Mobile Apps for Small/Medium Business

The Pareto Principle dictates that 80% of outcomes generally come from 20% of resources. Though supposedly applicable to many different phenomena (such as nature, biology and evolution) this ‘80/20 rule’ is often applied in business and economic contexts. It must be striking, then, when sources report that 80% of businesses fail within their first 18 months, while only 20% thrive on. But the landscape of modern entrepreneurship is shifting dramatically, and new technology is ...Continue reading

As portable technology continues to simplify the lives of people, marketing teams are faced with huge challenges. Primarily, how can they outdo the completion on an itinerant platform? Without a doubt, mobile is the way to goat least that is what the data is supporting, but what exactly can be done on mobile? Well, these nine marketing teams were able to think outside the box to take mobilein many formsto the next level. Coke Ok, so Coke got lucky because Google wanted to ...Continue reading

The world of mobile is a fast moving, all-encompassing, wealth of information and opportunity. And because of this rootless convenience, people love their smar...tphones! In fact, 21st century citizens actually admit that they would go without TV, chocolate, and even sex, before they gave up their smart phone. So as a small business owner, there should be no question about your need to communicate via mobile. Simply put, your business needs an app! When consumers are willing to forego life’s pleasures in order to stay wirelessly connected to the mobile world, you’d be a fool not to run with the platform! There’s clearly an opportunity for you to grow your business using mobile technology, but like anything else that is new, it’s scary because there is nothing to use as a frame of reference. Keep in mind, however, a few years back, social media was frowned upon by the masses, and now, it’s a major outreach for business. Go back in time even further, like to onset of the Internet. No one would have invested into a webpage circa 1990. Now, a website is as important to a business as a bank account. As a business owner, you have to stay abreast of technological changes, and mobile technology is just the beginning. Matter-of-factly, you need to get into the game. Without a doubt, you have to be asking yourself, how can my business benefit from developing an app? It’s expensive, and my business doesn’t really need one. I’ll say it slower this timepeople will sacrifice chocolate, TV, and sex for their smart phones. Let me ask you this, Do you need to communicate or reach your current or prospective customers? If so, then you need an app because 52% of the population looks at its smart phone several times per hour. While creative genius will yield better results in the mobile world just as it does in any business, there are a few frames of reference that your business can use to get its brand on the mobile shelves. Remember 52% of the population looks at its phone several times per houruse this information to start your wheels spinning. 27/7 Customer Contact An app gives you the opportunity to communicate with your customers 24/7. Need to send out a brief message about a sale? Use your app’s push notifications. Need to let your customers know that an upgrade is necessary? How about time for an oil change? Is your pet walking business slow? Tell your customers how the upcoming weather is perfect for a stroll. The possibilities are endless for your business when you are constantly in your customers’ pockets and purses! You are literally with them all the time! Show them you are happy that they’ve let you join them all day, everyday! With an app, you can divulge whatever you want, whenever you want, and there’s no spam filter! Make your app an essential part of your business model, and it will give you the necessary line of communication you need to reach your customers. Why do I need an app? I use social media marketing. A strong social media presence can certainly benefit your business. It gets your brand out there, and it offers an opportunity for viewers to see what you are marketing. But, compared to social media, an app can reach more people because there is no need to compete for space on news feeds. When you publish your information on social media, you are gambling that people will see what you have to say amongst the crowed. An app, on the other hand, sends a message directly to users’ phones, so they will see what you have to say. Furthermore, when using social media, you have to adhere to the design of the social media network. An app lets you spread your creative wings. Designers can make your app to match your brand, or they can design a unique eye catching interface. Most importantly, unlike social media, building a mobile app gives you relevant information about your users. While social media and email marketing give you impressions, an app gives you figures, check outs, conversions, search data, etc. Data based decision making can easily increase ROI in any business. It’s really that simple. Push notifications compliments email marketing. Googleyou know that big digital giant that hosts about 450 million email clientskilled email marketing with its tabbed inbox. How many people check the promotions tab? Marketing giants like MailChimp and HubSpot rely heavily on email marketing, so they’ve been working to find ways around this tabbed email approach. But it’s Google. If someone can find a work around, Google will stop it. A good argument is that Google mail is just one mail client, there are many more. While that is an excellent point, no good business should invest a marketing budget to not reach approximately 450 million people. It just doesn’t make sense. Invest in the work around instead! Google moved the cheeseit’s time to find a new mazean app! Encourage your customers to download your app to receive promotions, special coupons, and first notices on great deals. After they download, the power of a push allows you to send your messages to their phonesthe device they use most often to read such information! Conclusion There is without a doubt of wealth of possibilities for your business’ app, but you have to get in the game and start exploring the mobile market, your niche, and how your customers respond. Just like any other campaign that invites new and innovative change, your business’ app will evolved into a unique and creative part of your brand.

An App for your hair salon will increase your visibility, generate new business and build customer loyalty. It’s a simple way to ensure that your business adapt...s and evolves in this new era of mobile technology. Not implementing an App to assist with customer interaction puts your salon at risk of losing business to other establishments that do. So make no mistake, you need a mobile app See more

In the B2B industries, it’s easy to lose touch with the end user or customer. Agencies and firms are always eager to expand their clients’ customer count if it means more revenue for them, so they dump money into acquisition strategies for clients and, in the process, overlook the existing customer relationships that need nurturing. This common oversight can result in a domino effect of churn: the business client loses customers and eventually the agency loses that client. T...his all-too-common mistake can be deadly. Luckily, the solution is simple: when you help your customers keep their customers through heightened retention efforts, you’re more likely to keep them too. Research has shown that acquiring a new customer costs (at the very least) 4 times as much as keeping an existing one. This gap is so pronounced, companies have scrambled to build customer success teams and radically transformed their client communications to drive loyalty. Interestingly, this business strategy is one of the few that benefits the customer just as it does the business, from customer satisfaction initiatives to loyalty programs to just extra attention paid to the ones who keep coming back. Loyal customers are good for more than just an upsell. When their loyalty is affirmed and rewarded, they respond with even greater loyalty; they’re more receptive and understanding with employees and less likely to raise complaints. Think of the value difference between your close friends and acquaintancesa handful of intimate friendships is more valuable than dozens of acquaintances, not to mention far more sustainable (unless you were born a star socialite). Similarly, you and your loyal customers stand to benefit greatly when you invest just a little more in them. Even further, when you ignore the importance of retention, you’re not just losing out on potential revenue from existing customersyou’re handing off leads to the competition who isn’t ignoring it. You do them the generous favor of characterizing them as the company that cares about customers and yours as the one that, well, doesn’t. Regardless of how invalid that assumption is, it’s one customers are very ready to make when they feel discarded after the initial sale. Even if your competition’s retention efforts are purely upsell-driven, their individualized approach will highlight what your business model is lacking. Retention efforts don’t have to start huge. Begin by retargeting some of that acquisition efforts on current customers. Offer discounts and packages, establish reward programs, and seek out customer feedback. But more importantly, help your clients do the same. Provide services like mobile apps that drive return business and customer engagement. After all, a client’s client saved is a client earned.