🇺🇸 How Small Businesses in the US Are Using Mobile Apps in 2025

From New York to Austin, small businesses across the United States are embracing mobile apps as a smarter, more direct way to connect with customers in 2025. Whether it’s a local food truck or a boutique fitness studio, mobile is becoming a must-have channel — not just a nice-to-have.

📱 Mobile Usage in the US Is Driving Digital Growth

• Over 97% of US adults now own a smartphone (Pew Research, 2024)
• Mobile app time now makes up over 88% of total mobile usage
• Push notifications, loyalty rewards, and booking apps are becoming core expectations for service-driven businesses

💡 Why Small Businesses Are Turning to Their Own Apps

US-based small businesses are increasingly realizing the benefits of having their own branded apps, including:

• ✅ Take direct bookings or online orders
• ✅ Offer loyalty programs and coupons without printing costs
• ✅ Send promotions via push notifications
• ✅ Build long-term engagement and customer retention

🍽️ Aggregators Helped — But Now Come at a Cost

While platforms like Toast, Uber Eats, Square Appointments, and Vagaro helped small businesses digitize, they often take:

• 🔻 High commission fees (15–30%)
• 🔻 Customer data ownership away from the business
• 🔻 Brand visibility off the table

That’s why many business owners are now looking to build their own mobile apps using no-code tools.

🔧 No-Code Tools Let You Build Without Developers

In 2025, you don’t need a developer or $25,000 budget to launch your own app. Platforms like:

• AppInstitute
• BuildFire
• AppyPie
• GoodBarber
• Glide

…let you build iOS, Android, and PWA (web) apps using drag-and-drop editors — no coding required. These platforms often support Stripe, Square, PayPal, appointment booking, loyalty features, and push notifications.

🏪 Real Use Cases from US Businesses

• A hair salon in Chicago launched an app for booking, push reminders, and retail sales — reducing no-shows by 40%
• A food truck in Austin replaced a paper loyalty card with a digital version and now sees 3x more repeat visits
• A Brooklyn-based yoga studio takes all class bookings through their app, syncing with Google Calendar and Stripe

These are real, small local businesses making apps work for them — without complex tech or big budgets.

📌 Final Thoughts

Mobile apps aren’t just for big brands anymore. With customer expectations growing and third-party platforms taking more revenue and control, US small businesses are now empowered to take mobile into their own hands.

No-code platforms have made it affordable and achievable to launch your own mobile app in 2025 — and to keep your customers, revenue, and brand right where they belong: with you.

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Last Updated on May 19, 2025 by David