Mobile apps for business: the power is in PUSH

Thinking of launching a mobile application for your business? If not now when?

Now is the time to seize this wave of opportunity.

We all know, as entrepreneurs and business owners, that to remain competitive in today’s market, you need to position your business to take advantage of emerging trends. Mobile marketing is NOT in the future, it is NOW!

Did you know that statistics show that mobile device consumers have their phone or mobile devices within a meter of them 23 hours a day? Just think about the opportunity before you to have YOUR business on the mobile device of your customers or prospects 23 hours a day / 365 days a year? Now that my friends is what I call OPPORTUNITY! I know of no other marketing medium that has the same power to instantly grab the attention of your target market.

What do you think the average response or open rate is today with email marketing? Unless you have a super responsive and active listing, you will only see open rates of 4% to 9% within the first 24-48 hours after hitting the submit button. Mobile text or push messages are viewed and opened 97% of the time for the first 4 minutes. That is amazing! Just think about your own mobile behavior, or just look around you.

The expectation of the consumer is that each “brand” has an application that they can download and access on their mobile device.

We are often asked, “Why should I have a mobile app?” These are just a few of the reasons why you should have one:

• Build customer loyalty. Everyone likes to feel included in something special, so make customers feel like a VIP by offering discounts, coupons, and promotions just for using and downloading the app.
• Crea has a viral buzz. Encourage customers to use the mobile app to quickly inform all their friends about the business using the built-in sharing capabilities of Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, your blog, SMS, and email.
• Grow customer lists. A mobile application can collect names and email addresses directly from the application and easily export them to major email marketing campaign services for use in additional emails.
• Get instant feedback. Mobile apps allow customers to leave comments on fan walls, share photos, and submit comments in a variety of ways.

What is an application? An application is an application that must be downloaded and installed on a mobile device, rather than processed in a browser. Users visit device-specific portals, such as Apple’s App Store and Android’s Google Play Market, to find and download apps for a given operating system. An application provides interactive engagement with users and works more like a computer program than a website.

The application can extract content and data from the Internet, similar to a website, or it can download the content so that it can be accessed without an Internet connection.

By mid-2012, more people are expected to access the Internet on their mobile devices than on their PCs. With this in mind, the importance of having one’s business or service properly viewed on all different mobile platforms cannot be stressed enough otherwise you will lose business.

What better way for your business to stay in touch with your customers than with your own custom mobile app!

Do you have customers and clients that you want to communicate with and stay in touch with? If so, what is the best way to go about it and get responsive results? The clear option is through mobile applications.

I’ve put together my top ten tips to ensure your app’s success:

1. Determine your goal

Are you looking for sales, brand recognition, participation in social networks or to stay in constant contact and in front of your customers and prospects?

As entrepreneurs and business owners, it’s easy for us to get distracted and overwhelmed with all of our responsibilities and great ideas. When developing your mobile marketing strategy, make sure it aligns with your core message and resonates with your audience.

2. Integrate sharing functions in social networks

We all know and understand the power of social engagement and the social sharing characteristics of our information. All of your social sites can be integrated into your mobile app, which will ensure and increase your brand awareness.

3. Keep your application and content up to date

Just as important as updating a blog, your app needs to be updated with relevant and engaging content. You need to keep the end user engaged, or as soon as your app downloaded, you can remove it.

4. Integrate interactive and event functions

Provide up-to-date information on all your company’s special events and promotions by creating an event calendar. Whether you host live events or virtual events online, you’ll want to keep your new users engaged and on top of what you’re doing, where you’re doing it, and how they can get involved. We are social creatures by nature, and we want this information to be available at our fingertips … literally!

5. Create loyalty / VIP programs

You’ll want to incentivize your subscribers and give them a reason not only to download your app, but also to keep it on their mobile device. It is very simple to create loyalty or VIP programs, and your customers and prospects will LOVE you for it.

6. Develop an effective mobile marketing strategy

It’s not that if you build it they will come … You should prepare your marketing plan before launching your new app in the app stores. This will include, but is definitely not limited to:

• Make sure to send an email notification to your subscribers with URL links to Apple and Android Marketplaces (Google Play). So they can download it. Don’t forget to incentivize them in some way to do so!
• Create QR codes that link directly to your application (QR codes are two-dimensional black and white squares containing a specially encoded URL or message that your phone’s camera together with the QR Scanner software will decode for you).
• Promotions on social media … oh, this can be a great tool !!!
• Searching for keywords for your application is just as important as it is for your website. As you build your app, or have a developer do it for you, determine what your keywords will be, as well as your app description. Both are extremely important as they are two of the most permanent features of your app and will immediately help you generate new customers and leads when done right.

7. Create enthusiastic fans

It is very important to create an opportunity for your app users to feel part of your community. Remember the Share feature on social networks? Well, this is just as important. What if at your next event you gave your app users the ability to upload their photos from the event, or even write on your app’s fan wall? We have seen it over and over on Social Networks how important this is, in fact it is essential!

8. Track your progress with in-app analytics

You want to make sure you have a way to keep track of your app downloads in app stores / markets. Tracking the number of downloads is important as you prepare for future promotions, as well as sources of income from advertising opportunities. The more downloads you have, the more valuable it is to advertising partners. This is a great way to help monetize your app!

9. YES … The Power IS in the PUSH !!!!

Here’s the most important feature of all … PUSH notifications! This is very similar to sending an email notification, but it is much more effective. Remember that you will have a 97% open rate in the first few minutes after submitting. You can send notices immediately or schedule them to go out on a particular day and time that you set.

The push notification will display on a mobile device just like a text message would. These are given to everyone who has downloaded your application on their mobile device. They are displayed on smartphones and iPads / Tablets. The message will be displayed on the home screen of the phone or tablet literally the moment you press “Send”.

A word of caution though … DO NOT overuse the push notification feature. This can be interpreted in SPAM, so do not abuse it. Treat your new app subscribers like you would your email list and provide value first, then create the hunger and desire for your products and services and sales will follow naturally.

10. Promote, promote, promote!

Once your app is complete and published in the app stores, you should be busy promoting your new marketing tool! Your application will not be downloaded to other mobile devices, so you will need to be proactive in marketing and promoting your new application. Now is the time to get in front of potential customers and customers.

Enlist the help of marketing partners to promote your new app, and yes, even to your friends and family, and most importantly, don’t forget about your existing customer base. They are already you DELICIOUS FANS!

In order for your app to be successful and give you a great new way to market to your audience, you need to be willing to go through the steps listed above.

Don’t forget the golden rule of marketing: people buy from people they know, like, and trust. Having a mobile application for your business will help you expand your “Brand”.

Isn’t it time to share your experience and reach your mobile consumers before your competition? It is your responsibility to make it easy for them to connect with you!

The possibilities of your mobile application are endless.