What Makes a Succesful Business App?

Branded Mobile Apps have become ubiquitous with big retail. Why? Because companies like Wal-Mart, McDonalds, Target and many others saw the telltale signs of the tremendous growth in mobile devices and realized that with that tremendous growth there would be a tremendous OPPORTUNITY to generate more REVENUE through Branded Mobile Apps.

That foresight has helped retailers like eBay, Kohl's, Papa Johns Pizza and Starbucks, to name but a few, rake in BILLIONS of retail dollars in the last year alone. And the rise of mobile devices as well as Mobile Marketing is just getting started. In the next few years the experts expect mobile to take over and even REPLACE THE PC AND DESKTOP as the main portal to the Internet and world wide web for consumers.

Seeing the astounding facts and figures keep rolling in has spurred many smaller businesses to take notice, and many are rushing to get in on the new mega-trend.

One problem facing these businesses is the lack of good information and data that tells what makes a good business or retail App.  Which features work, which don't?  Which feature are must-haves and which can be left out? Should an App be all business or should it have some engaging and entertaining features?

I address these questions and more below, allowing the small business owner the information needed to make informed choices when purchasing a Branded App for their business.

User Experience and Entertainment.

• Is the App playable and/or engaging?
• Does it make people laugh?
• Does it give your customers access to great content?
• Does it have a polished look and feel?
• Does it give the user a unique experience?

Content Evolution and/or Longevity

• Does the content update and/or evolve over time?
• Can content be added and/or improved through user interaction?
• Does the content have a lasting appeal?
• Can the content be used as a reference tool?

Originality

• Does the App solve a unique problem?
• Does it appeal to a specific or Niche audience?
• Is it new, innovative or greatly enhance an existing idea?

Utility and Functionality.

• Is it useful, usable and pleasing to the customer?
• Is it designed around the inherent qualities of the mobile device?
• Does it offer something a website or  PC App can't?
• Is it easy to understand and navigate?

If your Branded Business App has all (or at least most) of the features listed above then you will have yourself a useful, functional and engaging Branded App that YOUR CUSTOMERS WILL LOVE and that will also ADD ANOTHER REVENUE STREAM to your Business.

If you have any questions get in touch with me and we'll work them out together.

Cheers,
Mobile App Man

McDonald’s increasing in-store traffic using Geo-Targeted Mobile Ads.

Geo-Targeted Mobile Ads.
McDonald’s is promoting its new coffees via a new mobile ad campaign that aims to bolster in-store traffic and sales.

The mobile ads are sent when the customer (carrying their smart phone) is within range of a McDonald's restaurant. When consumers tap on the mobile ad a mobile-optimized landing page appears that promotes McDonalds' hot beverages and then points them to the nearest McDonald’s location.

“The rise of local market targeting has been one of the overarching (no pun intended) themes this year in mobile advertising, and brands are increasingly using mobile to reach local consumers,” said Mack McKelvey, senior vice president of Millennial Media, Baltimore, MD.

The mobile ad also lets customers download free holiday wallpapers to their mobile device, and gives info about the limited-time only hot beverages that they serve.

Social Media Connections.
McDonald’s is letting customers tell their friends about the hot beverages on Facebook or Twitter using social media connections in the Mobile Ads.

Running a mobile ad campaign such as this has been very effective for McDonald’s and is helping them build their brand even further using social media. The mobile ads are timely, featuring hot beverages during the winter holiday season, and incorporate location-based technology to help consumers find the closest McDonald’s location fast when they are short on time.

Not McDonald's first foray into Mobile Ads.
McDonald's has been involved in Mobile advertising in the past. Earlier this month, they used mobile to drive consumers to their locations via a mobile ad campaign that promoted their breakfast menu through an interactive memory game.  They have also used mobile advertising to promote their classic, the Big Mac hamburger, to on-the-go consumers.


I believe that we will see much, much more of this type of advertising in the future, as companies big and small move towards mobile marketing and the continuously growing mobile marketplace.

Cheers.
Mobile App Man

A Branded Mobile App is a powerful tool that can give your business the edge it needs to stand out from the competition.

If you own a small business and you still haven't gotten a Custom / Branded Mobile App you are losing customers to your competition. The investment cost has dropped significantly, allowing small and medium sized businesses to be able to acquire this powerful marketing, branding and revenue producing tool. The world has gone Mobile, with 200 million iPhones and 300 million Android phones on the market and that number increasing exponentially every day. 2012 is going to be the year of the smart-phone, and a Custom Mobile App for your company will put you in the drivers seat!

2012 is gearing up to be a tremendous year in Mobile. Stay ahead of the pack and put yourself on the Mapp, with a Branded Mobile App. 

 

 

Branded Mobile App QUIZ.

Take this short Quiz if you own a small retail store, are a restauranteur, or have any small business that needs more business. 

