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How to Build a Custom Mobile App

  1. Conceptualize Your App:
    • Define the purpose and functionality of your app.
    • Identify your target audience and their needs.
    • Outline the main features and screens your app will have.
  2. Sign Up and Log In:
    • Visit the website of the no-code mobile app building platform (e.g., Mass Mobile Apps).
    • Sign up for an account if you haven’t already.
    • Log in to your account.
  3. Choose a Template or Start from Scratch:
    • Many no-code platforms offer pre-designed templates for different types of apps.
    • Select a template that closely matches your app’s concept or start with a blank canvas.
  4. Design Your App:
    • Customize the app’s layout, color scheme, fonts, and branding elements.
    • Add and the required features your app will need.
  5. Add Screens and Content:
    • Create the content for the features you added, for example if you added food ordering, then you will need to add menu items into your app.
    • Use drag-and-drop tools to add buttons, text, images, videos, forms, and other interactive elements.
    • Configure navigation between screens using links, buttons, or menus.
  6. Configure Integrated Rewards Programs:
    • Rewards programs are vital for the success of your app, its the hook that keeps your app on your customers device
    • Most platforms have pre built basic solutions like digital stamp cards or coupons you can add seamlessly
    • If you are looking for more robust options its important to investigate the platform on which you will be building your app. Mass Mobile Apps has 11 different feature rich rewards programs that can be customized to fit your businesses needs.
  7. Test Your App:
    • Use the platform’s built-in preview function to test your app’s functionality and appearance.
    • Check for any usability issues, glitches, or design inconsistencies.
  8. Refine and Iterate:
    • Based on testing, make necessary adjustments to the design, layout, and functionality.
    • Optimize the user experience and fix any identified issues.
  9. Publish Your App:
    • Once you’re satisfied with your app, follow the platform’s guidelines to publish it.
    • This will involve generating an AAB file (for Android) and submitting your app to an app store (e.g., Apple App Store, Google Play Store).
  10. Market and Promote:
    • Share your app with your customers through social media, email campaigns, and other marketing channels.
    • Rewarding your customers for sharing your app is a sure fire way to get downloads.

If your app’s requirements are more sophisticated, you might eventually need to transition to a platform like ours that can customize features based on your requirements, or move to a custom-coded solution where you will need to hire a development team. Mass Mobile Apps can handle your project whichever way you choose to go.

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How Can a Mobile App Help Your Business in 2023

Mobile apps have become an essential tool for businesses in today’s digital age. Here are a few reasons why mobile apps can be beneficial for your business:

  1. Increased customer engagement: Mobile apps allow businesses to connect with customers in a more personal and direct way. With push notifications, businesses can easily keep customers informed about promotions, sales, and other important information.
  2. Improved customer loyalty: Mobile apps can help businesses build customer loyalty by providing a convenient and personalized experience. Features such as loyalty programs and rewards can encourage customers to return to the app and make repeat purchases.
  3. Increased sales: Mobile apps can help businesses increase sales by providing customers with a quick and easy way to make purchases. With in-app purchasing, customers can make a purchase without ever leaving the app, making the process seamless and convenient.
  4. Cost-effective marketing: Mobile apps can be an cost-effective way for businesses to reach and engage customers. Marketing campaigns can be targeted specifically to app users, and push notifications can be used to promote sales and special offers.
  5. Improved customer service: Mobile apps can also be used to improve customer service by providing customers with easy access to information and support. Features such as chatbots and FAQ sections can help customers find the information they need quickly and easily.

Overall, mobile apps can be a powerful tool for businesses looking to improve customer engagement, increase sales, and build customer loyalty. With the increasing popularity of mobile devices, it is becoming increasingly important for businesses to have a mobile app to stay competitive in today’s digital landscape.

*This article was written with ChatGPT

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When Will Your Company Go Mobile?

If you are a business owner today — no matter what size your business is — you need to start thinking about a mobile-first strategy if you have not already done so. In today’s world, businesses everywhere are looking for an edge, especially small businesses. Mobile can be that edge.

It is no longer a question of if your business should adopt a mobile strategy, the question is when. When small business owners start their research into app development, they might be discouraged when they find out what it is going to cost. The average mobile app can cost $270,000 to develop, according to a survey from Kinvey.

Those figures are sure to scare away most small business owners, and even some of the bigger ones. I have some unique insights into this process, having seen it from both sides. I have a retail background and in 2014, I was looking for a way to better connect with my customers. I tried many of the marketing tools available to me, including radio, magazines, flyers, email, social media and paid web. Some avenues had results and others did not, but with all the competition for the attention of my customers, it became increasingly difficult to stand out.

