Small Business Research and Enterprise

The majority of consumers, whether Millennials, Gen-X or Baby Boomers, research products and services that they intend to buy on multiple computing devices and using different marketing channels available to them, from calls/in person to emails, websites, web chats to social media and mobile apps. The ability to access a business from multiple devices and multiple channels is now part and parcel of the consumer buying process.

As a business it is crucial to provide your followers, prospects and customers with consistent experiences across different platforms. As a marketing tool, a mobile app can be an engaging, interactive part of that customer experience. Or can it?

The key to a successful business app requires an understanding of your marketing strategy, a little preparation and some commitment to making sure the app works for the business. Without any of these, your customers/followers will either not download your app or when they do download your app, ignore or delete it soon after!

If you are a small business, I would consider adopting the steps below:

1.Mobile Marketing Strategy – what target group of customers would you be engaging with via the app? Would your business benefit from repeat visits or purchases from your customers? If you have a mailing list of customers/clients, prospects or social media followers, this will be a great opportunity to convert them into loyal, paying customers via the app.

2.Commitment – you need to commit time and resources to making the app work for your business. Set aside time for mobile marketing activities, delegate the role to a team member or outsource this if you have neither time nor help at hand.

3.Your App Partner – ensure your app developers understand your business and are able to advise you not just on the app development, but also on your mobile marketing strategy and tactics to deploy. To find out more, refer to 10 Questions for your App provider.

4.Pre-Launch – ensure your frontline staff are made aware of and motivated to use the app so they will promote it to customers. Better still, get your followers and staff involved from the beginning by asking them for feedback. Make sure all your customer-facing communication, whether face-to-face, over the phone, print or digital, include the app and where possible, a Google and Apple badge to facilitate quick, painless downloads from the app stores. This seems obvious, but do give your customers at least one good, solid reason to download your app! More on this: Tips to ensure downloads.

5.Post-Launch – this is the beginning of a more targeted, interactive relationship with your followers / customers. Your key task from now is to ensure your app users engage with you as a result of the app, and ultimately refer, visit or buy from you. Scheduling regular, timed and/or location specific push notifications with new offers, news updates, regularly refreshing your app content, reviewing your loyalty programmes and creating new offers, rewarding those who refer your app would ensure you are off to a fantastic start.

6.Review, review, review – key metrics can include the number of downloads, location of downloads, most popular app features, session times, loyalty points claimed, purchases, etc. This will help determine the sort of content, features or offers your app users want to be engaged with. Or not.

7.Update your Technology – as a business owner you’ll want to be kept abreast of any relevant, affordable technology available on the market and how you and ultimately, your users, can access it. You may wish to work with your app provider quarterly or bi-annually to review and upgrade your business app, integrate new software which will enhance the customer experience or make your marketing efforts more cost- effective and efficient.

8.Generating a Return – depending on your strategy, this may or may not be your reason for a business app. However with mobile payments, push notifications and in-app loyalty programmes, it is now certainly an achievable target for a small business. Doing all of the above will help ensure your business app will be a successful investment, not just a mere marketing expense.

Joyce Ong, Marketing Tech / Eazi-Apps

Eazi-Apps is an established Mobile Marketing company with offices in over 25 countries globally and provides customised, user friendly, cutting edge and affordable mobile apps for businesses. Through mobile marketing, we enable businesses to achieve better, laser targeted reach of their customers at the right place and at the right time. To find out more get in touch with us here.

Joyce will be hosting “Mobile Marketing Made Easy” at the City Business Library on 4th October 2017. Book your ticket now!