"While mobile apps offer many opportunities for retailers and other firms to get consumers to buy their products, businesses must consider how they can attract consumers to download and keep using their apps given the fast growing number and variety of apps," said Lawrence Cheung, principal consultant (IT Industry Development) at HKPC.

"Mobile apps are pull in nature versus push practices like email and SMS," said Ken Fong, chairman of WTIA. "Thus mobile apps are more popular among smartphone users than other channels."

According to survey results, 90 percent of smartphone users have actually made use of mobile apps, compared to banners on webpages (83 percent), banners in apps (80 percent), and SMSes/MMSes/mobile coupons (74 percent).