Mobile Apps: A Marketing Strategy that Boosts Businesses

While the desktop has not yet been completely abandoned, we find almost everybody on their phones all the time. It’s your miniature laptop, comprehensive planner and calendar, journal, map, and alarm. It’s everything rolled into one, yet it can fit into your pocket. In addition, you can now surf online using it… thus the rise of mobile apps that you can download or view to shop, browse, play games, and even browse menus. Mobile apps have made life more efficient as it allows us to multi-task. Businesses have reported that they had increase in sales after they have launched their mobile apps. Below are examples of mobile apps that have helped businesses come a long way:

PayPal Wallet

From shopping for clothes to e-books to buying online concert or plane tickets, and everything else, you will see that PayPal button on the payment form. It is the most recognized mobile wallet because of the trust that it has gained from its customers. Payments and wiring money anywhere in the world are made easier through this app as it can also manage several fund sources. Customers keep on using it because of security, simplicity, and efficiency in shopping right at the tip of their fingers.

Amazon

More and more families have abandoned the idea of going to the mall to shop. Why bother getting dressed and wasting gas when they can tinker on their phones and shop at Amazon? You can find almost everything there from clothes to appliances to spare parts! Now with its mini version through a mobile app with an organized layout, shopping has never been easier.

Shopkick

We all love rewards but what’s better than getting them just after you have spent a little on shopping? Shopkick is a real-time shopping app which gives away gift cards and rewards to their customers after purchasing. Now, this can be a good game to play using your smart phone. Mobile apps are easier to use than a full-blown website. They load faster, they’re easy on the eyes, user-friendly, and they engage the consumers more. It simply increases your traffic and your probability of gaining more market share. Take the examples above and see how far they have come in increasing their sales just by launching a mobile app. Have a trustworthy developer make your own Sacramento Mobile Apps for you to be more visible. It’s one smart move for your business that you will definitely never regret.

Sacramento Mobile Websites Are Taking Over the Online Marketing Industry

CNN is a witness to the sudden increase in the rate of mobile web browsing in 2013. According to an article posted on their website on September 17 last year, the rate of mobile web use has doubled since 2009. They based the story on a study conducted by the Pew Internet & American Life Project, which had shown that 21 percent of phone users access the Internet through their mobile phones.

For advertisers in Sacramento who have long considered investing in mobile websites, this is an opportunity of a lifetime. A mobile website is a website that is intended to be browsed and operated via a mobile device, commonly a mobile phone. Meaning, this website is not compatible with a desktop system or may show poor navigability when browsed through a computer.

 The primary advantage of Sacramento mobile websites is that they allow mobile phone users to navigate through certain websites as easily as when they’re using their computers. As they more frequently use their mobile phones for web browsing, this will help them view the webpages that interest them and perform basic actions, such as downloading and uploading data more conveniently.

If you own a business and have a website that isn’t getting enough visits to obtain higher rankings in search results, maybe it’s high time to go mobile. Invest in creating and developing a mobile website that your target market can easily browse. Having a website that is far more navigable than others will give it an identity that will remain in your clients’ memory for a long time.

Aside from mobile websites, you can also consider investing in Sacramento mobile apps. A lot of end-users don’t want the hassle of going to your website and looking for the page where they can download a photo or make an online purchase. With an application intended for specific actions, you will provide your clients with shortcut that can improve their browsing and purchasing experience.

Reasons Why Companies Must Focus on Using Mobile Websites for Their Business

There’s a reason why a lot of companies are testing the merits of mobile websites. According to an infographic by Kiss Metrics, mobile usage and web browsing are steadily on the rise: of all worldwide web browsing, 15 percent is done thru mobile according to Internet Trends 2013. Aside from the numbers, what other reasons are there to put a premium on mobile?

Reason 1: Mobile Users are Different

Unlike desktop users, mobile users want information in quick, easily digestible bits. These people are on the road often and would want speedy access to services and products when they don’t have the time, whereas desktop browsers typically have all the time in the world and would rather browse different websites trying to look for something interesting.

Reason 2: Mobile Gets Traffic

An estimated 1.2 billion people around the world access the web from their mobile devices, in all kinds of places and situations – waiting for a train in the subway, riding the bus, waiting in the doctor’s office, or even while they're using a desktop computer.

