I can easily recall attending a communications seminar in around 2005 and being dragged kicking and screaming to a session on social media. I had no interest in it whatsoever, and thought it was silly.

“Nobody is going to do business this way!” I snorted to one of my coworkers. “This is a total waste of time.”

Ummm…yeah. I was an idiot.

That little lesson taught me that seemingly silly trends in technology and communications are often precursors to an entire new way of doing business, whether I totally understand them or not.

This brings me to the mobile app industry. Less than five years ago, mobile apps were the territory of giant companies only. They were magical, mysterious, and extremely expensive, way out of the range of most small businesses. Today, though, apps have become nearly as ubiquitous as smart phones themselves, and are currently where much business is done. Here are five darn good reasons why you should consider budgeting for an app for your company in 2021:

5. People are used to them. Apps are no longer exotic add-ons to your smart phone and useful only to the super tech-savvy. These days, practically everyone uses an app, one way or the other.

4. People prefer them to websites. When it comes to using a mobile device, most folks avoid visiting websites, especially to make purchases. A well-constructed mobile app is much easier to navigate and doesn’t always require an internet connection.

3. They legitimize your company. Now clearly, not every company in the world needs a mobile app, but there is no escaping the fact that if you DO have one, customers view your business differently. Whether they love your product or not, a potential customer will consider your company “successful” if you are flexing a mobile app. It’s just human nature.

2. They are better-suited to marketing tactics like daily specials and geofencing. There is simply a LOT you can do with a mobile app — from a marketing perspective — that will, at best, be rather clunky in a website environment and, at worst, impossible.

1. They are finally affordable. As I mentioned earlier, only a few years ago, you could expect to drop $100K on a high-functioning app — at least. Today, a fully custom app will still run in the $50K range, but pre-coded platforms like Shoutem and AppyPie are now allowing developers to create amazing apps for much, much less. Simply put, mobile apps are now within financial range of almost any company.

For these reasons, I urge you to look into an app for your company in 2021. I think we’ve reached that tipping point where the cost has become reasonable and the technology will be with us for the foreseeable future. Give us a shout at Big Harvest Creative if you’d like to talk it through!

Happy New Year!