With almost a quarter of all retail sales to take place online by 2027, according to Forbes, it’s clear that e-commerce is here to stay. Online consumerism is no longer a trend but the definitive way forward!

As more and more of our community members adopt advancing technology into their daily lives, their expectations for consistent, modern innovations grow. And guess what? How they interact with your agency is no exception.

In this article, we’ll explore why mobile apps are crucial for parks and recreation agencies, highlighting the benefits for both your community and your organization.

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💻 The Digital Age for Government Agencies Has Arrived

The Digital Age for Government Agencies Has Arrived

Let's be honest—government entities aren’t exactly known for blazing trails when it comes to innovation. Things generally tend to move slower, often because of the need for careful deliberation, regulatory compliance, and ensuring equitable access for all community members.

But technology is now evolving faster than ever before, especially, when compared to just a couple decades ago. And alongside these constant advancements are the evolving buying habits and expectations of our community members.

People want the convenience of managing their activities online and through their mobile devices—just look at the stats.

The Rise of Mobile Consumerism: 6 Key Statistics

Simply by walking down the street or riding the bus, you can see that more people than ever are tuned into their smartphones. And while you may not be able to tell exactly what each person is doing on their device, the stats suggest that many of them are making e-transactions.

1. Mobile Shopping Popularity

As of 2023, approximately 79% of smartphone users in the United States have made a purchase using their mobile device within the past six months. This highlights the growing preference for mobile shopping among consumers (source).

2. App Usage for Shopping

According to a 2022 survey, about 72% of US consumers have installed at least one shopping app on their mobile devices, and 60% of those users prefer to shop using an app rather than a mobile website due to the enhanced user experience and convenience (source).

3. Importance of a Frictionless Experience

92% of consumers—that's almost all of them!—want fast and frictionless online shopping experiences. With such a high number of people valuing the ability to easily shop via the internet, it’s so important to offer an effortless way for your community to access your offerings online (source). 

4. E-Commerce Growth

In 2023, mobile e-commerce sales accounted for nearly 45% of total US e-commerce sales, amounting to over $350 billion. This demonstrates the significant role mobile apps play in the overall e-commerce landscape (source). 

5. Consumer Engagement

In 2023, US adults spent an average of nearly four hours per day connected to the internet on tablets and smartphones. This indicates a high level of engagement and potential for reaching community members through mobile apps (source). 

6. Preference for Mobile Apps

A 2023 study found that 85% of consumers prefer mobile apps over mobile websites for their shopping needs, citing reasons such as faster load times, personalized experiences, and easier navigation (source). 

These stats clearly show the shift towards mobile-first consumer behavior, reinforcing the need for parks and recreation agencies to offer a seamless mobile app experience for managing accounts and registering for programs.

Top 4 Benefits of Mobile Apps for Parks and Recreation Agencies

Change is always hard. And if you’ve never offered something like a mobile app to your community members before, you may not see the need to start now. 

But, while it can be difficult to introduce something new to your processes and workflows, the benefits of offering a mobile app to your residents far outweigh the lost opportunities.

1. Convenience for Community Members

Your community is filled with people with different schedules, commitments, and a variety of interests. Yet, regardless of what activities they want to sign up for, and when, it's so important to provide each of them with a frictionless experience.

Offering your own app provides everyone in your community with a simple, easy and convenient way to stay engaged with your agency, on their own terms.

Ease of Access

Mobile apps let users manage their accounts and register for programs whenever they want, wherever they are.

According to Statista, in 2023, mobile app usage accounted for 70% of all digital media time in the U.S. This trend highlights the importance of offering services through a platform that users are already heavily engaged with.

Whether it's signing up for a yoga class or booking a picnic spot, mobile apps make these tasks simple and accessible for anyone, from any location, anytime.

User-Friendly Interface

Unlike websites that might not be optimized for mobile devices, apps are designed specifically for mobile users. They offer a more streamlined and intuitive navigation experience, which can greatly enhance user satisfaction. 

A survey by Think with Google found that 61% of users are unlikely to return to a mobile site they had trouble accessing, highlighting the importance of a well-designed mobile app.

💡 Did you know?