The goal of my marketing efforts was to get my message in front of my customers in the most effective way possible and to increase sales as a direct result of those efforts. A Google search for how to increase sales resulted in my “aha moment.” Businesses with loyalty programs generally have profits that are higher than businesses without one, and companies like Starbucks saw a 26% increase in profits after introducing a loyalty program. I began looking for ways to implement a loyalty program for my business and after a few days of research settled on a mobile loyalty app. In 2014, the mobile app landscape was not where it is today and what I was looking for did not exist, so I went out and built it.

As a retail owner who also founded an app development company, I know that a business owner today can design, build and publish their own custom mobile app for less than it would cost them to publish 10,000 flyers just once. The mobile app today is as essential to businesses as a website has been in the past. Over time, I believe it will become the most effective way to connect with and engage your customers.

If you look back 20 years, how many businesses had a website? Today, a business without a website is like a business without a sign. If I look ahead five years, I can imagine a landscape where mobile is the dominant medium — even more so than it is today.

When looking for a mobile solution, it is important to make sure that the solutions being offered are ones that you will use. There are a lot of mobile app builders available today, and the solutions they provide are as different as the businesses they serve. Look for a platform where you can speak to a real live person to get a full understanding of the solutions they offer.  Features are important, and like anything, it is quality, not quantity that matters here. Look for the types of features that you will use in your business.

For example, almost every mobile app builder offers some type of loyalty program. Most that I have seen are simple programs like a digital stamp card — buy nine and get your tenth free. If you are running a cafe, that might be sufficient, but most other types of businesses will need something a little more robust. In designing our loyalty system, I really wanted to have something that would not only reward my customers but would boost my bottom line. As a result, we introduced transaction-based rewards where users are rewarded for the purchases they make. The more they spend the more they earn. This is a win-win proposition for both the consumer and the business owner. When thinking about making a purchase, the consumer is incentivized to not only buy with you but to spend more when they do. The business owner can now offer rewards instead of discounts and ensure that their best customers receive the most rewards.

That is one example of how different features can be between app providers, even if they sound the same. While you think you are comparing apples to apples, in reality, the two offerings could be very different. Do your research, check out more than one company and tell them what you are looking for and what you hope to gain with your mobile app. This is an extremely important decision, and you need to do it right the first time because unlike a website that can be redesigned if you are unhappy with it, moving to a new mobile app platform will not only cost you more money, it will cost you more time and you will lose the downloads you have accumulated.

Your company’s shift to mobile is an inevitability. It’s no longer if you go mobile, but when.

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How much is an app worth? Apple will soon make you choose

A huge swath of American consumers will soon have to make a choice about how they support their favorite apps, and an entire industry is on the edge of their seat, waiting. Why? Because Apple made it so. They even made a very big deal of it on World Privacy Day in January.

If you have an Apple device, you’re likely running iOS 14, even if it’s not the most current iPhone 12. Typically, 50% of iPhones are successfully updated to the latest OS within 30 days of launch — and as of December 2020, 80% of iPhones were running iOS 14.

If you’ve updated and successfully removed the red notification from your settings app, it also means you are now using the new operating system and according to Apple, “Privacy. That’s iPhone.”

While their “Privacy” ads don’t explain how the company protects your information, anyone working in mobile can explain, firstly, that it now requires apps to tell you exactly which information they would gather, if given permission, in what Apple is calling a “Privacy Nutrition Label:”

Now that you know exactly what they would gather from you, you have the option to opt-in to data information gathering and tracking.

On earlier versions of Apple’s operating system, you had to make a concerted effort to opt out via settings. Now, Apple forces developers to give you that choice earlier through a popup that will appear when a developer requests your device ID. It will inquire if you want to “Ask app not to track” or if you’ll “Allow” it.

Most people say they care about privacy, and that they don’t trust tech companies’ use of their data. Yet, when asked if the “trade-off” of sharing information is worth more personalization and other benefits, they say yes. When there is a clear purpose to data-sharing (e.g., stopping COVID-19 spread) consumers are extremely willing to share even sensitive health data, as well as their location, social media, and search history.

So maybe it’s time to think about what you want out of your app experiences. More specifically, what is the purpose of app tracking and sharing your data with that developer? What is the benefit of saying “Allow” when that modal pops up?

First, many app developers have functionalities within their app that require some level of data about you in order to serve you their experience as it was intended. You can’t check the weather or traffic where you are without opting into location tracking.

Second, while most people dislike ads, they aren’t going away anytime soon. Those weather, traffic, and even mobile gaming apps are free, and the people who create them need to get paid — so unless you’re paying to upgrade that app or buying items within it, you’re going to get ads.