 

 

 

Q- Does your business need a powerful, low-cost advertising platform?

Q- Do you want to give your customers a fast, easy way to contact you?

Q- Do you want to increase your customer base?

Q- Do you want decrease your dependency on print advertising?

Q- Do you want measurable returns on your advertising and promotions?

Q- Do you have daily or weekly promotions, coupons or announcements that you want to advertise to your patrons?

Q- Do you want to capture attention in your marketplace?

Q- Do you want to increase repeat visits and repeat customers?

Q- Do you want to increase customer loyalty?

Q= Do you want to promote regularly for little or no cost?

Q- Do you want to build brand recognition for your business?

If you answered YES on more than 2 of these questions 

YOUR BUSINESS NEEDS A BRANDED MOBILE APP !

 

 

8 reasons to Invest in a Branded Mobile 

App for your business.

 

1 -A Branded Mobile App is powerful, low-cost advertising platform.

Can you say FREE ADVERTISING? 

 

Once your Branded Mobile App is downloaded onto a smart phone you have an ADVERTISING PLATFORM that you can use to send notices, coupons, and specials to your customers AT NO EXTRA COST TO YOUR BUSINESS.

Even better, since the customer agreed to download your App they basically have said YES, PLEASE SEND ME MORE INFO AND SPECIALS AND COUPONS about your business, PLEASE.

The more people that have your Branded App on their phone the bigger audience you have for your business.

 

2- A Branded Mobile App will decrease your dependency on print advertising.

If enough customers have your App on their phone you may be able to stop print ads completely! 

  Imagine never having to run another ad in the newspaper, or the Yellow Pages, or a local magazine. With a branded Mobile App on enough smart-phones you may be able to get rid of print ads for good! Imagine the savings to your business!

It all depends on how many people download your Branded App. If it's a sizable sum (which, granted, may take some time and patience) there would be NO REASON to use print ads because enough people would be seeing your promotional material on their phones. For FREE.

 

 

 

 

 

3- A Branded Mobile App can provide measurable data on your advertising and promotional campaigns.

Tracking and compiling important data has never been easier.

With most forms of advertising there is no way to measure returns except to keep a record, diary style, at your place of work. Not very simple or convenient.

With an App you get a powerful tracking platform for your business. Track when, where, and (most importantly) who is responding to your promotions. Tracking is simple and practically instantaneous.

Imagine what you could do if you knew which ads were hot and which were not. The best time of the month, week or even day to run your ads. What type of customer was responding and from where.

With a branded App you can do that, and more, with ease.

 

4- A Branded App will build customer LOYALTY and brand recognition.

Your customers will keep coming back if you give them the right incentive. 

  Lets' face it, the competition is out there and it's fierce. A small business owner needs every tool possible to stay ahead or risk being left behind and losing customers.

With a Branded App you have valuable real-estate on your customers cell phone, and they constantly see your Icon and your brand. Communicate with them correctly and with great deals and they will look forward to hearing from you.

Wouldn't that be a nice change? Instead of seeing your ads as a bother or a nuisance your customers would look forward to seeing your business pop-up on their smart phones with great info, great deals, and great promotions.

Before long the competition will be a distant memory.

5- A Branded App will capture attention for your business in your market.

Give your customers something to talk about.

  A well designed App can do many things for your business and one of the most powerful of those is its inherent ability to draw attention to itself.

People like new things, especially when it's new technology. Pair that with a great promotion and people will share your App with friends and family, talk about it with co-workers, and even show it to strangers in the mall!

Building your business for you at extra charge. How great is that!

 

6- A Branded Mobile App will increase repeat customer visits.

Keep them coming back for more. And more. And more. 

 

 Imagine that Tuesday is your 'slow' day. Not much happening, no customers, no money coming in the door.

Now imagine the same day, but this time, with your Branded Mobile App and a great promo, you've got them lined up down the block!

That's how powerful an great Mobile App can be, enough to turn your 'slow' day into your 'WOAH!' day.

Repeat visits will go through the roof when you have a Branded Mobile App doing the promotions for your business, and so will revenue. Also, your smile will find a permanent place on your face.

 

7- A Branded App gives your customers a fast, easy way to contact your business.

They call it '1 Tap Calling'.

  

 

Just 1 touch of your Icon and they are giving you a call.

It may sound trivial at first but think about it; What are your customers looking for, really? EASY solutions to their daily problems.

If your business is RIGHT THERE, ON THEIR PHONE, who do you think they are going to call first? Answer; YOU. Why; Because it's EASY.

With competition so fierce even something as simple as fumbling around, looking for the right number to call, can lose you a customer.

So give them what they want. The rewards and revenue will be well worth it.

 

8- A Branded Mobile App will give you the ability to promote when YOU want to and when YOU need need to.