Reason 3: Better Brand Engagement

People like companies who’ve condensed their websites into easy-to-use mobile apps, and are bound to revisit the site on a desktop if they’re satisfied with the mobile browsing experience. Studies report that about 51 percent of consumers are more likely to do business with a retailer if it has a mobile-optimized site, resulting in an 85 percent increase in consumer engagement.

Reason 4: It Boosts Sales

This is basically a direct by-product of increased brand engagement. Studies conducted throughout the U.S. have identified the impact of mobile optimization on spending probability and categorized such by industry. Automobile dealers tallied the highest odds at 88 percent; followed by auto parts and stores (65%), furniture stores (62%), and florists (61%). We all know that with higher spending probability come increased sales. As the old adage goes, the numbers don’t lie. Don’t want to get left behind? Then by all means optimize your company’s site for mobile, and you’ll be surprised with how quickly the positive returns come to you.

The Advantages of Utilizing Fun and Useful Mobile Applications for Businesses

According to the International Telecommunication Union, an estimated five billion mobile subscribers (about 77 percent of the world’s population) are online – 41 percent of which purchase goods and services using their phones. That’s more than half of the world’s on-the-go web surfers, with the remaining 36 percent presenting a wide array of opportunities. Such a trend has now turned numerous companies on to mobile-friendly web browsing.

Why Businesses Should Use Mobile Applications More Often

One way to make websites mobile-friendly is using creatively designed mobile apps. Aiming to enhance a user’s on-the-go browsing experience, apps offer a win-win situation for both the consumer and the business. One advantage is the availability of targeted notifications. For example, bands passing through town to their concert venue could notify fans about remaining tickets thru a specially designed app. The ticket count can be monitored by fans looking to avail of last-minute purchases as the notifications are sent and received in real time.

Mobile apps bring additional business opportunities. It doesn’t really matter where people are – they could be in the subway or sitting in a doctor’s office – they can use their phones to avail services and products on the move. Also, because the apps are designed to contain most (if not all) information about the company, access to numerous services is faster. There’s no need to wait for screens to load over a slow 3G connection; people will get what they want, when they want it.

Apps also allow powerful targeted advertising. Using the latest technologies, apps can now pinpoint users by location, and display geographically optimized ads automatically. Combining this with real-time notifications paves the way for more dynamic business offers, wherein businesses can use data collected thru campaigns and deliver on-time service or product offers.

There’s still a world of wonders that mobile applications offer any business. In a digital world, companies need to think fast and act fast in order to not get left behind. If others are already taking the plunge into mobile marketing, then so must you.

Sacramento Mobile Websites for Easier Navigation

A website designed for mobile devices may be seen as a blessing for online businesses. However, going live with a virtual copycat of the main site is not often a sound decision when viewed through devices like a smartphone or phablet. In fact, a customer may even encourage you to see for yourself how hard it is to load it, let alone navigate with the endless taps and pinches on the screen. As such, you need to address such concerns with developers of functional Sacramento mobile websites.

Mini-Me

One of the most important elements in a mobile website is to shrink the layout so that the site can be viewed from the get-go in a single screen. Easier navigation links can be made by tweaking the CSS code to limit the items to no more than four, due to issues of user attention span. They may have a CSS dropdown or select drop-down menu programmed, showing more options at once.

Which Content?

In making your website more digestible to Sacramento mobile applications, consider placing only the most important items of the moment right at the top of the landing page. News websites are the leading examples of such content placement. How many times have you visited one popular news website only to see links to the breaking story and related stories staring at you? Organizing a simple but effective navigation template for your mobile website will ease the headaches on the users themselves. Populating the site with quality content makes the quick navigation worthwhile.

Assembling the Quality Sacramento Mobile Apps

Businesses nowadays should not take too long to attract many customers to their product or service. Current market trends require setting up a modest online presence, but in an age where mobile communications and miniaturized gadgetry are the norm, how do you increase the quality of your business while promoting customer loyalty? Simple: build a business-related app with a Sacramento mobile apps specialist.

The app’s thrust and market base should be defined from the get-go. Some experts claim that the demographics and interests of your market may decide what kind of content should be in the app. For instance, do you want the app to help customers land special deals? Are they open to accessing the business website without having to type the URL?