Even if you decide not to go with your own custom-branded mobile app with Xplor Recreation, our recreation management software is mobile-first optimized for a seamless experience from your desktop, tablet, or smartphone. This creates an intuitive, user-friendly interface that’s easy to navigate, regardless of your device—with or without our app.

2. Improved Engagement and Participation

With a convenient way to book an activity or learn about a program at the tip of their fingers, community members can use your mobile app to better engage with your offerings.

Apps give agencies the ability to automatically notify and remind people about upcoming events and create a more personalized experience for them.

Push Notifications and Reminders

Mobile apps can send push notifications to keep users informed about upcoming events, registration deadlines, and other important updates. Research from Localytics shows that push notifications can increase app engagement by up to 88%.

Not only can this feature help encourage your community members to check in with your app, it can also keep everyone in the know. Push notifications ensure people never miss out on their favorite programs, while also reducing instances of member frustration. For example, if a pipe burst in your facility, you could send out a notification to your community notifying them that your building will be closed for maintenance.

Personalized Experience

Apps can also offer personalized content and recommendations based on user preferences and past activities. 

This personalization can drive higher engagement and satisfaction. For example, if a user frequently participates in outdoor fitness programs, the app can suggest similar activities or events. This targeted approach helps build a more engaged and active community.

💡 Did you know?

The Xplor Recreation mobile app includes AI-generated recommendations for activities based on users’ behaviors and the behaviors of others in their community. This provides that personalized experience that can increase engagement in your offerings.

3. Digitized Membership Cards

For decades, agencies have provided individuals in their communities with physical membership cards. Enabling your staff to confirm if someone has an active membership with your facilities, this piece of ID is essential to your operations.

Mobile apps offer a more seamless and secure way to provide people with this critical piece of identification.

Improved Security

With physical cards, it's so easy for people to lose them. This not only impacts your team—who end up being responsible for replacing them—it’s also not very secure.

Mobile apps can store membership cards directly in-app, or even in the digital wallet of a smartphone. This makes a digitized version of these essential cards not only more secure for your community members but also much more convenient for them to access.

Proximity Sensors

Native apps, like Xplor Recreation’s, can leverage proximity sensors which show a person’s membership card on their phone’s home screen when they’re close to your facility. This is the same feature you may have experienced when you add an airline ticket to your digital wallet, and your ticket pops up on your home screen when you arrive at the airport.

Again, this can help increase engagement with your agency, while also providing a convenient way for people to access their digitized membership cards.

4. Operational Efficiency and Cost Savings

From integrated automations to operational savings, mobile apps for parks and recreation agencies offer a more efficient and less expensive way to serve your community. This can help lead to more streamlined processes, better insight into your programming and the ability to lower costs—and your carbon footprint.

Streamlined Processes

Mobile apps can increase the adoption of online registration, meaning less in-person and over the phone registration. With a mobile app, your community members can also book into your facility through their smartphones automate their payments and manage their own accounts.

All of this helps empower people to self-service their needs—benefiting your community members and reducing the workload for your staff. In fact, a report by McKinsey & Company highlights that automation can increase productivity in administrative tasks by up to 20%.

Data Collection and Analysis

Mobile apps provide seamless integration with already existing capabilities, offering valuable insights into user behavior and program popularity through data collection and analysis. This data can help agencies understand which programs are most popular, how users are engaging with services, and where improvements are needed. These insights can help your team make the most informed decisions and help you continuously improve your service delivery.

Cost Efficiency

By reducing the need for physical materials and administrative overhead, mobile apps can lead to significant cost savings. Digital registration and payment processes eliminate the need for paper forms and cash handling, which is not only cost-effective but also environmentally friendly.

According to a study by Adobe, organizations that switch to digital processes can save up to $10,000 per employee annually.

Engage and Inspire Your Community with Your Own App

As the world becomes more connected by digital devices, parks and recreation agencies need to adapt to meet the changing needs and expectations of their communities.

Mobile apps are an easy way for you to better serve those who rely on your agency through a more convenient and engaging platform. Having your own app also offers you and your team a number of benefits, from improved operational efficiencies to cost savings.

By investing in a mobile app experience, parks and recreation agencies can ensure they remain relevant, effective, and capable of providing best-in-class services to their community members.