Twitter – Page 5 – Loyalty Apps – A New Way Of Doing Business

July 31, 2014

5 Reasons why business owners need a mobile app

Why business owners need a mobile app

Mobile apps are the fastest growing segment in mobile marketing, and will be a driving force for any business to achieve not only sales success but to establish brand loyalty. All SME’s need to be up to speed with the technological developments, as well as keep pace in the market and MOST IMPORTANTLY be of use to their customers. It is no longer a question of whether your business will adopt a mobile strategy, but rather when it will happen. Here are 5 reasons why you should invest in a mobile app:

The very near future is going to be all about mobile

Estimates are that by 2015 there will be over 2 billion smart phones in use. Of these users approximately 39% will not even own a laptop or desktop computer. The only way they will be able to access the World Wide Web, is via their smartphone of tablet. Pair that information with the fact that 55% of searches on mobile devices result in some form of action, either a visit to an actual bricks and mortar store front, a telephone call, or a purchase, confirms the relevance of mobile devices. An astute business owner will realize that early adoption is the key, and be at the fore front of the mobile revolution.

Mobile will encourage local shopping

Small business owners who lean on their local community will need to start thinking of their mobile strategy if they are to stay competitive, and hope to increase their market share. A recent study done by Pew Internet & American Life Project, has shown that 74% of smartphone owners use location services to find places they plan to visit, such as retail stores, restaurants, and cafes. Another study conducted in 2013 indicated that 66% of buyers planned to do their Christmas shopping in local and independent stores, and that 68% of them planned on using their mobile devices to assist them with purchases.

Mobile payments

Some merchants have already begun offering mobile payment methods for consumers, and all major processing companies have invested heavily in updating aging hardware to be able to transition to mobile payment systems. Apple, and Android devices are already capable, and it won’t be long before the option of mobile payment will be as prevalent as the traditional plastic credit card. It is no longer the American Express card that people don’t leave home without – it is the smartphone!

Users

To keep your customers coming back, its time you not only show them you value their business but you prove it as well. How can you do this with a mobile app? A built in loyalty program will do the trick! This will not only give your customers further incentive to shop with you, but will also make sure that your app is not something that is downloaded and then deleted shortly after. Studies have shown that applications with any types of rewards are maintained on mobile devices, even if the user no longer uses the app. Investing in mobile is a good way for business owners to stay competitive and relevant in their respective fields. The future is now!

Speed and all the other virtues

Today’s consumer does not only want quick and instant service, they expect it. If a customer cannot get they want out of your website within a few seconds, they are on to the next one, likely your competition. If your business has developed its own smartphone app, your customers will be able to contact you in seconds, and it will be much easier for them to do it this way. It is services like this that will separate you from your competition!

Click Here to find out more

June 25, 2014

Marketing Ideas that build your brand

” The product should be it’s own salesman. Not the product alone but the product plus a mental impression, atmosphere which you place around it.” therefore a business needs to have a solid understanding of their customer and of how to go about building their brand to achieve sustainable profitability. As a result the job of marketing your business does not end at figuring out who your target audience is, it is just the beginning. After collecting data from these four categories;

A) Demographic ( male,female,income, age)

B) Location (town,city,province,state,global)

C) Interests (clubs,hobbies, affiliates)

D) Life Events (Single, married expecting,retiring)

A business will not only have a solid insight into who exactly their customer is, but their IDEAL customer ” a person who not only wants to do business with you, but that you want to do business with.” It is important to utilize this information to your advantage when marketing your business that your objectives (increase customer satisfaction,and or increase profitability) are implemented effectively to achieve desired results. A business owner must find extremely innovative ways to engage with it’s customer’s by building social communities via social platforms e.g facebook, twitter, instagram, pinterest etc by sharing ideals, photos and by posting regularly in order to remain visible to your customer. A consistent, relevant communication on these social networks will encourage customers to interact with your business and develop an affinity to your brand. But the icing on the cake of marketing your business would be a customizable loyalty app tailored to YOUR customers wants & needs. An app would allow a business owner direct access to its customer 24/7 giving an immense opportunity to interact with your customer in a meaningful way!

