Thinking of launching a mobile app for your business? If not now when?
Now is the time to ride this wave of opportunity.
We all know, as entrepreneurs and business owners, that to remain competitive in today’s marketplace, you must position your business to take advantage of emerging trends. Mobile marketing is NOT in the future, it is NOW!
Did you know that statistics show that mobile consumers have their mobile phone or devices within 3 feet of them 23 hours a day? Just think about the opportunity before you to have YOUR business on the mobile device of your customers or prospects 23 hours a day / 365 days a year? Now that my friends is what I call OPPORTUNITY! I don’t know of any other marketing medium that has the same power to instantly grab the attention of your target market.
What do you think the average response or open rate is today with email marketing? Unless you have a super responsive and active list, you will only see 4%-9% open rates within the first 24-48 hours of hitting the submit button. Mobile text or push messages are seen and opened 97% of the time in the first 4 minutes. Now that is impressive! Just think about your own mobile behavior, or heck, just look around.
The consumer expectation is that each “Brand” has an application that you can download and access on your mobile device.
We are often asked the question: “Why should I have a mobile app?” Here are some reasons why you should have one:
- Build customer loyalty. Everyone likes to feel included in something special, so make customers feel like VIPs by offering them discounts, coupons, and promotions just for using and downloading the app.
- Create a viral buzz. Encourage customers to use the mobile app to quickly tell all their friends about your business using the built-in sharing capabilities of Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, your blog, SMS, and email.
- Increase customer lists. A mobile app can collect names and email addresses directly from the app and easily export them to major email marketing campaign services for use in additional emails.
- Get instant feedback. Mobile apps allow customers to leave comments on fan walls, share photos, and send feedback in a variety of ways.
What is an app? An app is an application that must be downloaded and installed on a mobile device, rather than displayed in a browser. Users visit device-specific portals, such as Apple’s App Store and Android’s Google Play Market, to find and download apps for a particular operating system. An app provides interactive engagement with users and works more like a computer program than a website.
The application can pull content and data from the Internet, similar to a website, or it can download the content so that it can be accessed without an Internet connection.
It is expected that by mid-2012, more people will be accessing the Internet on their mobile devices than on their PCs. With that in mind, the importance of one’s business or service looking right on all the different mobile platforms cannot be stressed enough; otherwise you will lose business.
What better way for your business to stay in touch with your customers than with your own custom mobile app!
Do you have customers and clients you want to communicate with and keep in touch with? If so, what is the best way to do it and get responsive results? The clear choice is through mobile applications.
I’ve put together my top ten tips to ensure the success of your app:
1. Determine your goal
Are you looking for sales, brand recognition, social media engagement, or staying in constant contact with and in front of your customers and prospects?
As entrepreneurs and business owners, it’s easy for us to get distracted and overwhelmed with all our responsibilities and other great ideas. When developing your mobile marketing strategy, make sure it aligns with your core message and resonates with your audience.
2. Integrate social sharing features
We all know and understand the power of social engagement and the social sharing features of our information. All your social sites can be integrated into your mobile app which will secure and increase your brand awareness.
3. Keep your app and content up to date
Just as important as updating a blog, your app must be updated with relevant and engaging content. You need to keep the interest of the end user, or as soon as they download your app, you can delete it.
4. Integrate interactive and event features
Provide up-to-date information on all your business events and special offers by creating an events calendar. Whether you’re running live events or virtual events online, you’ll want to keep your new users engaged and aware of what you’re doing, where you’re doing it, and how they can participate. We are social creatures by nature and we want this information to be available at our fingertips… literally!
5. Create Loyalty/VIP Programs
You’ll want to incentivize your subscribers and give them a reason to not only download your app, but also to keep it on their mobile device. It’s very simple to create Loyalty or VIP programs, and your customers and prospects will LOVE you for it.
6. Develop an effective mobile marketing strategy
It’s not that if you believe it, they will come… You must prepare your marketing plan before the launch of your new app in the app stores. This will include, but is definitely not limited to:
- Be sure to send an email notification to your subscribers with URL links to the Apple and Android (Google Play) Marketplaces. So they can download it. Don’t forget to incentivize them in some way for doing it!
- Create QR codes that link directly to your app (QR codes are black and white two-dimensional squares that contain a URL or a specially encoded message that your phone’s camera together with the QR Scanner software will decode for you).
- Promotions in Social Networks… oh this can be a great tool!!!
- Keyword research for your app is just as important as it is for your website. As you build your app, or have a developer do it for you, determine what your keywords will be, as well as your app description. Both are extremely important as they are two of the most permanent features of your app and will immediately help you generate new customers and leads when done correctly.
7. Create raving fans
It is very important to create an opportunity for your app users to feel like part of your community. Remember the Social Sharing feature? Well this is just as important. What if at your next event you gave your app users the ability to upload their event photos or even write on your app’s fan wall? We have seen it time and time again on Social Networks how important this is, in fact it is essential!
8. Track your progress with in-app analytics
You want to make sure you have a way to track your app downloads from app stores/marketplaces. Tracking the number of downloads is important as you prepare for future promotions, as well as revenue streams from advertising opportunities. The more downloads you have, the more valuable you are to advertising partners. This is a great way to help monetize your app!
9. YES… The power IS in the PUSH!
This is the most important feature of all… PUSH Notifications! This is very similar to sending an email notification, but much more effective. Remember that you will have an open rate of 97% in the first minutes of sending it. You can send notices immediately or schedule them to go out on a particular day and at a time that you set.
The push notification will appear on a mobile device just like a text message would. These are delivered to everyone who has downloaded your app on their mobile device. They are displayed on smartphones and iPads/Tablets. The message will be displayed on the home screen of the phone or tablet literally the moment you press “Send”.
A word of caution though… DO NOT overuse the push notification feature. This can be interpreted as SPAM, so please do not abuse it. Treat your new app subscribers like you would your email list and provide value first, then create hunger and desire for your products and services and sales will naturally follow.
10. Promote, Promote, Promote!
Once your app is complete and published in the app stores, it’s time to get busy promoting your new marketing tool! Your app won’t download on its own to other mobile devices, so you’ll need to be proactive in marketing and promoting your new app. Now is the time to get in front of potential customers and customers.
Enlist the help of marketing partners to promote your new app, and yes, even to your friends and family, and most importantly, don’t forget about your existing customer base. they are already yours CRIME FANS!
In order for your app to be successful and give you a great new way to market to your audience, you must be willing to follow the steps listed above.
Don’t forget the golden rule of marketing: People buy from People, and those they know, like and trust! Having a mobile application for your business will help you expand your “Brand”.
Isn’t it time to share your experience and reach your mobile consumers before your competition? It’s your responsibility to make it easy for them to connect with you!
The possibilities of your mobile application are endless.