If you opt out of that tracking option, the advertising you receive will be generic ads that will likely annoy you even further. Remember the early web? Viagra ads were seemingly everywhere. Think about that … but with video and more!

What about the collective good? If there is one trend that has marked this past year, it’s been seeing new possibilities of altruism in society. Human beings do take actions to help others — as long as it doesn’t harm us, of course.

When you opt in to being tracked for the sake of advertising, to sharing that ID, you’re saying, “I support the advertising model where I receive value (i.e., news, gaming, entertainment) in exchange for my attention. I recognize that content creators need to make a living.” It’s a value exchange, just like seeing commercials when you watch TV, Hulu, and so on.

Even if I didn’t work in advertising, I would take that trade. Why? Because I live in Texas where barbecue is practically a religion. To perfect my own technique, I watch BBQ channels on YouTube. If those guys (shout out to John Setzler and Malcolm Reed) weren’t compensated by ads, I don’t think the content created would be nearly as well thought-out nor frequent. It would be their hobby, not a job or a side gig.

So I’m all in on supporting the ad model. In my opinion, it works. Apple has essentially made privacy its defining feature versus Google’s Android, potentially to the detriment of hundreds of thousands of app developers out there. If your favorite app runs ads, ask yourself, what would you pay for it if it wasn’t free? If it’s less than about $5 per month, per app, it’s not enough.

When Apple finally launches this feature in early Spring, you will have a decision to make. It’s an entirely personal choice, of course, and for users who know they care about privacy and have already taken some actions to protect it — which is about 1 in 3 people, called “privacy actives” — the choice is clear.

But for the rest of us, it’s not so obvious.

Written by: Jonathan Harrop who is Senior Director, Global Marketing & Communications at AdColony.

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How to Test or Preview Your App While Building it?

Getting Started

To test beta versions of apps and App Clips using with an Apple device you will need to use the TestFlight app, you’ll need to accept an email or public link invitation from us and have a device that you can use to test.

All other invited testers can access builds that the developer makes available to them. A developer can invite you to test with an email or a public link.

The testing process with Android devices are much simpler – simply download our Preview Tool App and input the Preview Code and you are set. You will be able to see a working prototype of your app on your smart phone.

Required platforms

  • iOS apps: iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch running iOS 8 or later. App Clips require iOS 14 or later. iMessage apps and sticker packs require iOS 10 or later.
  • tvOS apps: Apple TV running tvOS 9 or later.
  • watchOS apps: Apple Watch running watchOS 2 or later.

TestFlight is not available for Mac apps.

Available Languages

TestFlight for both iOS and tvOS is available in Arabic, Catalan, Chinese (simplified), Chinese (traditional), Croatian, Czech, Danish, Dutch, English (Australia), English (U.K.), English (U.S.), Finnish, French, French (Canada), German, Greek, Hebrew, Hindi, Hungarian, Indonesian, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Malaysian, Norwegian, Polish, Portuguese (Brazil), Portuguese (Portugal), Romanian, Russian, Slovak, Spanish, Spanish (Latin America), Swedish, Thai, Turkish, Ukrainian, and Vietnamese.

Installing and Testing Beta Apps

Each build is available to test for up to 90 days, starting from the day the developer uploads their build. You can see how many days you have left for testing under the app name in TestFlight. TestFlight will notify you each time a new build is available and will include instructions on what you need to test. Alternatively, with TestFlight 3 or later, you can turn on automatic updates to have the latest beta builds install automatically.

When the testing period is over, you’ll no longer be able to open the beta build. To install the App Store version of the app, download or purchase the app from the App Store. In-app purchases are free only during beta testing, and any in-app purchases made during testing will not carry over to App Store versions.

Installation

To get started, install TestFlight on the device you’ll use for testing. Then, accept your email invitation or follow the public link invitation to install the beta app. You can install the beta app on up to 30 devices.

Installing a Beta iOS App via Email or Public Link Invitation

  1. Install TestFlight on the iOS device that you’ll use for testing.
  2. Open your invitation email or tap on the public link on your iOS device.
  3. Tap View in TestFlight or Start Testing; or tap Install or Update for the app you want to test.

Installing a Beta tvOS App via Email Invitation

  1. Install TestFlight on Apple TV.
  2. Open your invitation email on a mobile device or computer.
  3. Click or tap Start Testing. You’ll be taken to a web page with a redemption code.
  4. Open TestFlight on Apple TV.
  5. Go to Redeem and enter the redemption code.
  1. Install TestFlight on an iOS device and Apple TV where you can sign in to the same App Store account.
  2. Tap the public link on your iOS device.
  3. Tap Accept for the app you want to test.
  4. Open TestFlight on Apple TV. You must be signed in to the same App Store account you used on your iOS device.
  5. Install the app you want to test.

