Do you feel like there is an opportunity for growth in your web development business?
Rather than simply building more websites, offering mobile app development services can help you grow faster while unlocking more revenue.
Whether you have a small web development agency, a large multi-service agency, or are a freelance web developer, this could be the most important topic you read throughout the year. I’ll explain the value of selling mobile apps, and why they’re a great addition to any web development service.
It’s Easy to Sell Your Clients
Pitching mobile apps to your clients is much easier when you already provide app development services. It is a natural progression for any business looking for new technology and growth opportunities.
You’ve already done the hard work in securing a client for your web development services.
If your clients trust you and you do a good job delivering their web development needs, they will at least be open to the idea of letting you build a mobile app. It’s an easy sell, and you don’t have to worry about putting a cold on a stranger.
We all know that client acquisition can be a struggle—and 37% of agencies say that acquiring new clients is their biggest challenge and barrier to growth.
Furthermore, you have a 60% to 70% chance of selling services to an existing client but a 5% to 20% chance of selling to a new prospect.
I personally believe that these possibilities are very high when you consider how web and mobile development are related. It’s not like you’re trying to sell yourself on something completely irrelevant, and you already know they don’t have internal development resources.
Best of all, you know these clients have a budget for development.
If they’re hiring you for web development, you know they’re not an ankle-biter who just wants to use a cheap DIY website builder. You can safely assume that they will be happy to pay an expert instead of building an app on their own.
There is a Strong Demand for Mobile Apps
To be clear, I’m not suggesting you ditch your web development service. But the data speaks for itself—and it’s clear that there’s a huge demand for mobile apps.
The mobile application development market is expected to grow at a CAGR of 13.1% between 2024 and 2032.
In contrast, the web development market will grow by about 8% per year during the same period.
Beyond the growth rate, the mobile development market is more important than web development.
Currently, the mobile app development market sits at $195.7 billion worldwide. This number is expected to exceed 606.1 billion by 2032. The web development industry is currently valued at $65.35 billion and should reach $130.9 billion by 2032.
The mobile app development market is already worth more today than the web development market will be in eight years.
This is a great opportunity for web developers. You can continue to provide the services you know in a growing sector while entering a new market that is growing at an even higher rate.
App Development Services are very beneficial
White labeling is a very profitable way for agencies to sell application development services.
Rather than hiring developers, renting servers, and supporting all the backend infrastructure, you can use a white-labeled app development platform and remake the service as your own.
Using existing infrastructure for application development significantly reduces your costs and results in higher profitability of your services.
This becomes more profitable when you start targeting customers in the same area or industry.
For example, let’s say a local dental practice hires your agency to build or redesign its website. Once you’re done, you put them in the mobile app price, and they’ll take you up on the offer.
The next time you get a dental client, 90% of the work has already been done. You can simply put together that first app, make minor content changes to fit the new client’s marketing, and you’re done.
There won’t be much difference between the features and functions of these types of apps, which is good news for your profit margins.
You Will Stand Out From Other Web Developers
The ability to brand yourself as a solution for all things web and mobile app development will ultimately help you close more deals.
It’s great for businesses to know that they can get multiple services from one agency. This is a win-win for both of you, as it eliminates the due diligence and testing phases when a client decides they want to build an app.
And, I’m willing to bet that just offering app development will help you get more web development clients—even if those businesses don’t need or want an app right now. Just knowing they can get it from you later will give them peace of mind that they are working with the right partner.
Here’s something else to consider. 45% of agencies get their clients from referrals and word of mouth.
I can’t think of a better way to get referrals and keep people talking than to offer multiple services.
Your customers will be proud to show off their new app, and I’m sure other businesses will be asking about it.
This can lead to many new opportunities for your agency.
Opening the Door to Business Customers
Speaking of opportunities, app development services tend to attract big businesses and clients with deep pockets.
Even if those companies have internal IT resources, it is often cheaper for them to outsource these needs instead of handling them in-house.
In fact, 90% of Fortune 500s outsource at least some aspects of their software development needs—and mobile apps fall into this category.
Large businesses also understand the value of both a strong web and mobile presence. So you will be able to deliver each of these services, and build a lasting relationship with them as their needs change over time.
And large companies are likely to want multiple apps, such as customer-facing apps and internal team productivity apps.
App Development Services Provide Recurring Income
Most web development jobs are one-time jobs that don’t require ongoing support. You might build a new website for a client or redesign an existing site, and not hear from them again until they need a new design in five years.
Sure, some of you may provide a lot of webmaster services to keep your clients, but you can’t charge as many hours once the site is up and running.
Mobile apps need more work all the time.
From new features to bug fixes, app store updates, and hardware compatibility changes, you can continue to bill your customers monthly or annually even after the app’s launch.
This is especially true if you use a white-label vendor platform, such as Buildfire, to deliver these services to your customers. You will be providing them with all the back-end infrastructure that powers their applications, and this is a service that requires ongoing payment.
With Buildfire, you can offer custom subscriptions to your customers and set unique monthly rates for specific features.
For example, you can charge extra to support an app for an iPad and an Android tablet. Or you can charge more if your clients want to send push notifications. Client apps with 20,000 users can pay more than apps with only 2,000 users.
There are many different ways you can structure this to set yourself up for monthly or annual recurring income—for the lifetime of each app.
Service Diversity Helps Future-Proof Your Agency
There is no telling what the future holds. New technologies and trends are constantly disrupting industries and changing the way businesses operate.
For all we know, AI will build and rebuild everyone’s websites in just a few years and eliminate the need for many web development jobs.
But separating your agency’s resources can help reduce the risk of these types of changes and unexpected situations, especially if those services are profitable, in high demand, and in growing industries—three boxes that mobile apps check.
Getting your foot in the door now can help your agency survive in the future and outpace your competitors who have been slow to adapt.
Final thoughts
Providing app development services to your agency clients is easier than you think. With solutions like Buildfire’s white label program, any web developer can build apps and sell them to customers for high profits.
In addition to building and selling mobile apps, you can also white label the Buildfire app builder and resell that software under your agency’s brand name. This is a great opportunity for those of you who want to target DIY business users by offering a profitable solution at a low price point.
You’ll get the same software we’ve used to create over 10,000+ successful iOS and Android apps. Why are you waiting? Get started with Buildfire today to start generating new revenue for your web development agency.
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