It is important that existing and potential customers recognize the value in down loading your app by showcasing the benefits of the program that comes along with being a valued member. The challenge will be present itself initially when trying to acquire the apps first users but it will go much more smoothly by creating a hype and excitement before launching your new loyalty app. It is important that you know exactly the goals or goals that you want your app to achieve

1) solidify loyalty from existing customers

2) increase sales through engagement

3) keep customers knowledgeable of sales, promotions or events

4) interact with your customers through engagement, similar threads of interest

To help make the launch of your app successful marketing strategies can be used to further your brand and help reach their target audience and boost downloads

1) add originality to your app, be creative, don’t mimic someone else

2) optimize your app so it is visible

3) have a working website, be active setting up social networks

4) update new versions based on feedback

5) keep an accurate account of your apps progress

It takes the time and effort of a business to take the initiative to go the distance, not just to meet but to exceed the customers expectations. The key lays in engaging shoppers throughout the year, across as many social platforms as possible. Since the wants and needs of the consumer is constantly changing “Consumers value their time and will change their shopping behaviors based on the technological tools available.” An app from MASS MOBILE APPS will execute your vision and make shopping a social mobile experience for your business… giving customers a compelling reason to do business with you! [contact-form][contact-field label=’Name’ type=’name’ required=’1’/][contact-field label=’Email’ type=’email’ required=’1’/][contact-field label=’Website’ type=’url’/][contact-field label=’Comment’ type=’textarea’ required=’1’/][/contact-form]

June 20, 2014

The Mobile Web is Dead, It’s all about Apps!

It is becoming more apparent that the one thing people today don’t leave home without is not their American Express card, but their smartphone. They aren’t spending the day making calls, so what are they doing?

Data shows that the average user checks their phone about 110 times a day, and throughout the day they are spending 86% of their time in mobile apps.

The accompanying chart from mobile analytics company Flurry shows just how dominant the native app is compared to the mobile web. The chart shows a 6% growth in mobile app usage compared to a 6% decline in mobile web usage. More significantly, the read rate of promotional emails is between 5% – 20%, whereas a push notification is read at an astounding rate in excess of 97%. It’s still too early to predict the course apps will take in 2014, but it’s clear to see that mobile web activity is dwindling and the apps are taking over. Now every company in the world is adjusting to that reality

Amazon doesn’t have to build native apps — Amazon essentially has no competition. So why do they do it? Any why does eBay, and Facebook, and Twitter, and all the others who pour masses of development dollars into apps that no one needs?

Your customers are checking their phones 110 times a day — do you have a mobile app?

source: http://blog.flurry.com/bid/109749/Apps-Solidify-Leadership-Six-Years-into-the-Mobile-Revolution

June 13, 2014

Keep in Touch

Small businesses are investing more of their time, money and resources by effectively strengthening relationships by implementing a loyalty program. If you are a small business owner that has not leveraged the use of a loyalty program, you should…and this is why:

The January 2014 report “Achieving Big Customer Loyalty” focussed on surveying 1,000 small business owners practices and released its findings; that it is imperative that brands create personalized experiences for their loyal customers. The results are astoundingly in favor of a business implementing a loyalty program. “Manta” reported that of 1,000 small businesses (members of Manta) surveyed, 50% of business owners reported 61% of their annual revenue came from repeat customers. Loyal customers were spending 67% more than a new customer. As a result, businesses were only allotting 14% of their marketing budget towards the acquisition of new customers. So it can be said, that future marketing dollars are better spent not by chasing a new customer, but by maximizing the value in customers they already have! Unfortunately, only 34% of small business owners have adopted a loyalty program for their business, and those that have are using the tired old punch card.

