It has become imperative for businesses to have a mobile-compatible version of their business website. With growing usage of smartphones among potential customers, the app market stands as a lucrative market, which businesses are eyeing.
A ConstantContact survey showed that mobile devices were used for business by more than 66% of small businesses. Today, small businesses have access to a lot more arenas due to apps. Let’s have a look at as to how small businesses are revolutionizing because of mobile apps:
Geo-location apps to provide custom made services
When small businesses talk of providing custom-made services, it surely attracts audiences. They can now provide services as per consumers’ tastes and needs.
The GPS feature can detect when the user is in the area of the local business and first timers can locate their way to the business. Moreover, automated reminders/ discounts/ latest offers can also be sent to customers.
Couponing made convenient
Small businesses have started giving away coupons, which people totally adore, due to efficient apps. Yowza is an app that has started doing this. Here, a user can see list of nearby stores with best deals. The coupons are directly delivered to one’s handset.
Facilitated payment
Earlier, small businesses didn’t have enough resources to accept payment via cards and many people liked to pay via card. This made small business lose out on revenue. Today, there is a need to provide customers with an option to pay ‘anyhow’ and ‘anywhere’.
Apps can help small businesses create online stores, add products in the store, accept payments via card and send invoices to customers on completion. Businesses and customers love such simplicity! For businesses that do not operate at a fixed geographical location, this is a boon.
Reward Users
Rewarding loyal customers for their repeated associations with the business has turned quick and easy with mobile programs. Mobile apps like BigDoor, Belly make use of it. Customers like to view appealing deals and discounts on various apps, and rewarding them through the app is also preferred by both the parties.
Customers’ Feedback
Loyalty for a brand is established when the consumer is made to feel special and a part of the brand. Brands that hear out their customers gain the customers’ trust. There are apps to permit customers to post reviews on listed products and services.
For instance, apps like Foursquare and Amazon allow such postings. But if a personal response is delivered to customers’ feedback, it can engage them and prove lucrative. This will help you maintain good public relations too.
Having gone through all the benefits that small businesses can receive from apps, there is yet another benefit. Mobile apps help businesses gather data required to understand the business’s positing, aspects that need to be pushed, modified or eliminated, areas to focus, etc.
Apps that provide data and purchase pathways to customers can help in determining trends in consumer behaviour. All these services help small businesses only get better and better.