SMART PHONES & SMALL BUSINESS
Let me start by sharing a few global statistics about smart phones:
- In the first quarter of 2018 nearly 384 million smartphones were sold
- More than 5 billion people are now connected to mobile services
As a small business owner, one who does not have a mobile app, you need to get one. Having a web presence alone is no longer sufficient, as online activity continues to shift to mobile. Smartphones have become too important a marketing tool for small business owners to do without.
Nearly three-quarters of Americans check their mobile phones at least once per hour. 90% of that mobile-phone time is devoted to using apps. That means that smartphone apps have become a key marketing tool. Mobile apps increase engagement with customers; they boost repeat visits, and permit a wide variety of online transactions.
Apps also accelerate contact with your company, which enhances relationships with customers in a world where speedy responses are prized by buyers. Smartphone icons also help build brands by providing a visual design that customers recognize.
In past blogs I have stated the importance of allocating 40 % of your working time to marketing. I want to add that in this world of internet access the word free marketing does not really exist. In reference to building your own app there is a relatively high cost associated with it. There are a few start-ups that are now offering templates that will allow you to build your own app. One such site that I came across is www.biznessapps.com. For a monthly fee from $300 to $390 you can access a lot of support in the design and maintenance of your own app. I am sure that other firms exist offering similar services.
In this world of rapid change having a marketing budget is critical in order to stay up with the latest innovations. No, I am not advocating an app as the only thing you need to grow a small business. This now becomes an essential part of your marketing tool kit along with your website (which better be mobile ready; almost 50 % of them are not mobile ready), your print marketing which offers a 70% higher company name recall than does digital content and all the other marketing tools that BizQuack has been writing about these last few years.
Mobile apps are a relatively new marketing tool for small businesses. Be a leader in your industry and add an app to your marketing.
————————————————————————————————————
Tips & Advice by Nick Petra, CFP – Founder of Strategic Duck and BizQuack
Comments are closed