For any loyalty program to be successful, it requires mass adoption. And offering a another plastic card to a customer just doesn’t cut it in today’s high paced tech savvy world! I for one automatically balk at the request of a store clerk that is offering me another piece of plastic for my wallet. It is time to enter the world of mobile marketing…why not offer your loyalty program in the form of a mobile app? In doing so, it allows a business owner to not only offer their customer the benefits associated with a loyalty program, but it gives the business a way to reach their customer on a platform that is the most engaging, and on a device that they have with them 24 hours a day. The custom mobile app offered by Mass Mobile is a product that does just that! The businesses that adopt this type of high tech engagement, get the instant credibility of being found on the “App Store” , which in the past was reserved for large scale operations, along with the ability to market in way that is sure to have the message being sent, seen by the target audience. Push notifications have the ability to been on a users smartphone just like a text message…and these messages are opened at a rate of 99.8%. This is staggering when compared to emails sent by businesses getting open rates of between 15-30%. The question is no longer, will a business adopt a mobile app, it is when will they adopt it?

Small business owners need to engage with its customers to increase its sphere of influence and to create meaningful relationships by creating personalized experiences. “Every retail brand now understands that acquisition is just the first step, and that retention is a top priority for achieving profitability.” Since 89% of consumers already participate in some type of loyalty/rewards program, the time is now to implement your own marketing loyalty strategy. Ted Williams, BIA/KELSEY’S Professor of Strategic consulting, confirms that customer loyalty programs are starting to gain traction in the small business community and went even further to say that these findings align BIA/KELSEY’S analysis that over half of small businesses will launch customer loyalty programs by the end of 2014 to help their businesses be more competitive.

Don’t be left behind, grow your sales and be on the forefront of the new way to do business!

May 14, 2014

Mobile Apps will Transform Your Business

A survey conducted, by Daniel Burns with over 700 companies asked them, if they had developed any mobile apps internally to help them with supply chain management, logistics, purchasing or sales and or support. At this point only approximately 4 percent said yes, which is extremely low considering how many smartphones and mobile devices are on the market today. The follow up question was even more interesting: ” Do you think that at least half the businesses in your industry will have their own mobile apps for these types of functions within the next 2 years?” The response was amazing, 100 percent said “YES!”

So what does this mean for your business? It means that mobile apps designed by business for either internal use, or to gain a competitive advantage will explode over the next 2 years. Which way is your business leaning? What are the trends? A hard trend will happen; a soft trend might happen. The hard trend is that businesses will be developing mobile apps customized for their company for various functions. The soft trend is whether your company will be one of them.

Here’s something else to consider: The number of smart phones and tablets in all sizes of companies has obviously exploded in the last couple of years, and this hard trend is picking up speed. So with costs decreasing and capabilities increasing, the time to act is now. The question is, “How?” A mobile app that targets your customers and is able to deliver your marketing message in a way that is unique and current. A platform your customers will see value in, and an app that they will not only download, but keep on their mobile devices. What better solution than a custom mobile loyalty app, this addresses both issues. Your customers will find value in it because they are getting something back in the form of reward dollars of points, and you will have the ability to market to those same customers. Marketing via mobile ensures your message is being seen, any app that is of value will have the ability to send push notifications. A push notification is basically a text message that is targeted to your customers, and the open rates are astounding…98.7% as compared to 12-20% with emails.

You need to get ready for the mobile business app revolution now. Remember, there are two revolutions taking place: a hardware revolution (where our primary personal computer is shifting to our mobile devices like smart phones and tablets) and a software revolution (which is the mobile apps that will run on those devices). That means the rise of mobile apps for all business functions is a hard trend you can’t ignore. The companies that transform their business processes using mobility will achieve new levels of success. The time for business process transformation is now.

March 5, 2014

10 Crucial Questions to ask when optimizing your Company’s website for Mobile Users:

1. My website looks okay on mobile devices now. Is it really worth it just to make it look and feel as slick as possible on smartphones and tablets?

Yes, without a doubt, says Brian Alvey, “chief scientist” at Ceros, a cloud-based real-time web content authoring platform. Global fashion, auto and retail brands look to Ceros to publish interactive marketing experiences that are designed to “work flawlessly” on all types of devices, and smartphones and tablets are no exception.

“Mobile used to be the future of business,” Alvey says. “Mobile used to be a trend. Now it’s the norm.” The bottom line: If you don’t adapt to mobile and quick, you could miss out on a prime revenue-generating opportunity, or even lose customers to competitors who already embrace mobile.