Installing a Beta watchOS App via Email or Public Link Invitation

  1. Install TestFlight on the iOS device that you’ll use for testing.
  2. Open your invitation email or tap on the public link on your iOS device.
  3. Tap View in TestFlight or Start Testing.
  4. If you’re testing an app that’s for Apple Watch only, tap Install or Update from the Apps list.
  5. If the app is an iOS app that includes an Apple Watch app, install the iOS app first, then from the App Details page under the Information section, you will see a Watch section. If the Apple Watch app is available and compatible with your watch, you’ll see a button to install it.

Testing

Testing iMessage Apps (iOS 10 or later)

  1. Install TestFlight on the iOS device that you’ll use for testing.
  2. Open your invitation email or tap on the public link on your iOS device.
  3. Tap View in TestFlight or Start Testing; or tap Install or Update for the app you want to test.
  4. If you’re testing an iOS app that includes an iMessage app, launch the beta app from the home screen as you would with any app.
  5. If you’re testing an app that’s for iMessage only or a sticker pack, you can launch it from inside Messages.

Testing Beta App Clips (iOS 14 or later)

After accepting your email or public link invitation to test the app, you’ll see the option to test the App Clip in TestFlight. You can install either the app or the App Clip on your device (but not both at once), and can replace one with the other at any time. If the app is installed on your device, testing the App Clip will replace the app and some app data may be lost. You can reinstall the app by tapping Install on the app’s page in TestFlight.

  1. Install TestFlight on the iOS device that you’ll use for testing.
  2. Open your invitation email or tap on the public link on your iOS device.
  3. Tap View in TestFlight or Start Testing; or tap Install or Update for the app you want to test.
  4. Go to the app’s page in TestFlight.
  5. In the App Clips section, tap TEST next to the beta App Clip you want to test.

Managing Automatic Updates

After installing TestFlight 3 or later, you’ll be prompted to turn on automatic updates. This allows the latest available beta builds to install automatically. TestFlight will notify you each time a new build is installed on your device. Automatic updates can be turned off at any time.

Change automatic update settings for all of the beta apps you’re testing using TestFlight:

TestFlight for iOS

  1. Open TestFlight and tap Settings in the upper-right corner.
  2. Tap Automatic Updates.
  3. Tap On or Off.

TestFlight for tvOS

  1. Open TestFlight and click the Settings tab at the top.
  2. Under GENERAL INFORMATION, turn Automatic Updates On or Off.

Change automatic update settings for individual beta apps you’re testing using TestFlight:

TestFlight for iOS

  1. Open TestFlight and go to the app’s page.
  2. Under App Information, turn Automatic Updates On or Off.

TestFlight for tvOS

  1. Open TestFlight and go to the app’s page.
  2. Under the app icon, click the More button.
  3. Click Turn On Automatic Updates or Turn Off Automatic Updates.

Testing Previous Builds

When viewing an app in TestFlight, you’ll see the latest available build by default. You can still test all other builds that are available to you.

  1. Go to the app’s page in TestFlight.
  2. Tap on Previous Builds.
  3. Tap and install the build you want to test. The one you select will replace what’s currently installed.

If you already have the App Store version of the app installed on your device, the beta version of the app will replace it. After you download the beta app, you’ll see an orange dot next to its name that identifies it as a beta.

When you accept a TestFlight invitation through a public link, your name and email address are not visible to the developer. However, they’ll be able to see your number of sessions and crashes, the day you installed their app, and the latest installed version.

Giving Feedback

While testing a beta version of an app or App Clip, you can send the developer feedback about issues you experience or make suggestions for improvements based on the “What to Test” content. Feedback you submit through TestFlight is also provided to Apple as part of the TestFlight service.

iOS Apps

If your device is running iOS 13 or later, you can send feedback through the TestFlight app or directly from the beta app or beta App Clip by taking a screenshot, and you can report a crash after it occurs. If you were invited to test an app with a public link, you can choose not to provide your email address or other personal information to the developer. Apple will also receive all feedback you submit and will be able to tie it to your Apple ID.

Sending Feedback through the TestFlight App (iOS 13 or later)

  1. Open the TestFlight app on your device.
  2. From the Apps list, tap the app.
  3. Tap Send Beta Feedback.
  4. In the share dialog, tap Include Screenshot to choose a screenshot. If you don’t want to send an attachment, tap Don’t Include Screenshot.
  5. Add your comments (up to 2,000 characters), and optionally enter your email address if you were invited with a public link.
  6. Tap Submit.