When it comes to the mobile platform you want the app to run on, you can't go wrong with gearing it for iOS and Android. Your app developer will have tools designed to make the app work on both systems. However, you can dedicate a modest amount of resources for one OS-specific app, then use it as a test model for develop the other version. This will be essential if some bugs do appear in the original app that must be eliminated fast. 

Apps are good for certain segments of mobile gadget users. However, be prepared for the possibility that some customers are just not interested in your app. A Sacramento mobile websites developer should fill up that void by reworking your business’ site to be viewable on mobile devices.

Platform Wars: Platform Choice for Sacramento Mobile Apps Growing Moot

There’s no doubting the fierce competition between a bitten apple and a stubby robot. You can have an app for either of the two, but why limit to just that when you can design apps for both? For every ten users, five of them use an Android and four the iOS. Even with a clear one-user difference, the flame wars rage on with no clear winner in sight.

Part of the reason as to the never-ending comparison between Android and iOS stems from an apples-to-oranges contrast. Android and iOS grows more different from each other as it puts more features. While one may score more points in certain aspects than the other, the other will find a way to regain the lead.

For example, Android users enjoy its customizable system where they can configure the system to do whatever they want. Developers of mobile apps for business and casual use in cities such as Sacramento often have a field day with Android because it’s flexible enough to fulfill needs of a client in his app. In short, Android is an open platform.

On the other hand, iOS enjoys the advantage of performance. Episodes of lag may occur, but they’re few and far in between, allowing even older iOS devices to run most apps, if not all, as smooth as whipped cream. In addition, its basic interface makes friends with first-time tablet or smartphone users. It’s a system designed for those who have had enough of excess lag.

So where does this comparison end? As mentioned earlier, the comparison has grown to an apples-and-oranges kind; justifying one to be the better system than the other has grown moot over time. These days, it won’t matter which operating system to choose; mobile applications in use in cities like Sacramento are designed to work in both environments.

Lessons in Making Sacramento Mobile Apps from a Stubby, Tough Flyer

Many people are still scratching their heads as to why game developer Dong Nguyen decided to pull his viral game Flappy Bird out of app stores. Even with the game raking around $50,000 per day on ads, the price of criticism—mostly from frustrated gamers—was too much for him. In the aftermath of Flappy Bird’s short-lived success, experts say this has been a learning experience.

While business mobile apps are different from gaming apps, any app can benefit from success in its respective market and face technical and social challenges. Bugs in the system can make users throw their smartphones or tablets in anger, especially if they fail to do what they’re built to do. Even if the app works just fine, some users will “make fun” of it anyway. 

The lessons drawn up from Nguyen’s ordeal applies to every person who has made something, not necessarily mobile apps, before. There will be critics; you can’t please everyone, which is why you don’t have to. In big cities like Sacramento, where people use apps all the time, giving users what they need as far as convenience goes is part of the solution; not the solution itself.

One expert cites Flappy Bird’s success on a technical point of view. At just under 3 MB, it’s easy to download and quick to start after you hit one of those nefarious green pipes. The rules of the game contributed to its success; tap to guide the bird through the forest of sawed-off PVCs. You can try again as many times as you like, provided you keep your patience in check.

The next time you ask for mobile applications for your business, ponder on these factors to help create the right one for users in cities like Sacramento. It doesn’t have to be perfect, but it must not foster frustration among your users. Even with criticisms pounding you from all sides, keep in mind that they don’t always represent general opinion as a whole.

The Case for Making a Mobile Website

The Advantages of Switching to Optimized Sacramento Mobile Websites

More and more people are using smartphones, and for very good reasons. Smartphones are extremely versatile, capable of functioning much like regular cellular phones yet with the select functionality of a tablet PC. These phones are so powerful that many users even utilize them to access the Internet.

While mobile phones are popularly used to surf the Web, not all websites are compatible with the browsers used by most smartphones. This can put certain business websites at a disadvantage, denying them the opportunity to reach out to potential consumers. Thus, businesses in Sacramento should consider developing mobile websites that properly market their goods or services.

As smartphones are always on hand, it’s important for mobile websites to be as convenient and accessible as possible. Consumers are likely to visit these sites on the fly to access bits of information, and they won’t like to wait for too long. Good mobile websites that quickly supply information to customers will keep consumers happy and loyal.