2. Should I have a dedicated mobile version of my existing website or simply make my existing website responsive to mobile?
You have two choices. You can either opt for a single website that displays content responsively for different device and browser types, otherwise known as responsive web design. Or you can create a standalone dedicated mobile website separate from your main website. If your main site is www.examplesitehere.com, then your dedicated mobile site would likely appear as m.examplesitehere.com. The .m signifies mobile.

Alvey prefers an all-in-one responsive site. He says he’s heard that Google and Bing prefer them as well.

3. Should I try to mobile-optimize my website myself or delegate it to someone on my staff?
Particularly for small businesses that are light on resources, it’s best to leave it to the pros. The mobile optimization process is generally too cost-prohibitive, complicated and time-consuming to go in-house.

“Most SMBs can’t justify even a single full-time designer, so in-house isn’t an option,” Alvey says. “Unless you have the time and experience to directly manage freelance designers, I’d hire a company [to do the job].”

4. What are some of the best mobile optimization options available and what do they cost?
Luckily, there are a wide variety of solutions available for every budget. Alvey suggests deciding what you’re willing to spend, then choosing the best available option from there.

Alvey’s favorite mobile services are from popular website hosting companies like WordPress(free hosting, plus premium upgrades), GoDaddy (hosting costs $4.99 to $7.99 per month) andSquareSpace (free 14-day trial, hosting costs $8 to $24 per month). Each offers a broad array of automatically mobile-friendly, attractive prefab website designs, features and themes, plus premium add-ons.

Another is b Mobilized, whose slogan is “mobilize any website… instantly.” This can be a smart option if you simply want to add mobile responsiveness to your existing website. The service’s software mobilizes your site with the click of a button. Pricing is monthly and reasonable at $15.20 per month annually or $19 month-to-month.

5. Should I just hire a contractor?
Hiring a contract web designer for the job is also an option, though it could cost you more in the end than using an online solution. Alvey says web designer fees are generally charged hourly and vary quite a bit from city to city. If you do go the contractor route, he advises that you hire locally and carefully check customer references before committing.

6. What are some key, must-have mobile site features?
Required mobile features vary, Alvey says. “Obviously, if you don’t have e-commerce, then a shopping cart is useless.” But if you do sell goods online, you should definitely include one in your mobile design. Or, if you own a brick-and-mortar retail business, be sure to prominently display your store address and hours, and perhaps a link to driving directions as well.

Another essential feature all businesses should position front and center is a “click-to-call” phone number. All mobile users have to do is click the number and their smartphone will call you, allowing them to instantly and directly engage with your business.

“Never forget that a customer who is checking out your business on their phone — is holding a phone.”

7. What about social media integration?
Social media integration is like free advertising. It lets users generate a buzz around your brand. In most cases including social elements is a must. For example, on the mobile site for a free online deal-tracking service called Hukkster, first-time users can sign up to use it by entering their Facebook (and Google) credentials. Hukkster’s Facebook integration makes it easier for its users to share their favorite product discounts with their friends on the popular social platform, while simultaneously broadening Hukkster’s marketing reach on Facebook.

Alvey points out that, because they’re so inherently visual, hotels and fashion companies thrive on Instagram and Pinterest, so those particular platforms make sense to integrate into their mobile sites. Whereas Twitter integration is a better fit for airlines and TV shows, which tend to experience high engagement on the microblogging service, he says.

Whichever social platforms you settle on, it’s wise to limit yourself to only two or three social media sharing buttons, not a dozen, Alvey says.

8. What’s the best way to test my mobile site before launch?
Test-driving your site helps you discover and weed out bad links, confusing navigation and a host of other potential functionality issues. Be sure to test yours on as many devices and browsers possible, “not just the ones your team or your CEO uses,” Alvey says.

Interestingly, he also suggests swinging by Best Buy, which he cheekily calls a “free mobile testing lab,” or a similar consumer electronics retailer to check your site out on as many of their sample smartphones and tablets as possible. You’ll get a hands-on feel for what works and what doesn’t — at zero cost.

