Mobile

What is mobile marketing automation?

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There have been a lot of new terms that business people, customer service representatives, and marketers have come to know over the last few decades. Take mobile, for example: Where once we used to be desktop or laptop based work spaces and free time, in the past few years mobile has re-made how we do nearly everything. And mobile has grown at a pace that few expected when it was first introduced. In fact, mobile-only users are now expected to top over 50 million in just a few years. That means those people may not even have a laptop, at all.

So marketers have to figure out how mobile users are different than other users, and marketers also have to figure out how to use automation when possible in order to make their more complex job easier. How do they do that? This graphic explains it.

What Is Mobile Marketing Automation?

Does Your App Score Points with Consumers?

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Assuming you have a mobile business app, would you rate it a success up to now?

Many small businesses thinking of going the app route for one reason or another end up not doing it. As a result, they can be missing out on opportunities to sell their brand.

If you’ve decided to move forward with a mobile app, where will you begin?

Making Sure You Get Good Reviews

Whether only starting out with an app or you’ve had one around for a while now, you want to make sure it gets good reviews.

With that in mind, know that there are companies out there whose sole job is to review business apps on a daily basis. As such, you’d want to get a good review, correct?

Whether getting a Bismanonline app review or from other companies, here’s why good ones are key:

  1. Brand notoriety – While you never want to stand out for the wrong reason, notoriety for the right ones is big. That said a strong mobile app game is important for your brands success. Having that recognition can not only help you keep business, but also land new customers.
  2. Customer experience – Good reviews help build a better customer experience. If a consumer has your app at or near the top of their phone, there’s a good chance you’re going to do regular business. Although many still shop online via desktop or laptop computers, more go the mobile route. As such, you want to make sure they have the best customer experience possible each time out.
  3. Socialize the process – With a mobile app, make sure your business is as social as can be. Instagram, Facebook, Twitter and other such sites are important to promoting your brand. Your app can offer relevant industry content, coupons, and of course consumer feedback. With a solid social media game on your app, reviewers will be apt to give you the thumbs up.
  4. Staying ahead – Last, you want positive reviews to stay ahead of the competition. Remember, most competitors will always be looking for ways to upstage you. As a result, you can’t assume they are not investing much time and money into their apps. The chances are they have in fact been investing time and dollars towards their apps (see more below).

Did You Design the Best Possible App?

Whether you did your mobile app in-house or reached out for help, did you come up with a good one?

In the event you are not happy with the current app for your small business, don’t settle for mediocrity.

Take the time and money if necessary to do better. When you do, your mobile app should garner more interest from consumers.

Last, don’t be afraid to see what competitors have done with their apps.

Never copy them down to the last detail. That said don’t be afraid to look at their ideas and how you could put in place one or more in your own manner.

If your app is not scoring points with consumers, it is time to restart the game.

About the Author: Dave Thomas writes about business topics on the web.

 

 

Top Reasons People Hate Your App

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It can sound a bit harsh to say someone hates your app, but if you’ve gotten to the point where you feel like it could be possible, it’s time to figure out why. When you have a business, and you create an app, your objective obviously isn’t to have people hate it.

Unfortunately, more often than not that can be the case. If you can identify what elements of your app design or functionality users don’t like, you may be able to fix it without a complete overhaul.

If you’re not sure where to start, the following are some of the top reasons users could be less-than-thrilled with your app in its current form.

Users Don’t Know When Something Is Happening

You’re using an app, you push something, and it seems like nothing happens. There’s no acknowledgment that you’ve taken action.

Is it working or not? It’s extremely frustrating but all-too-common.

When you create your app, you want your users to know that their action is recognized. For example, you can show an icon of movement or that the screen is being refreshed. You want to be able to create a sense of cause and effect for user actions.

Advertising Feels Intrusive

Nobody likes intrusive advertising in any media. We’re at a point in digital technology where people can largely avoid advertising altogether if they choose. So while you may need to drive revenue with in-app advertising, you need to be careful with it.