Mobile websites can also be built to interact with mobile applications. Sacramento businesses can have mobile apps developed that either link back to the parent website or extend the services of the site (i.e. serving as a handy quick delivery service, menu card, catalog). Such functionality greatly improves customer experience.

Smartphones are undoubtedly very popular for their versatility. Businesses can tap into the potential of these devices by carefully crafting the right marketing websites and apps. There’s promise in participating in mobile marketing, and businesses should keep up with the trend.

Considerations in Making Mobile Apps

Some Brilliant Sacramento Mobile Apps Ideas for Marketing Businesses

There’s no doubting the popularity of mobile devices such as smartphones, since more and more people are beginning to tote them. Many of these devices have access to the Internet and can run specialized applications. Called “apps,” these software can take the form of helpful guides, games, and other functional programs.

If the popularity of mobile games is any indication, apps are here to stay for a very long time. Businesses can take advantage of these apps as a way to market themselves. With the right mobile apps, Sacramento businesses can appeal to their local market. The following are a few considerations businesses should keep in mind when coming up with an app.

Utility vs Novelty

Businesses should first determine whether or not their app should lean towards being a useful program or an entertaining piece of software. There are specific uses for one over the other, and businesses should use their discretion in choosing between either an app that helps their consumers in some way or a game that engages customers.

The Power of Social Branding

Social branding is a powerful way to increase a brand’s visibility and appeal within a localized area. Customers who share their love with a business via a specialty app can spread the word among other potential consumers. Apps that reward consumers for “liking” a business with coupons or discounts are perfect for this function.

Apps are a powerful vehicle for marketing, provided that they’re constructed carefully. Good mobile applications can drastically raise the visibility and appeal of Sacramento businesses. It boils down to creating an app that resonates with the users.

Why Mobile Marketing?

In the midst of heavy competition, shortening consumer attention span and rapid technological development, how can businesses hope to effectively reach their customers through digital marketing?

The truth is, more businesses should be taking a long hard look at their marketing plan. Most marketers may be overlooking one simple yet highly effective strategy. Mobile marketing offers more benefits than most business owners may think.

High success rate

With everyone blasting their advertisements on TV and online, consumers are getting tired of the noise and starting to tune it out. This is happening all over the world including Sacramento. Mobile applications offer businesses the opportunity to be heard. Clearly. This is because it is a niche that isn't as highly saturated, offering better chances of success.

Non-intrusive

The buying public is growing resentful of being interrupted throughout their day just to be subjected to more advertisements. While some marketing strategies tend to be intrusive, mobile marketing is more permissive. Customers have to give their consent before receiving promotions and content. This also means that marketing efforts are highly targeted, specifically geared towards people who already show interest in the product or service.

Everyone has a phone

There are six billion mobile subscribers all over the world. By 2014, it is estimated that the number of mobile subscriptions will exceed the world population. What does this mean? Mobile marketing has a very wide reach. In addition, it's fair to assume that most people with spending power have mobile phones as well. Tapping into such a wide demographic will do wonders for businesses especially those based in Sacramento. Mobile apps and websites are the future!

How Mobile has Changed Consumer Behavior

The boom of the internet drastically changed how people consumed products. Now that the mobile revolution is well and truly upon us, businesses are seeing another shift in markets the world over, especially in Sacramento. Mobile websites and other mobile services are changing the market's buying attitudes therefore forcing businesses to quickly adapt or risk becoming irrelevant.

Only a decade ago, when people wanted to compare products and prices, they would spend hours going from store to store. Or to save time, they would simply stick to a well-known brand. Today, the story is completely different. All information on any particular brand or product is literally at the customer's fingertips.

With mobile, people are always online, always connected. At any point during the day, they can go online to check out a product or actually make a purchase. Mobile sessions tend to be shorter but more frequent, indicating that people want information and services and they want them right then and there.

The power has now shifted to the customers. They are now the ones who dictate when, where and how they consume products. If your business isn't where they need you to be, then you are cast aside in favor of any of your competitors. Mobile marketing has now become all about price, convenience and customer benefit. What this tells businesses is that the mobile market has a strong purchasing intent but you have to catch them at the right moment.

For businesses, including those based in Sacramento, mobile websites and applications are the best way to reach their market. It keeps the lines of communication open allowing them to give their customers the information and services right when they need it.