Customer app development is especially worthwhile if your customers come back to you regularly. Think of a restaurant, hairdresser, gym, driving school or shop. Your own app sits on their home screen, remembers their details and gives you a direct line to your regular customers. That makes repeat purchases easier and builds customer loyalty.
But an app nobody opens only costs money. In this article you will learn when a customer app really pays off, which features customers use and how to make sure the app actually ends up on their phone.
When does a customer loyalty app pay off?
The key question is how often a customer does business with you. Installing an app is a hurdle. People only take it if it makes their life easier often. A customer app is a good fit if:
- Customers buy, order or book an appointment with you at least monthly.
- You have a regular group of customers you want to get to know better.
- You currently depend on platforms that charge commission, such as delivery platforms or booking sites.
- You can offer something extra in the app, such as rewards, priority or offers that are only available there.
Does a customer only come once or twice a year? Then a good mobile website or a customer portal is often smarter.
Features customers really use
A customer app must above all make something easier. Features that often work well:
- Ordering and reordering: repeat your usual order with one tap.
- Booking and rescheduling appointments, without calling.
- Rewards programme: collect points or stamps with every purchase, and get a reward after a number of visits.
- Personal account with past orders, invoices or treatments.
- Digital loyalty card or QR code to have scanned at the till.
- Offers or new products that are only in the app.
- Push notifications about something the customer cares about, such as 'your order is on its way' or 'your appointment is tomorrow'.
Start with one or two features that add the most convenience. An app that does one thing really well gets opened more often than an app that does everything halfway.
A loyalty app or rewards programme: how to approach it
A rewards programme is one of the best-known forms of customer loyalty. To make it work, pay attention to a few things:
- Make the reward achievable. If a customer only gets something after twenty visits, they give up.
- Show progress. A bar or stamp card in the app motivates people to keep collecting.
- Keep it fair and simple. Complicated rules with exceptions cause irritation at the till.
- Reward with something other than discounts too, such as priority when it's busy or a product that isn't for sale.
- Make sure your staff understand it and actively mention the app.
A rewards programme also means you collect customer data. Do that in line with GDPR (AVG in Dutch): only ask for what you need and explain what it's for. You can read more in apps and privacy.
Your own app or a ready-made platform?
There are ready-made services for rewards programmes and ordering, where you pay a monthly fee. That is quick to set up and can be a good start. Having your own customer app built is worthwhile if:
- You want more than just rewards, for example ordering, appointments and your own till system in one app.
- You want to keep customer data in your own hands.
- Your own branding and way of working matter.
- The monthly fees or commission of a platform end up higher over time than your own solution.
A middle ground is a web app or PWA: an app that runs in the browser and can be added to the home screen. No app store needed, and often quicker to build. Read more in native app or web app.
How do you get customers to download your app?
The best app won't help if nobody installs it. A few proven approaches:
- Give a reason to download right away, such as a welcome reward or the first stamp for free.
- Mention the app at the till, on the receipt, on the table or in the confirmation email.
- Put a QR code where customers wait for a moment.
- Mention the app on your website and in your newsletter.
- Make logging in easy, so customers don't drop off at a long form.
Measure whether your customer app works
After launch, don't just look at the number of downloads. What matters more is whether customers keep using the app. Watch for:
- How many people still open the app after a month.
- Whether customers with the app come back more often than customers without it.
- How many orders or appointments go through the app.
- What customers say in reviews and conversations.
Use those insights to improve the app step by step. Often one feature turns out to be used a lot and another hardly at all. You then adjust accordingly.
Common mistakes with your own app for customers
- Building an app because a competitor has one, without a clear benefit for the customer.
- Too many features in the first version, making the app slow and cluttered and pushing the launch back by months.
- Forcing customers to create an account before they can see anything.
- Sending too many push notifications, so customers turn them off or delete the app.
- No link to your till or ordering system, so staff have to enter everything twice.
- Doing nothing after launch. An app that isn't maintained becomes outdated and loses users.
The common thread: think from your customer's point of view. What makes their life easier, and why would they open your app instead of just dropping by or calling? If you can explain that in one sentence, you're on the right track.
Having a customer app built by Violexa
At Violexa we build websites and apps that bring your customers straight to you. For Apple Mix Fried Chicken, for example, we built their own online ordering platform with a menu, allergen labels and a shopping basket. And for Rijschool Benz a website with a student portal. See these projects in our work.
A custom project starts from €1,799 excl. VAT (€2,177 incl. VAT), including design, development and a design that works on every screen. Larger apps get a fixed price up front, in writing.
Want to know whether a customer app suits your business? Book a free quickscan. In 30 minutes, online or in person, we discuss your idea. Afterwards you get short written advice with a price indication, with no obligation.
Frequently asked questions
How much does it cost to have a customer app built?
That depends on the features, such as ordering, rewards, appointments and links to your till. A simple web app is cheaper than an app in the App Store and Google Play. At Violexa, custom work starts from €1,799 excl. VAT (€2,177 incl. VAT).
Does a loyalty app work for a small business too?
Yes, if your customers come back regularly. A simple rewards programme can work especially well for a small business with regular customers. Start small, with one clear reward, and expand if it catches on.
Is an app better than a paper stamp card?
An app doesn't get lost, shows progress and gives you insight into who your regular customers are. A paper card is cheaper and understandable for everyone. Some businesses offer both, so customers can choose.
Can I use customer data from my app for marketing?
Only if you handle it properly under GDPR. Ask permission for marketing messages and explain which data you use and why. For your specific situation, it's best to get legal advice.