You don’t want to include super graphics-heavy advertising or video ads that are going to make someone’s phone seem like it’s going haywire every time they use your app.

You also don’t ever want to include any unresponsive advertising. It’s going to be highly frustrating, and even if your app itself is great, it’s probably not going to matter.

Constant Push Notifications

Push notifications can be an excellent marketing tool, but not when you’re bombarding users. If someone feels like their smartphone is buzzing every hour with your push notifications, they’re probably going to uninstall the app.

As with advertisements, you need to be smart, strategic and discerning with your push notifications, so they create value rather than turning off users.

Constantly Asking for Reviews

When someone downloads an app, they do so because they want it to bring value to their life. It’s not about your business getting feedback.

If you’re using every second a person spends in an app asking them to like or share it, they’re going to feel frustrated.

That’s just a big interruption and obstacle in the overall user experience. If someone is trying to complete a task in your app and they keep being stopped so it can ask for a review or a like, it’s a problem.

Of course, in-app feedback can be useful, but it can’t be overdone, or like advertising, it can’t feel intrusive to the user experience.

Finally, be on the conservative side when it comes to how many personal details you’re asking your users for. Yes, your app may ask for some, but it’s important that you do so for a purpose, and you disclose this to users with transparency. Otherwise, they’re going to feel like you’re trying to exploit them or take advantage.

5 Ideas For Improving Your Checkout Conversion Rate

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For any e-commerce business out there, checkout conversion rate is one of the most important metrics. The main reason for this is shopping cart abandonment rate, which measures how many of your customers chose to leave the shopping cart once they’ve already decided to purchase something. Today, shopping cart abandonment rate for online stores is almost 70%, which means that only every third person proceeds to buy a product. Improving your checkout conversion rate means lowering your shopping cart abandonment rate, and this guide will help you do just that.

Move to a Single Page Checkout Process

Today, shopping is all about simplicity. The simpler your checkout process is the better conversion rates you’ll have. The reason for this is that the mobile devices are completely taking over the market, and most people don’t have the patience or time to go through multiple pages just to buy your product. Think about it this way, every time they click NEXT and nothing has happened yet, you’re giving them a chance to reconsider their decision. For that reason, you should at least try to setup your checkout process to be as simple as possible.

Don’t Ask Users to Sign Up

Most people aren’t content with sharing their private info with anyone online. There are a ton of people who would more than gladly pay for your product but won’t go through a process of entering a relationship with your store. Mandatory sign-ups are one of the biggest reasons why people abandon their shopping carts, and you should avoid it if possible. The truth is you can’t force someone to sign up for your own benefit of sending them newsletters or promotional materials. Instead, you can offer them to sign up but allow them to go through the checkout process even if they don’t.

Free Shipping

One of the biggest reasons for shopping cart abandonment are definitely shipping prices. Your customers want your product, but they just won’t pay an extra fee just to get it delivered to them. The truth is most people value free shipping as the number one incentive to increased purchases and that’s something you should definitely consider if you’re looking to improve your conversion rates. Even if you up the prices a bit but offer free shipping you’ll do better than asking your users to pay for it knowingly.

Don’t Overcomplicate your Forms

Having a complicated form is probably the best way for your users to turn their backs on you forever. They want to pay for your products or services yet they just can’t complete the form – there’s nothing more frustrating than that. This is why you’ll want your forms to be as easy to fill as humanly possible.  Google Autofill is a great place to start for your customers that are using Android or Chrome since it will use the saved information from your users and they’ll have an easier time filling up the form.

Retargeting

Only around 3% of your total visitors will actually buy something, according to most researches. The other 97% will bounce off from your website without buying anything. However, these people will be aware of your brand and some of them most likely left during the checkout process. The point being – it’s much easier to sell to the users who already have an idea who you are, opposed to completely new visitors. Much like with web design, people are more likely to be affected by something they already know about, which is why you’ll want to invest some resources into a retargeting campaign.

