When you are in the process of setting up a new enterprise, building a mobile business App might not be high on your list of priorities. However, it would be wrong to ignore the potential sales such devices can generate. In fact, many successful entrepreneurs would argue that, without them, your business would find it difficult to survive.
Today it is possible for virtually any organization, regardless of its size, to afford mobile business Apps; it is more the case that no business can afford not to have them. Before deciding what your first App should look like, it is necessary to understand that there are two types.
Internal Apps are used to improve efficiency within the business and are only available to company employees. They are frequently employed as a means of accessing documents and other forms of vital information when senior managers and sales staff, for example, are working away from the office. They are also being used increasingly as training aids. External Apps are downloadable by the public at large and function in a similar way to more traditional websites.
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The benefits of introducing a mobile business App
Mobile Apps enable companies to engage with specific groups of customers and receive feedback in real time. More importantly, they have the ability to provide information relating to the customer’s location and preferences, enabling you to offer a highly individualized service. Interacting with customers in this way has been proven to boost sales.
There is convincing evidence that consumers view companies with mobile Apps more positively than companies that do not. Customers like to feel special and, because Apps make it possible to identify where they live, targeted and time-restricted sales campaigns can be organized specifically for individuals living in a predetermined area. This is a great way to encourage customers to visit your store, for example.
Can you afford to ignore Apps?
It has been estimated that smartphone subscriptions will reach a staggering 5.6 billion by 2019. It is also worth considering that a high percentage of smartphone users tend to be in the younger age group and frequently link their phones to social networking sites. This is a section of the population that your company may not previously have had access to as they gradually move away from Internet-based websites.
What does it cost?
Contrary to many people’s beliefs, setting up a business App need not be prohibitively expensive. Surveys reveal that the average cost of building a single App equates to less than one percent of a business’s turnover. When compared to the cost of other forms of marketing, and taking account of the potential for increased sales generated, this is an extremely cost-effective option.
A quick search of the internet will reveal a host of reputable companies that specialize in building Apps and that offer advice on the costs involved. A good place to start might be a site such as the Worry Free Labs blog, which is regularly updated and provides details of all the latest developments in the world of mobile business Apps.
Building your first App
As with designing a website or setting up an advertising campaign, it is essential to decide on the precise purpose and look of your first business App. As this is something of an experiment, keep everything as simple as possible and only include features you are confident will result in maximum added value.
From then on, it is a case of retaining and developing what works and gradually introducing added features. As developing a rapport with customers is highly desirable, it is important to provide a conduit that enables them to communicate their views on how they rate the App and your company.
Think about it. It doesn’t matter how great your idea is, or what an innovative product you have invented. If no one knows about it, you won’t sell a bean. The best way to get your product or service seen by the maximum number of potential customers is to set aside some time to devise and build your first mobile business App.
About Carson Derrow
