and embrace a new way to engage customers.

Features such in-app shops, bookings/reservations, loyalty schemes, and sending push notifications direct to users phones, offer small businesses a direct connection to customers and benefits which cannot be ignored. Tellingly a quarter of the small businesses surveyed by Clutch already had a mobile app.

What do small businesses want from a mobile app?

So small businesses are getting appy, but what makes them join the revolution? Those surveyed by Clutch gave the following reasons for investing in the technology:

• 1. Increase Sales
• 2. Improve customer experience
• 3. Become competitive in a specific market

Most Valuable Features for small businesses according to the Clutch survey:

• 1. Customer loyalty features
• 2. Social networking features
• 3. Push notifications
• 4. Personalisation

You can read the full Clutch survey here

So if you're a small business or organisation and you're interested in finding more about the benefits of an app just give us a call! We'd love to tell you more and offer you a free mobile app demo.