9. How can I track the success of my mobile strategy?
The most popular, user-friendly website traffic and usage tracking option available is Google Analytics. The free self-service tool shows you how many people visit your mobile site, from which devices and how often, along with where they live, how they found your site and much more. It also tells you which social channels drive people to your mobile entity and what content they share from it. Use what you learn to fine tune your mobile strategy over time.

10. What are some common mistakes to avoid?
One of the biggest blunders is poorly targeting which devices users will view your content on, Alvey says. “If you send my Android phone to a desktop version (of a website) or my iPad to a smartphone version (of a website), you’ve lost me as a customer.”

Other common mistakes on Alvey’s list of mobile mistakes to skip include: crowded designs with links that are too close together for people’s fingers to accurately click, not optimizing image sizes for mobile bandwidth, making people fill out complicated forms and “harassing me to download your app.”

This blog was taken from:

https://smallbusiness.yahoo.com/advisor/10-questions-ask-optimizing-website-mobile-users-110000724.html

March 4, 2014

Lets Make a Deal

Price sensitivity is increasing amongst consumers. they want the best price and they are willing to trade in convenience if it will keep dollars in their pockets. This is a harsh reality that retailers must grab by the horns. Remaining idle is not an option in this lagging economy. Consumers regardless of their income will seek out the most value for their hard earned dollars! Shoppers perceived purchasing power has decreased, and as a result price sensitivity has increased. With the growth of smartphones, tablets and other mobile computing devices, searching for and finding the best value is a practice that is now cemented in a consumers path to purchase. This make a deal mentality can be met by retailers investing in their own mobile loyalty app. An app is where marketing and customer service can come together by;

1) meeting your customers changing needs

2) providing customers the ability to connect with you

3) provide a consistent experience, whether it is in store, online, phone or your app

4) being available to your customers on their schedules

An app is very cost effective and gives the price sensitive customer a positive experience. By offering high value cash back in the form of loyalty rewards or other incentive based systems that add value perceived by the customer reflecting the interests of the business. Since the attitudes of the majority of consumers have changed to a more “deal seeking” variety, it is essential that your customer feel valued. Even Forbes magazine listed ist Business Essentials to include, a Website, a phone number, and a Mobile App. Mobile Apps are the most current and easiest way to connect with people on an intimate basis. A mobile message or push notification is opened 98.7% of the time, while an email gets an open rate of 20-25%. The mobile market is far too big to ignore, so get your mobile strategy in place now!

February 26, 2014

5 Things you must know about the future of Mobile Marketing

1. The future of mobile started yesterday

The future of mobile marketing has started, and it is exploding. If your business does not have a mobile strategy in place today, you had better have one soon! Most of the world’s biggest retailers and corporations have not jumped on the bandwagon yet either, but that landscape is changing everyday. The Apple app store is adding 20,000 apps per month, and no they are not all angry birds wanna be’s. More and more companies are launching mobile apps for their businesses. Whether it is an online shopping app, or simply an app that contains relevant company information, mobile apps are definitely the way of the future. The mobile app will be for businesses in the future what the website was for businesses in the past. One of the fastest growing segments within the corporate appesephere is the mobile loyalty app. This is a great way for companies to reward their customers, and have the access they so desperately desire to market to them as well. Now with the explosion of smart phones, a tech savvy company that develops their own app will have the ability to reach their customers in ways that they have not had in the past. Hits from mobile devices more than doubled from January 2011 to January 2012. In 2013, mobile web searches were expected to eclipse searches from desktop for the first time in history. Don’t wait until next week, next month, or next year to start thinking about mobile—get started today!

2. Mobile users are social users

If you are using social networks to market your business, you are likely already engaged with the “mobile majority, over 80% of smartphone users use their mobile devices to connect to sites like Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest. On Facebook, 600 million of its 1 billion users are logging onto the site via a mobile device, and 70% of those users return to the site on a daily basis (compared to 40% for desktops). That means, whether it’s at home, work, or at your place of business—mobile users are among the most engaged members of your social communities. How can your business extend your brand and further your corporate goals by connecting with customers that are already in your social network? By exploring the most current and latest technology that is available, that’s how!

