Smart phone adoption continues to increase at historic
rates, as predicted by many tech enthusiasts. No longer is smart phone
technology reserved for the elite, white-collar professionals. Further
advancements in cellular technology have made it possible for consumers of
varying age and income demographics to rapidly join this booming industry. Lets
take a closer look at this explosion of growth and what it means for today’s
business owner.
Historic Growth
A recent study released by the
Pew Internet & American Life Project highlights that a majority of Americans now own some sort of smart
phone, representing a significant milestone in the industry. It is widely
understood that the demographic with the highest rate of smart phone ownership
is the Gen Y population. In fact, 81% of adults between the ages of 25-34 now
own smart phones.
However, there are also significant gains in adoption among
every age group. Pew Internet reported that 56% of American adults are now
smart phone users. This represents a significant increase in adoption from last
year’s 46% adult smart phone users, and the reported 35% from two years ago.
The Trickle Down
Effect
As smart phone producers continue to create innovative
technology for consumers, the market for unique smart phone services is taking
off. John du Pre Gauntt, an analyst at
GigaOM Pro, said “With more than half of
the adults in the U.S. now owning a smart phone, other industries are trying to
determine how best to target this relatively new crowd.”
Companies tapping into this new wealth of consumers vary
from technology and application development firms, to businesses seeking to
solidify a complete mobile strategy to better serve their customers.
Du Pre Gauntt went on to say, "The technology in a
smart phone hasn't really changed from a PC model, but the way we use
applications and services and the user experience in general is very
different."
This is important to understand when analyzing the
opportunity in the mobile industry. Customers are using their devices for
mapping services, price comparison while in stores, purchasing directly through
an app or the mobile web, and much more. Likewise, retailers are harnessing the
power of mobile through location specific features to send targeted deals, push
notifications to mass message their audiences and so on.
The Mobile App Market and
Your Business
The mobile app market will continue to soar as the adoption
of smart phones becomes more and more commonplace. With smart phones and
tablets being a cheaper alternative than laptops and PCs, the trend toward
mobile app usage in the workplace and education sector is growing.
As a entrepreneur, there are many ways that you can tap
into the power of mobile marketing. Creating an app customized specifically to
fit the needs of business will allow you to interact with your customers in new
and innovative ways, driving your bottomline and overall customer satisfaction.
Here are a few features that can help your business:
- Push
notifications - send direct messages to any customers that have downloaded
your app
- In-App
Purchasing - allow customers to order food from your restaurant or purchase products from you online store directly through your app
- Customer Loyalty
Programs - reward your customers for purchasing faithfully from your
establishment. Loyalty programs are big revenue drivers for small businesses
- Professional
Appearance - A business with a beautiful mobile app lets customers know that
you are an established, professional organization
- Mobile
Ads - integrating mobile ads into your app creates another solid revenue
stream for your business
Change is inevitable. In every moment that passes change is
occurring. What are you doing to keep up with change?
A mobile application is
an extreme value added feature for your business, and is quickly becoming a
must for consumer facing companies. As smart phone use continues to grow,
businesses much be agile and prepare their companies for the mobile future.
Get
in the game and harness the power of mobile!
Visit www.Cluvisapps.com to learn more about creating a beautiful mobile app for your business that you can manage yourself through our user-friendly content management system!