Final Words

Some of your visitors will never be persuaded to buy something, some of them will. But once they’ve decided to buy a product, it’s frustrating to see them leaving the shopping cart and never come back. Online stores around the world are trying to cope with the problem and increase their checkout conversion rates, so don’t despair if you’re in that group too. Instead, try to implement the tips we’ve provided in this guide and make the whole shopping experience more enjoyable for your customers – and you’ll surely see the improvement.

Leila Dorari is a freelance writer and business-improvement enthusiast from Sydney. Currently, she is consulting companies on various effects different marketing solutions can have on their business. In her spare time you can find her window shopping.

Appy Days: The Undeniable Benefits Of Launching An App

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Smartphone and tablet devices have revolutionized the way we interact with technology. Subsequently, Apps have become one of the modern phenomenons to influence the world of business. Quite frankly, if you’ve yet to launch one for your company, you’re missing out.

Successful business Apps offer many rewards to modern businesses. Here’s why yours could become the greatest weapon in your arsenal in the battle for supremacy.

Reach New Audiences

The best thing about digital marketing is that it offers you a shot at reaching global audiences instantly. You’ve already designed a killer website to provide a great starting platform. However, adding an App to your list of products could be another great way to show the versatility of your brand.

Any tool that can increase exposure, especially to those that wouldn’t know about your business through other means can only be a good thing. In truth, it should be the only motivation you need, although there are plenty of other incentives too.

Encourage Increased Interaction

Statistics show that there has been a huge shift towards mobile internet usage in recent years. In fact, clients now spend just as much time on those screens as they do on their computers. This creates a huge opportunity to gain increased interaction from the customers. An App is easily the best way to embrace those sentiments.

Once a customer has downloaded your App, it can be accessed with the click of a button. This in itself should encourage frequent use. For a comprehensive experience, you could create additional incentives to use Apps, social media, and web browsers in unity. Essentially, it’s just another way to create that stronger overall product.

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Build A Bigger Reputation

Customer perceptions can be influenced very easily. A strong SEO presence or big social media following can make the business appear bigger and more experienced. Guess what? An App offers further indication to the quality of your company too.

This will only be possible when the App works faultlessly, though. Use the list of Java profilers to monitor performance at all times. By keeping on top of the potential issues, you’ll ensure that the App continues to enhance the image of the product and the brand.

Direct Marketing Opportunities

The increased familiarity gained from encouraging customers to download your App is fantastic. However, if that isn’t enough of an incentive, the chance to promote specific products will be.

Coding your App so that it promotes those specific products is easy. Whether it’s through adverts or push notifications, it can go a long way to influencing the client. Use a blog post to further promote that product, and conversion rates should soar.

Stay On Trend

There’s no doubt that an App can help grow your audience. Then again, it’s equally to think about the growing demands of your existing clients. They will expect to see more from your company as it grows, and this is a great way to show that you are still on trend.

Link the App to social media to encourage greater participation too, and the customer experience will feel greater than ever. Even if the App isn’t directly connected to the products or services you produce, it will boost your long-term revenue.

 

The #Mobile #Business Makeover: Turning Your #Beauty Services Into Beautiful Profit

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Photo: Pixabay

Appearances are extremely important in this world, and so is money. If you have a love of beauty, along with the necessary skills, it can become the perfect career path. However, knowing how to provide great treatments isn’t the only essential factor. Understanding the business side is key.

Running a mobile company can open up a whole world of opportunities, and can allow you to operate on a far smaller budget. Sadly, without that business acumen, all of your hard work will go to waste.

Here are four key ingredients that will turn your mobile beauty salon into a winning business model. What are you waiting for? Let’s get the makeover started.

Build An Online Presence

Getting seen can be a slight problem, especially when you don’t have a shop or physical salon. Consequently, the need to take advantage of online opportunities is greater than ever.

