In early 2020, there were an estimated 8.93 million apps in the world but that number keeps growing. As businesses scrambled to empower employees to work remotely during quarantine, apps became even more important — not to mention how many people turned to apps to stay connected with friends and family. Many businesses learned the importance of keeping customers engaged even when they can’t meet face-to-face, which surely has others asking, “Do I need an app?” The answer is a very frustrating “It depends.” 

Apps have many benefits, but that doesn’t mean they are the right choice for every business. 

The benefits of apps

• Convenient connection—An active digital presence can help you stay in touch with your clients and customers under almost any circumstance. From social media to email, the web offers a variety of ways to reach people, but apps are especially good at fostering personalized connections. 

• Constant contact—Thanks to features like push notifications, apps also make it easy to reach out directly to users and remind them to come back.  

• The future is mobile—There are many places in the world where people rely on the mobile web as their primary—or only—connection to the internet. But even in places with easy access to high-speed internet, mobile is the channel of choice. U.S. adults spend over three hours a day in-app.     

Is an app right for you?

Traditionally, apps have taken massive resources to develop — both in terms of time and money. But that’s changing. Low-code and even no-code apps are becoming more popular. They take significantly less time and money to create, are more flexible, and can be updated more frequently and easily. But even with new tools making apps more accessible, they don’t make sense in every case — especially for small businesses.

I think the main question every company has to answer before deciding to create an app is “What are we trying to accomplish?”

Are you looking for new ways to monetize your goods or services? Then an app could be the solution. When Fitness SF found its brick and mortar gyms obsolete nearly overnight thanks to COVID-19, it quickly created an app to provide at-home coaching services and fitness classes to its customers. When the gyms opened back up, the app also allowed people to make reservations in order to limit the number of people in the gym. The purpose was clear, and the ability to adapt quickly probably saved the company during a turbulent time. 

Whatever it is you hope to accomplish with your app, you have to ask yourself, is it worth the time, effort, and expense — especially for ongoing maintenance and updates? Is there another way you could accomplish this goal? If the answer is yes, take some time to consider whether or not an app is a better solution. 

The future is mobile, there is no doubt, but when we turn to Door Dash or Postmates, there is a restaurant or a store at the other end — with delivery people in the middle. Even in the most mobile society, physical businesses and human beings make things happen. Quite often, especially where small businesses are concerned, there is an existing app that can help you solve the problem you may be looking to tackle.