08/28/2026
Here's a mobile app truth nobody talks about enough: the app is the easy part. Getting people to keep it on their phone is the real work.
The average person downloads apps and deletes most of them within a week. So what makes the keepers different?
They solve a real, recurring problem:
• They save time — ordering ahead, skipping the line, booking in seconds
• They save money — rewards, app-only deals, loyalty points
• They remove friction — saved payment info, order history, one-tap reorder
The apps that get deleted? They're usually just a website squeezed into an app — no reason to exist beyond "we have an app now."
If you're thinking about an app for your business, start with this question: "What will make our customers open this every week?"
Answer that first, and the app practically designs itself.
What makes YOU keep an app on your phone? Genuinely curious!