EMBRACING THE MOBILE FUTURE OF BUSINESS: TIPS FOR SUCCESS

There are three important things that every business owner is trying to achieve. Yes, I know what you’re thinking: Profit, profit….and profit! I’d be remiss if I said this was false. However, to create and maintain profit, business owners focus on three main things:

• Attracting new prospects to their business
• Converting these prospects into customers
• Retaining your newly acquired customers

Advances in modern communication and technology have made customer interaction an activity that transcends across multiple platforms. In particular, the explosion of growth in the smart phone andtablet industry is opening up new avenues for businesses to connect with their customers like never before. Downloading a mobile application is simple, and customers are continuing to gravitate towards them. The question now facing today’s entrepreneur isn’t “if” a mobile application could benefit their business, but what specific features and ways a mobile app can be utilized for their advantage.

Here are a few points of consideration to aid you in successfully implementing a mobile app:

Simplicity. For customers, a business mobile application speaks simplicity and professionalism. A mobile app customized to the makeup of your business brings all of the best features and tools of your establishment to your customer’s fingertips. It’s important that the app is easy to navigate, allowing prospects to explore and interact with the app without too many distractions. Customers are prone to discard an app that they find to not be user-friendly enough. Keep it simple and clean, and create an awesome user experience.

Convenience. Business mobile applications are all about convenience for the customers and business owners alike. A customer will download an application if they think that its content will be useful and beneficial for their circumstances. Content is still king, even on a sophisticated mobile platform. Businesses must be very conscious of the information presented within their apps, and tailor it to meet the needs of the customer.

Likewise, a business mobile app can create a new revenue stream and help to streamline some of their internal processes. Offering services such as in-app product purchasing, food ordering and customer loyalty programs have proven to increase revenue and encourage repeat business. Features such as an email marketing integration and custom email forms help ease the process of collecting customer information for various purposes. Create your mobile app to be most advantageous for your business and its customers.

Directness. A business mobile application manifests directness. Through the use of a mobile app, customers are told what to do, how to do it, and for what reason they should do it. Commonsense? Maybe so. However, a business will never turn down the opportunity to directly remind customers what the hot items are that can be purchased at their store, how to get there, when the next big sale is, etc. A mobile app makes all of these things possible with the touch of a screen. Imagine the customer response when they receive a notification reminding them of a “buy 1, get 1 free shoe sale for the next 24 hours” at their favorite shoe store! The possibilities are endless.

Diversity. A mobile app for your business adds considerable diversity to your marketing mix. Mobile applications have proven to be effective tools for businesses looking to generate new customers and retain current customers. Recent studies have shown that messages targeted directly to a user’s mobile device have a much higher success rate than that of a sole email marketing campaign. This is not meant to negate the use of your current marketing strategy, but to boost its overall effectiveness. Adding a solid mobile marketing strategy along side of your current tv, radio, print and email campaigns will increase the success rate of your efforts. Take advantage of features such as push notifications that allow you to send mass promotion-based messages to the mobile devices of your clients.

With the adoption rate of mobile at an all-time high, investing in a solid mobile marketing strategy for your business has never been more important. Cluvis Apps is easing the transition to mobile for entrepreneurs by providing a painless and cost effective route to solidifying the mobile future of your business. We provide beautiful iPhone, iPad, Android and HTML5 web applications that can be managed and updated in real-time using our online content management system. Stay ahead of your customers and competition by implementing a mobile application into your business. 

To find out more information about what a mobile app would look like for your business, call us at 888.728.8884 or visit www.Cluvis.com.

The Mobile Revolution and your Retail Store!

Mobile is changing the way that customers interact with retail stores. In the infographic below, Chris Hubbard of Getchee did a good job of painting a picture of just how this revolution is changing retail. 

Call 888.728.8884 or visit www.Cluvisapps.com to find out more about how Cluvis Apps can equip your retail store to serve your customers on their favorite devices!

Infographic by Getchee

Call 888.728.8884 or visit www.Cluvisapps.com to learn more about creating a beautiful mobile app for your retail store that you can manage yourself through our user-friendly content management system!

MORE THAN HALF OF AMERICAN ADULTS HAVE SMART PHONES. IS YOUR BUSINESS READY?

Start building your mobile app for free at www.cluvisapps.com

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!