Sending Feedback through the Beta App (iOS 13 or later)

When you take a screenshot while testing a beta app or beta App Clip, you can send the screenshot with feedback directly to the developer without leaving the app or App Clip Experience. Developers can opt out of receiving this type of feedback, so this option is only available if the developer has it enabled.

  1. Take a screenshot on your device. For details on how to take screenshots, see Take a screenshot on your iPhone, Take a screenshot on your iPad, and Take a screenshot on your iPod touch.
  2. A thumbnail of your screenshot appears in the lower-left corner of your device. Tap the thumbnail and, if needed, add drawings and text with Markup. Then tap the Done button.
  3. Tap the Share Beta Feedback.
  4. Optionally, you can add comments (up to 2,000 characters), and your email address if you were invited with a public link.
  5. Tap Submit.

Sending Crash Information (iOS 13 or later)

If you experience a crash while testing a beta app or beta App Clip, you’ll receive an alert asking if you want to send crash details to the developer through TestFlight. Developers can opt out of receiving this type of feedback, so this option is only available if the developer has it enabled.

When the crash alert displays, tap Share, add any additional comments, and tap Submit.

Sending Feedback through the TestFlight App (iOS 12.4 or earlier)

If your device is running iOS 12.4 or earlier, tap Send Beta Feedback to compose an email to the developer. The feedback email contains detailed information about the beta app and about your iOS device. You can also provide additional information, such as necessary screenshots and steps required to reproduce any issues. Your email address will be visible to the developer when you send email feedback through the TestFlight app even if you were invited through a public link.

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Staying Connected With Customers

In today’s COVID-19 world, where businesses are closed and social distancing is the new normal how do you as a Business Owner stay connected to your customers? Any and every way you can… I have received emails from most of the companies I deal with telling me about the measures they are taking to combat the virus and after a few of those I have begun deleting and moving on without reading the rest.

That’s where having a channel that a Business Owner can use to get their messages out and know they are being seen is CRUCIAL! Its not so much about now, but about after this blows over (and it will blow over) that your customers will need to know that you are back and how you will be conducting business moving forward.

The main stream media is doing a great job at keeping people informed on the general conditions and closures that we are all having to deal with now, so letting your customers know that you are closed is not a necessity. What is important is staying in touch with your base during this time with positive content and information about your business and when the time comes that we can get back to some type of normalcy to let them know when you will be back.

With this down time, its the perfect time to get your business setup with the channels of communication your customers are used to using and there is no better channel than Mobile. The team at Mass Mobile Apps have the ability to set you up with a custom mobile app that will allow you to connect with customers via 1)Push Notifications 2)Email and 3)SMS/Text Messaging. All 3 channels are directly integrated into our system and will give you 3 x the advantage of just using 1.

Connect with our team to get you setup and connected with your customers, we understand that your revenues are down so we are offering low cost options to get you setup.

There is no point in panicking over things you cannot control, get ready and be ready for the moment when you are back in business!

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Benefits of a Mobile Loyalty App

 

 

 

 

 

Today’s Consumer spends an inordinate amount of time on their smart phones.  From playing games, connecting on Social Media, and even doing their banking.  Smart Businesses have seen this trend, and understand that they need to position themselves on a channel that consumes so much of their clients attention.

The absolute best and most effective way to do this is to adopt a Mobile First Strategy for your Business, one that includes a Responsive Website (which means that the site is view able on mobile) and a Custom Mobile App.

 

  • Apps Reduce Marketing Costs

Built in E mail and SMS programs, along with unlimited Push Notifications give your business the ability to connect with your customers and know your message is being seen, all at virtually no cost.

  • Apps are a Constant Reminder of Your Business

Mobile Apps REINFORCE YOUR BRAND by increasing visibility.  Your Businesses Logo in an icon on a screen your customers look at hundreds of times a day is priceless!

  • An App Will Generate Repeat Business and à INCREASE SALES!

With our integrated tiered Loyalty Program, you can now reward your customers for shopping instead of discounting.  Studies have proven, that Businesses with a Loyalty Program in place do 20+% better than those without one.  Our Proprietary Actionable Loyalty Initiatives, (ALI) will allow you to reward your customers for actions in the app, like sharing an image, notification or liking any of your existing social media pages.

  • Apps Give You Measurable Marketing Tools

Push Notifications have open rates of 98%, SMS/Text Messages have open rates of 99.9%, compare that to emails that have open rates of 20-30%, and you will start to see a real return on your investment.  You no longer have to rely on “Hope Marketing”, with the built-in marketing tools in the Mass Mobile Apps platform you can new send a marketing message and know it’s being seen!

  • M-Commerce – Monetize With Mobile

Integrate your existing e-commerce site into your app, or add an e-commerce module that will allow you to sell products directly through the app.  Today its important that your business is available to your customers in a Mobile Channel.