Building an online presence should start with a quality company website. Adding a blog can go a long way to providing added insight while showing customers that you know what you’re doing. Just make sure you combine this with localised SEO and smart social media campaigns. You will not regret it.

Be Organised

If you’re going to get anywhere in business, you need to gain the trust of your clients. As a local mobile beautician, you have a huge opportunity to provide a winning personalised service. Poor organisation will impact the quality of treatments as well as the business endeavours.

Your commercial vehicle is essentially a mobile workplace. Investing in a van racking system can allow you to maintain far greater levels of control, which can create a far better impression. Above all else, this should help you relax to provide a far friendlier service.

You will be required to stay on top of your finances too, which is why a great home office space can be priceless too.

Spread The Word

The hardest challenge for any mobile beauty business is building a client base. Visiting customers can make their lives a lot easier, but they need a reason to quit their current routines in favour of your services. The power of recommendation is your greatest ally.

A lot of customers will naturally tell friends and family about great services. However, using referral schemes can accelerate that progress. One option is to offer discounts on their next service. Let’s face it; everyone loves getting value for money.

Encourage Loyalty

As a small mobile business, you probably aren’t going to gain thousands of customers. Therefore, it’s imperative that you ensure the clients you do see remain loyal to the brand.

Whether it’s hairdressing, nail treatments, or something else isn’t important. Feeling comfortable is almost as crucial as the treatment. Learn how to strike a winning bond with your clients, and it will seem like a social occasion as well as a beauty treatment. Once they feel this way, you can only be destined for success.

Clients still need a push in the right direction, especially when it comes to regular treatments. Offering discounts for block bookings, for example, encourages them to act now too. As long as it keeps your schedule full, you’re doing just fine.

 

#Marketing to a Young Audience Made Easy

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If your business relies on the interest and participation of young people, you need to target them. Targeting young audiences is not something that can be done in the same way to other forms of marketing. It’s best to take an approach that’s specific to them. Here’s how to do that.

Reflect Them

Young people engage with companies and brands on a much more personal way. There are many reasons for this. For a start, they are growing up in the age of social media. Brands are not distant entities that churn out products. These days, most companies have a presence and a voice of their own. They become more like people than corporations. This is something that you have to keep in mind when you are producing marketing content for your brand. You won’t find success if you’re stuck in the past and not willing to give your brand a human face.

Everything Must be Mobile

Nearly 90% of young people have a mobile device that they use to browse the internet. This is something that brands like yours have to be able to take advantage of in order to find success. The website you use has to have a responsive design. That way, customers will be able to browse it when they’re on the go or using their phones. It’s young people who are driving the movement away from desktop browsing and towards mobile browsing. So, if you can create an app, a good mobile-friendly site and have plenty of social media accounts, you should do well. Companies like GravityDigital can help with online marketing if you are struggling, so don’t be afraid to get help.

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Focus on Achieving Comments and Shares

If you want to know where to find young people, the answer is clearly on social media. This is where the vast majority of young people are most accessible for companies. There are many more young people than old people using Facebook and Twitter. That means there is no better way to engage with them. Focus on creating content that creates some kind of buzz and interest on social media platforms. It will have to be humorous and playful in some way if you’re going to grab people’s attentions. And if you succeed, you’ll know because you’ll be plenty of shares, comments and likes. That’s exactly what you should be aiming for.

Don’t Worry About Loyalty

Many business owners are still hung up on the idea of loyalty. The old types of brand loyalty are not really applicable anymore. If you want your brand to be relevant to young people, then there are other ways to do this. You have to be moving forward and trying new things all the time. If you’re not, then young people won’t hesitate to move towards another brand. You can’t expect brand loyalty or take customers for granted. That’s why it’s important not to get complacent off the back of some early success. When you’re selling to a young market, their interest can fade quickly.

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