It's called 'Just in Time' marketing, and it can save you money while it brings in customers. 

 

When it comes to print ads, whether newspapers, magazines, yellow pages or whatever, there is always the need to coordinate your marketing program weeks, even months in advance.

Problem is, if the market changed or your plans change the print promotion CAN'T CHANGE after a certain time, usually weeks before the actual promotion takes place. That means time, money and CUSTOMERS lost.

With a branded App your promotional plans can be made days or even hours before the promotion takes place. Have too many widgets? Send out a widget promo TODAY. No need to wait until the newspaper says they're ready, or the new yellow pages come out.

Promotions are now in YOUR power. Feeling powerful today? No? You need a Branded Mobile App.

Text with BIG Picture 

 

I'm Mobile App Man !

Actually I'm a mild-mannered salesman who is an expert on mobile apps, mobile websites and mobile marketing. If you have questions about ANYTHING Mobile, please give me a call. 843-452-7166

 

And if you happen to run into Lois Lane, let her know I'm available.

 

Savvy.com has an App that will save you money even after you purchase!

Every week an I find an App that makes me say 'Wow, I can't believe they have an App that does that!'  This week's App is no different.  Savvy.com has an App that will actually save you money even after you have purchased something and taken it home!

Imagine that!  Not only do retailers give you coupons and deals and other incentives to buy, now there's an App that will give you money back even after you buy!

What the App does is simple; Once you purchase, upload the info of your purchase into the App (it's actually quite easy) and the Savvy App will then keep tabs on the retailer where you purchased to see if your item then goes on sale. If it does you will get a notice telling you it went on sale and at what price. Once notified, just go back to the store with your original receipt and get back the difference!  Genius!
 
The 3 main services the Savvy App provides are:

1- My Buys. This monitors the purchases you've already made, using your shopping receipt, to ensure you
received the best price possible for that item. If a price drop occurs, the App will alert you.

2- Deal Maker. Savvy will monitor exact items you are interested in, at the price
you want to purchase it for. Simply pick your price and they will ping you as soon as your target
price is reached.

3- Watch List.  This is for noncommittal Savvy shoppers wanting to keep an eye on a product they
might want to purchase. Using the App will 'watch' the item for you and let you know if there is a deal
available.

Retailers such as Home Depot, Sears, Victoria's Secret and MANY others are teaming up with the new Savvy payment protection App to offer shoppers the best prices before and after they make a purchase.

The App, which is available on iPhone and Android phones,  insures that customers will pay the best price possible by navigating retailers’ price adjustment policies and sending notifications of any savings automatically.

Launched four weeks ago, the App already has over 20,000 downloads. An Android version has just become available and is heating up the Android Market.


Take a look for yourself here - http://www.savvy.com

Samantha Fein, vice president of marketing at Savvy.com, Los Gatos, CA, had this to say about their new App. The Savvy App fills the need that consumers have to be able to ensure they receive the best price possible for items they have already purchased."

Amazing.

This is an App that I definitely recommend.

Happy Holidays.
Mobile App Man

Remember when small business owners didn't think a branded website was necessary?

 

Not many years ago, when the world wide web was in its infancy, most business owners (big and small) were of the impression that a Branded Website was unnecessary. After all, brick and mortar was the dominant force in the marketplace and the idea that customers would use their computers to 'shop on-line' was hailed almost universally as ludicrous.

Slowly there was a change, as the larger retailers started seeing the incredible power that the Internet offered to connect with their customers.  Wal-Mart, Target, McDonalds, Coca Cola and their ilk put together their own branded websites, and the response was very favorable, to say the least. As small & medium sized business saw this response they too began to embrace the new 'e-commerce'. Today every business has a branded website, and e-commerce has made it's way into the lexicon. To not have a branded website is now considered ludicrous. Talk about a paradigm shift.

That same paradigm shift now is happening with Mobile. eBay has led the charge and, so far this year, has seen over $6 BILLION in sales directly through their Mobile Website and Mobile App. ALL the big companies and chains now have branded Mobile Websites and branded Mobile Apps.

Which begs the question of all small business owners; 

What are you waiting for?

Let's look at some news from around the Industry.

- Two-thirds of smart phone owners shop via mobile in September.  Retailers without a mobile strategy are missing out. - comScore 

- New survey shows 62% are willing to buy via mobile this holiday season if prompted by specials. And many mobile consumers would also research products.

- Many consumers are looking in stores but buying online, survey finds. Smart phones are driving shoppers from bricks to clicks.

- Sixty-five percent of mobile users said they used their mobile device to find a business to make an in-store purchase.

- Forty-three percent of mobile shoppers have downloaded a retail app (Retrevo).

- Twenty-five percent of consumers will use mobile sites to buy gifts this year (Compete).

- Thirty-three percent of consumers are interested in joining a mobile loyalty program (Hipcricket).