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4 Ways to Build Trust With Your Customers

What efforts do you take to build trust with your customers? Building solid, trusting relationships with your customer base is one of the best ways to retain them. In fact, News Cred’s recent study revealed that among millennials, the top three brand loyalty drivers include a great product (77%), followed by brand recognition (69%) and trust (69%).

Research also shows that retaining customers is much cheaper than acquiring new ones. The longer a customer is loyal to a brand, the more money they spend. What does that mean for your bottom line? According to a study cited by Retention Science, increasing customer retention by just 5 percent increases profits by 25-95 percent.

Needless to say, building trust with your customers is a worthwhile and profitable endeavor.

Here are four ways to build trust with your audience:

1. Communicate with customers on a regular basis
Communications with your customer base should not revolve solely around purchasing. If customers feel like every communication is a sales push, before long, your attempts to connect will get ignored and you’ll dash any hope of building trust.
Instead, communicate with your customers on a regular basis. Consider emailing a regular newsletter, sharing links to helpful articles on your social media channels or providing how-to articles on your blog. Customers appreciate useful information that makes their day a little better.

For example, if you run a fast casual restaurant, create a monthly newsletter to highlights upcoming menu items and introduce new staff. If you run a cleaning company, share an article containing tips to clean up nail polish or general organizing or stain removing hacks. Be intentional with your communication. If customers hear from you with useful tips, product updates, relevant market research, etc… on a regular basis, your occasional promotional email won’t feel out of place. It’s just another message from a friend.

2. Provide quality customer service in your store

One of the best ways to gain trust is to offer your customers service they can’t find anywhere else. Here’s a quick checklist to make sure your service inside your store is top-notch:

  • Make sure your staff is friendly.
  • Create a welcoming environment that keeps customers coming back.
  • Train employees to nurture your customer relationships. Don’t assume employees know how to interact with your audience, show them.
  • Collect and use feedback. Ask your customers to provide feedback and use it to implement changes that can improve their experience. Collect feedback in store and online.
  • Show gratitude. Make sure your customers know that you appreciate them. Send exclusive deals to your most valued customers, host a customer appreciation event and set up a loyalty program that rewards your customers for their continued support.

3. Consider providing customer support on social
With so many of your customers being on social media, using these platforms to offer service and support is quickly catching on. Xbox, a popular gaming system company, offers customer support through Twitter. Customers can tweet questions and get live help. It’s so popular that Xbox has created multiple accounts to manage the traffic.
If you plan to offer support on social channels there are a few tools that can help. ZenDesk, for example, offers software that manages customers’ requests and creates a self-help arena for customers to troubleshoot issues on their own. Desk.com is another option. It creates a universal inbox where you can help your customers through social sites like Facebook and Twitter all from one dashboard. Your online service should compliment your service efforts in store.

4. Own up to mistakes

Customers reward companies that are honest and transparent. If you make a mistake, own up to it. Whether you missed a service appointment or have products on back order, it’s important to communicate any issues or delays with those customers.
As soon as you’re aware of a problem, reach out. For example, when Adorama fell short on cameras, an email was sent to explain that the item was on backorder. The company apologized for the wait and offered additional relevant information like how to cancel an order.
Mistakes happen. Research shows 95% of complaining customers will forgive a company if a problem is resolved in the next interaction. So, in addition to being honest, you also need to act quickly. Customers expect swift solutions.

How do you build trust with your customers? Feel free to share any additional strategies or tips.

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Boost Loyalty Program Participation

Loyalty program participation and enrollment are two completely different things. Participation is when your loyalty program members are actively engaged in the program. Its success is based on a high level of member engagement, not on enrollment. In this post, I will explain how to boost your loyalty program participation rates.

Enrollment vs. Participation

As I mentioned before, enrollment does not mean members are participating. Joining a program is easy, but getting people to engage, is the real goal. Typically, loyalty program enrollment is high but active participation is low. This is because many retailers both online and offline give a great incentive to join (which I recommend) but fail to offer any subsequent motivators or opportunities to engage.  The success is in the follow-up. The goal is to entice people to join your program and then give them reasons to engage.

Boost Loyalty Program Participation
The question now becomes, what do I do to get all the members I attract to my program to stay and participate? Here are 5 ways to encourage loyalty members to actively participate in your loyalty program:

1. Be Transparent
A survey conducted by Colloquy Loyalty found that the number one factor behind active participation in loyalty programs is simplicity. An astonishing 81% of respondents state that ease of use is important to them. So how do you adjust your program to these findings?

