For decades, business owners typically needed a few key things in order to be successful: a great product or service, friendly and knowledgeable employees, and affordable prices. Nowadays, business owners may want to add one more piece to the successful business pie: a mobile application. As an InternetProviders blog explains, businesses that typically have a lot of customers should definitely consider getting a mobile app for their company. More than half the adults in the United States own a smartphone which they use to access the Internet, and a variety of apps.
From a local mom and pop bakery that offers the best bagels in town and realtors who want to stay in touch with their clients, to much larger companies such as car dealerships and department stores, there is a plethora of businesses that would definitely benefit from getting a mobile phone application.
For example, as InternetProviders noted, if a business owner accepts credit cards, getting an app to handle these transactions is pretty much a no-brainer. Officially known as a “mobile swipe app,” anyone (from the guy who mows lawns and trims trees, to the owner of a chic clothing boutique) can accept credit card payments quickly and easily.
Business Improvements
The mobile app can also be set up to help improve business. For instance, in addition to scheduling tasks and reminding clients about their appointments, salon owners can use a mobile business app that easily lets customers tell their friends and family about the business. Apps can also help improve customer service. Instead of answering questions about a product over the phone, a customer can engage in an in-app chat.
Apps can also help a company with sales, promotions and deals in order to reach its intended audience. While businesses that send out massive emails announcing a great sale typically find that most of their messages end up in spam folders, push notifications through apps have a better chance of reaching the customer.
App Expectations
Another reason business owners should consider getting a mobile app is because, quite honestly, people expect it, as Forbes points out. Mobile devices make it so easy to access information. We have become spoiled, as we can find out what we want, when we want it. An effective app that looks good and performs well allows business owners to easily offer their products as a ready answer to their customers’ needs.
PC World notes how mobile apps also help to make business sites easier to access on a smartphone, since mobile users won’t have to type in your web address on their tiny screens. While it’s certainly possible to have the business stored as a bookmark on the phone, accessing it means launching a browser and finding the correct link. Apps, on the other hand, are omnipresent, always there and ready to go. For business owners who want to attract as much business as possible, having an easy-to-use and accessible app for a smartphone can make all the difference.
Guest Post by Albert Lester
Al teaches economics and business at his local high school. He blogs about business, finance, teaching and the economy in his spare time.
