Sunday, 3 August 2014

If you are a small business owner, you probably understand the importance of providing great service and building rapport with your customers. You may also seek to match your pricing, services and product offerings with your deep-pocketed competitors in an attempt to keep existing customers and attract new ones. Today, the retail and service sectors of business are being redefined by digital communications and mobile-friendly storefronts.
Flurry, a mobile analytics company, estimates that the U.S. consumer spends approximately two and a half hours on their smartphone and/or tablet every day. Of that chunk of time, 80% is spent using mobile apps, while the remaining 20% is spent browsing the web.

What do those numbers mean for small businesses, and how should you approach the decision to have a smartphone app developed for your small business?

A smartphone app should be seen as a tool that provides a familiar technology to your customers, while amplifying the great customer service you’re already known for in innovative ways. Don’t look at a smartphone app as a way to keep up with the national and regional chains that make up your competition. You didn’t bring your business to where it is today by “keeping up,” but by exceeding the services offered by your competitors and excelling in the areas of customer service and communication. Here are three important components of your small business operation that stand to benefit from having your own smartphone app.

1) Advertising

Push notifications originating from your app can deliver news of your latest deals, special hours, and new products and services, right on your customer’s screen. Additionally, your app icon will be occupying valuable “screen real estate” on your customers’ phones.

2) Listening

Mobile phones aren’t just for voice communication, anymore. Mobile users are relaying their thoughts and opinions via social media and comments sections on mobile web pages and forums. Take advantage of this new form of communication to facilitate better communication with your customers and improve your products and services by collecting reviews and comments within your own app.

3) Adapting

Big businesses don’t have a monopoly on new ideas nor the means to implement them. Smartphone apps are the perfect tools for small businesses that have succeeded during difficult economic times by staying agile in their response to challenges and opportunities. Capitalize on your adaptability and turn out an app with functionality that puts even your biggest competitor on its heels!

Small business mobile apps



Small business mobile apps – Ways your business stands to benefit from mobile marketing

Efficient customer care – business apps make it easy for you to offer customer support. This can be in the form of FAQs or through a support ticket creation method. This makes support easier with short messages that are easy to handle as opposed to lengthy calls.

You are closer to your clients – understanding your client’s need is the first step towards business success. With a mobile app, you can know which tabs are most popular, the time your app is used most and what your target market is. This info can be valuable for your ad campaigns.

Increased sales – this is the leading benefit why you ought to use small mobile apps. With an app, you can have special media sharing buttons where your clients refer you to their social circles. This leads to increased traffic and sales.



How to make small business mobile apps work for your small business

Support existing function – when designing your mobile app, consider your business’s functions. Think of ways to make your client’s life easier. You can include reminders that let your customers know when their orders are ready. Strive to offer quick solutions to your clients needs.

Ask for client feedback – after creating your app, work to improve it always. Read client’s feedback on your app and services and improve on the negative factors to make the client experience easier when using your app. This makes your clients feel important and using your app is a breeze.