Keep it simple. You want your program to be as transparent and user-friendly as possible. Make sure your members know everything they need to know to actively participate. You must be very clear on how they will earn and spend points. Have an area of your site dedicated to educating members on how many points can be earned and how. The most important ones to be clear on are the number of points earned per purchase and the number of points required to redeem a reward.

2. Lots of Ways to Earn Points
Your members have grown tired of those standard retail loyalty programs that only give points when you make a purchase. They want a program that gives them a number of different ways to earn points. The same study by Colloquy found that 50% of respondents said that they participate more in programs that have multiple ways to earn.

Adding variety to your loyalty program is not hard to do especially with e-commerce programs. Online stores can easily offer rewards for things like social sharing, referring friends, birthdays and more. A solution like a Mass Mobile App makes it easy to add variety to your online loyalty program. You can easily integrate existing e-commerce platforms with Mass Mobile Apps.

3. On-Site Reminders and Cues
In the online world, you do not have a cashier asking every person who checks out if they would like to collect reward points on their purchase. That is why you must strategically place loyalty program reminders across your website especially on your homepage, above the fold. Not only does this remind existing members to participate it also acts as a point of differentiation from your competitors. If you have a program and they don’t, a potential customer will likely choose you. You can also use other on-site promotion methods like floating tabs, slider or hero images, and even pop-ups (just be sure not to annoy your customer).

4. External Reminders and Cues
Reminders on your site are great but they’re only effective if your customers are visiting you frequently. According to many studies, email marketing is the most effective and easy to use marketing tool available to today’s digital marketers.

A great way to boost participation in your loyalty program is to combine loyalty and email marketing into a “super campaign”. Use email to send your program members notifications relating to earning and redeeming points, special bonus offers and upcoming sales or promotional events. You can also email all of your non-program members to let them know about the benefits of the program. Combining your loyalty marketing and email marketing is one of the most effective ways to increase program awareness and boost loyalty program participation.

5. Obtainable Rewards
One of the biggest mistakes I see with any loyalty program is making the rewards too difficult to accrue. How is anyone supposed to get the 20,000 points needed for your reward if you are giving 1 point per $1 spent on your tea site? They would have to spend $20,000 to get a reward. Would you participate in that program?

Your loyalty program members become hooked on your program when they first spend points on a reward, not as they are accumulating points. That is why you need to make it easy to obtain rewards. I like to recommend a substantial points reward for referrals.  Help grow your membership organically. When a member refers a friend who makes a purchase, reward them handsomely and they will tell two more friends!
I also like offering a few of what I call “aspirational rewards.” These are rewards that are designed to be ridiculously hard to achieve. They give your program a talking point and can help differentiate your program. Just be sure there are plenty of obtainable rewards as well.

How Do I Know if Participation is Improving?
You now have a few things you can do to boost your loyalty program’s participation rate. But, before you race out and try all these new tactics at once, you will want to know how to measure success. Customer lifetime value, repeat purchase rate, and net promoter score can be key performance indicators. However, if you want to measure changes in your participation rate I recommend using your redemption rate. Your redemption rate shows you the percentage of your issued points that are being converted into a reward. If your members are participating, they will be spending their loyalty points. Start by performing the above equation today to get your baseline. Then make some of the above changes and measure your redemption rate again. An increase in redemption means that your participation is on the rise.

Just remember that if your redemption rate is currently below 20% you may have a serious loyalty program problem. If that is the case, feel free to contact us. You can also check out our free resources like our loyalty ebook library and video learning center.

Here is one business we’ve worked with to go mobile. Watch this video about Denim Industries:

Interested in getting your own retail mobile app? Click here for a free demo.

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Increase Customer Spending : Six Ways to Encourage Loyal Spenders

Finding Value
For better or worse, I am somewhat of a regular at the local casino. I don’t have TOO many vices, and I’m always extremely responsible.  I have a pre-set limit of how much I’ll allow myself to spend per visit and have only exceeded it on a handful of special occasions. Many people I know spend much more on bar tabs or shopping sprees in a day than I spend in two weeks at the casino, and none of them will have a chance at striking it rich…but that’s enough of me trying to justify a bad habit of mine.

Each time go, I’m struck by the “favouritism” shown to the high rollers who saunter in only three or four times a year.  I may know the dealers by name, given how often I’m there, but I’m not spending enough for the casino to see any value in enticing me to return. It’s a business, after all.  And like any business, they need to pay close attention to the serious customers and encourage them to come back. Free meals and the odd free night will do just that.

What small business owners can do to encourage customers to spend more each visit
While regular customers are a good sign for your business and are absolutely worth your time to cultivate, at the end of the day you’re running a business. You need money to keep your doors open, and the more money somebody spends at your place of business, the more valuable they are to your success.