 - Almost 60 million consumers shopped on their phones Black Friday and Cyber Monday (InMobi).

- PayPal is processing $10,000 per minute in mobile payment volume. (PayPal).

If you took the time to read all of the reports and info above then you probably realize that Mobile is BIG and getting BIGGER. Like the World Wide Web before it,  Mobile marketing is causing a paradigm shift in the business world and those who don't get on board will inevitably regret their decision.

The fact is, your customers have already gone mobile and are just waiting for you to catch up.  They won't wait long.

If you don't want to wait any longer give me a call and let's get you on the Mapp.

Happy Holidays and Merry Christmas.

Mobile App Man 

Price Comparison Apps that you NEED on your smart phone!

Comparison shopping has never been easier than it is today.  With the advances in smart-phone technology have come powerful Apps that can save you REAL MONEY everyday on practically any product / service that you can think of.  

 Here is a list of some of the best Apps out there right now for Comparison Shopping and Saving Money.

• Amazon’s Price Check App- This App works in four ways: scan a bar-code, snap a picture, say the product name, or type your search. Each method works as the names suggest. You can do this wherever you are and find out, in real time, who has the product you want at the lowest price.  IMO the best of the bunch. On Android & iPhone last I checked.

• Card Star- This App lets you carry all of your REWARD CARDS in your phone. Pretty nifty and it takes up a LOT less space in your pocket. Just scan the bar code on any loyalty card to load it into your phone. You can “clip” and load electronic coupons onto your card, too. When you get to the register, just boot the card onto the screen and let the cashier scan it. Simple and convenient. Available on iPhone, Android, Blackberry, Windows and Ovi.

• Shop Savvy- If you're like most people these days your comparison shopping probably already involves Googling prices on your smart phone before you buy. This App simplifies the process. Simply scan the bar-code and compare prices for the same product online and in stores. You can also create product wish lists, set up price alerts and even share deals with your friends. How cool is that? Very cool.  Available on Android and iPhone so far.

• Gas Buddy- This App, like their website Gas Buddy.com, helps you find the best prices on gas. (Duh.) Whereas before you drove all over town looking for the best price, with Gas Buddy you can check in from wherever you are and see where the best price is. No more wasting time and gas. Unless you just want to go for a Sunday drive. Available on Android, Blackberry, iPhone and Windows.

• Grocery IQ This App is really cool and a real money saver. It lets you scan bar-codes on food items in your home then adds them to your shopping list for the next time you go grocery shopping. It can also arrange your items by category and track coupons for the items on your list. Nice. Available on Android and iPhone.  

• The Find- Similar to Shop Savvy, The Find also rounds up coupons (and savings). Even more, you can customize your search, your results preferences and even save your favorite stores. You can also use expanded features like catalog viewing on tablet devices. Available so far on Android and iPhone.

• Carticipate- This nifty App, while a little on the Big-Brother side, helps you match up your driving plans with those of your neighbors. Save money, gas, and maybe even get that report done on the way to the office. (Or take a quick nap.) Available on Android and iPhone. 

• Pay Pal- Many on-line vendors only take Pay Pal, making their App indispensable.  Just like their web-site it lets you manage your account, make payments and send or receive money among friends and associates. Available on iPhone, Android and Blackberry. 

• Carpool-Calculator- This nifty little App helps people split the car-pooling costs. No more fighting about who paid more the last time!

• Square- Square is an App that allows you to take credit card payments without having an expensive card machine (or their costly contracts). Their free card reader, which they send fro free in the mail,  attaches to your smart phone allowing you to swipe Visa, Discover, MasterCard and American Express cards for a 2.75 percent swipe fee. The money is then deposited into your account. Available on iPhone and Android.

• Check Please Lite- The Tip Calculator - On STEROIDS.  This app not only calculates tips for you, it takes into account the tax and any coupons you might have used. It can also help you split a tab among several people. Great if your buddies are cheapskates.

Mobile Marketer Awards 2011 include Mobile Apps, websites, campaigns, and much more.

Drum-roll Please...

Mobile Marketer announces their MOBILE AWARDS FOR 2011.

All of the Award Winners have embraced mobile technology, enhanced their mobile presence, and brought their products / services to market via mobile platforms during 2011.

Congratulations to all !

Mobile Marketer of the Year  Macy's 

Mobile Advertiser of the Year: Coca-Cola

Mobile Publisher of the Year: Condé Nast

Mobile Agency of the Year: AKQA

Mobile Researcher of the Year: Forrester Research

Mobile Service Provider of the Year: Hipcricket

Mobile Program of the Year: Macy’s Backstage Pass

Mobile Campaign of the Year: Hennessey Kaws

Mobile Web Site of the Year: United Parcel Service

Mobile Application of the Year: Facebook