3. Your Customers are accessing more information in more places than ever before

Mobile’s influence can already be seen on the life of your customer. Consumers today are ahead of the mobile curve. A recent study found that over 65% of all smartphone users had used their mobile devices to assist them in making a purchase, with more than 35% of those customers using their devices to research products and services while in a retail environment. Google released a forecast for shopping projecting that four out of five smartphones will rely on mobile devices for help during the shopping season. These users are checking prices, reading reviews, and researching your competition. The Bottom line? The mobile consumer is an informed consumer, and it’s never been more important to have your brand up-to-date and accurate across all of your online channels.

4. Mobile will redefine customer service

If you haven’t been monitoring your social networks for customer comments, questions, and complaints —you may want to add it to your list of resolutions for 2014. Nearly three-quarters of all companies are now using social media as a channel for customer service, One in five consumers is already using sites like Facebook and Twitter to have their voices heard. Expect mobile to send that number skyrocketing and for social costumer service to become the norm for businesses of all sizes.

5. Content creation is going mobile

The mobile revolution isn’t only having a profound influence on the lives of consumers, it’s also changing the way business owners—especially small business owners—are marketing their business. This is especially true when it comes to content creating. Coming up with content ideas for Facebook, Twitter, or an email newsletter is one of the biggest pain points facing small businesses. While smartphones aren’t guaranteed to alleviate all your content creating anxieties, they do make it easier than ever before to capture content ideas and turn everyday work experiences into engagement posts on Facebook and active-worthy articles for an email newsletter.

Here are 5 ways small businesses can use smartphones to create fresh content.

Start small, think big, and get ready

Today, less than 1% of marketing budgets are being allocated for mobile. That’s a huge miss for business owners and, more importantly, a huge disappointment for their growing mobile customer base. But preparing your business for its mobile future doesn’t have to break the bank. You can start by giving the channels you are already using a closer look. Does your social media marketing strategy fit a mobile world? Does your website offer the type of experience you want on smartphones and tablets? Is your business easily discovered by online searches. Start small, think big, and begin to plan for a bright future in mobile marketing.

How has mobile impacted your marketing strategy? We would love to know, tell us in the comments

November 28, 2013

5 Tips to Help Launch your App

5 Tips to help you Launch your App

Loyalty programs can help you stimulate repeat business, attract and retain new customers, and boost your sales. But it is important to get your customers to adopt your program. Make sure you kick-start things right. Here are 5 tips from Mass Mobile’s most successful merchants that will help get your new loyalty program off to a strong start:

1. Sell your staff on the idea first.

Get your staff excited about your loyalty program, and they’ll talk it up frequently with customers.

2. Get the word out early.

Let your customers know via existing marketing methods, like facebook and twitter….Use professional point of purchase signage. Your existing customers are already in your store making purchases, why would they not want to join your loyalty program.

3. Offer a juicy first-time signup special.

Trying anything new can be daunting, so your first offer should be an extra-enticing one. Customers should feel it’s a no-brainer to clear the hurdle of signing up or learning, just to earn that juicy starter reward. Once they see how easy and fun it is to use, you’ll hook them for good.

4. Demo it live!

Seeing is believing. Offering a tablet version of the app would help customers see how easy and fun it is to use.. Once customers see your program is simple to use, it’s a snap to keep using it.

5. Promote, promote, promote.

There are plenty of ways to spread the word about your new loyalty program. Different customers pay attention to different channels, so make sure you’re trying to reach them every way you can. This is not something you are not already doing, include the app store logos in any marketing material you use going forward. Remember adoption is the key. Here are a few venues to remember:

Display signage about your program at the counter, or tables, or where customers pick up their orders.
Prompt your staff to ask customers if they are already a member with each transaction, and make sure they can explain the program benefits clearly. (Better yet, incentivize your staff to make this happen.)
Add an app store, and google play logo button to your website, Facebook, and Twitter pages – and talk up your program on social media often.

.A smart customer loyalty program can move the needle for your business – but a strong launch is key to unlocking the full benefits. If you’re a Mass Mobile member (or curious about becoming one), don’t hesitate to contact us for more pointers on getting started right.