 

With that in mind, here are a few suggestions to consider in order to increase customer spending per visit:

1. Build Loyalty  (You can read other entries on how to gain loyal followers, but our focus with this entry is how to increase customer spending per visit.)

You’ve no doubt heard us bang the drum on the importance of loyalty. That’s no coincidence.

In today’s world of retail e-commerce competition is higher than ever. Interested shoppers can search online for what they’re after to find the best price and free shipping. You want them to keep coming back to YOU.  You’ve already earned their trust.  Now you have to build loyalty. Consider having them try out a new premium, high-priced item. Let them know they are part of an elite “membership” with exclusive access. Not only will this make them feel special and a valued part of your business (which they are), you will also establish the perfect control group to test this new product or service you’re about to debut.  It’s also worth keeping in mind that loyal customers are far less sensitive to higher prices than infrequent or completely new customers.

2. Package Your Goods

“Would you like fries with that?” represents the quintessential package deal. Burger purveyors realized long ago the value of bundling their goods, which is why you would be hard pressed to find a fast food chain that didn’t offer some semblance of a value meal. Burger, fries and a drink may not be what you’re selling, but don’t overlook this tried-and-true mechanism of increasing your customer’s spending.

Some packages just make sense, plain and simple. If your business is in the hiking/backpacking trade, you probably sell your fair share of sleeping bags and tents. You also probably sell a considerable number of backpacks, water purifiers and hiking poles. Many of your customers are probably purchasing an item or two for a backpacking trip. Why not combine them and offer a slight discount on a bundle? If your customer buys a winter-rated sleeping bag, why not offer to throw in a set of hiking poles for 25% off? They may be in the market for the poles as well, and a small discount certainly won’t break your bank.
Another tactic to consider when it comes to bundling is to offer deep discounts on items that you’re struggling to move off the shelf. If you have an overflow of mosquito netting that you just can’t seem to offload, try offering it for 75% off with any purchase over a certain dollar amount. You may not be making as much (or any) money off the netting, but at least you’re reducing your inventory and making shelf space for something that will (hopefully) be a stronger seller.

3. Raise Prices
This is often seen as tremendously scary territory for small business owners – after all, consumers can be notoriously sensitive to increased prices and rightly so. But instead of viewing it as simply raising prices without cause, try and think about what kind of value and results you are providing, in addition to your goods and services. It may be wise to try and match your prices to be in line or under what your competition is offering. After all, don’t you feel your offerings are superior to theirs?

Test the waters with small increases – something as little as one to five percent on a basic or entry level item that you know to be popular. Give it a few months, then compare this data to your previous, lower price. Were customers disgruntled by the increase in price? Odds are, they were not, and with measurable data you’ll be able to see if the increase was worth it. Experiment with different prices for a reasonable amount of time and you’ll find that the market will dictate the pricing sweet spot for you.

Happy and comfortable customers spend more. Use that to your advantage.
In addition to some of the more straightforward tactics mentioned above,
there are a few seemingly non-traditional ones that are worth mentioning:

4. Follow Your Nose
If you run a bakery, cologne shop, or potpourri emporium, you can skip right over this – but for other small business owners, do not overlook the importance of a fragrant storefront. Studies by marketing services company DMX and the Smell and Taste Research Foundation have both shown that customers are not only more likely to make purchases in a pleasant-smelling environment, but are also willing to spend more money for the same item. The most popular fragrances to open up the ol’ wallet? Coconuts, flowers, and tropical gardens.

5. Let The Sunshine In
People tend to be happier in sunshine, and when people are in a better mood, they tend to spend more. A study conducted by the University of Alberta found strong empirical evidence that customers who shopped in an area with more natural light were more likely to make a purchase and spent more per visit – in some cases, as much as 56% more. Take advantage of sunny days and consider splurging on one-time upgrades such as skylights or additional windows.

6. Chill Out
According to a study conducted by Virginia and Houston universities, people spend less when they are hot. Whether we realize it or not, when we’re warmer (due to stress or weather), we are perceptibly less likely to make complex decisions (such as decide if something is a good deal or not) than we are when we’re cooler and generally more comfortable. So, when the hotter months roll around, don’t be a miser and try to skimp on the AC. Your higher utility bill may very well be offset by increased spending by your cool customers.

You can’t expect to convert all of your patrons into “high rollers”. Consider these tips as ways to turn somebody who typically purchases three items for $20 into someone who will regularly purchase four or five items for $25 or $30. It may not seem like much at the time, but it all adds up and more importantly, adds to your bottom line.

Here is one business we’ve worked with to go mobile. Watch this video about Denim Industries:

Interested in getting your own retail mobile app? Click here for a free demo.