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Build Mobility for Your Business

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As 2016 nears its close, what sights do you have set on the New Year, allowing you to take your business to new heights?

For some business owners, a new year can mean many new twists and turns. Others, meantime, will play things closer to the vest, looking to not deviate too far from what they have done over the last 12 months.

That said having a business that is not weak when it comes to technology is crucial, especially in a business world where tech is seemingly always playing a part.

So, are you ready to build more mobility for your business as 2017 unfolds?

Where Do You Start?

In the event you feel the need to put more mobility into your business, where do you start?

It is typically best to begin by assessing where your needs are most prevalent.

Are you a business that is behind the curve when it comes to technology? If so, why is that the case?

For some business owners, it comes down to embracing technology, not fearing it for one reason or another.

With the right technology on your side, your business can do myriad of things. Most notably, you can meet the demands of many customers, many of whom are big on technology.

That said does your business have an app? If the answer is no, 2017 would be a great time to come up with one.

If you are wondering about how to make an app, it actually isn’t as hard as one might think.

Whether you make the app in-house or outsource such needs, having that app ready to do business is where you need to get to.

In the event you decide to stay in-house in your efforts to make an app, you may have already hired someone (or more than one individual) more than capable of doing it.

Should you need to go outside for such help, you are best-served by doing some homework, seeing which companies (or even individuals) are qualified to put an app together for you.

Among the areas to look at:

  • How long have they been designing apps?
  • What are the approximate costs for them to design your app?
  • What kind of guarantees will they provide so that you truly get what you pay for (and need)?
  • Will they be available whenever you need them to answer pertinent questions and/or fix any problems your app presents you with?

Once you have the design of your app going, you can then focus on where your app is destined to take you.

Putting Your App to Work

So that you are able to truly understand how a mobile app can catapult your business forward in 2017 and beyond, keep these factors in mind:

  • Numbers – First and foremost, more and more consumers these days are using technology to not only shop for goods and services, but ultimately purchase them. As a result, you’re literally going to be left behind if you do not fully embrace technology. Consumers will also look at your business with more respect when you have your own app, knowing you are staying up to date with the times;
  • Speed – While there are still some businesses out there that avoid technology as much as possible (they seem to become fewer and fewer by the year), many companies love the speed with which technology can bring them together with consumers. That said see how having an app changes the fortunes of your business in many cases. With a successful mobile app in play, you can be in contact literally instantly with many consumers, giving you an opportunity to beat the competition to the punch.

Once you have a handle on how you will build your app, be prepared to move forward with marketing and using it when ready.

In the end, the app will build mobility for your business, something that ultimately should translate into more dollars and cents.

Photo credit: Pixabay

About the Author: Dave Thomas covers business topics on the web.

 

 

 

Make It Your Business to Market Apps

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aappereWould you like to encourage both sales and customer loyalty at the press of a button or the tap of a screen?

A mobile app can help your business do both those things. We live in a mobile world, with people using their phones for everything from finding the best deals to finding a local restaurant.

Developing and marketing your own app means your brand is there when consumers are searching for a business like yours.

If you’re ready for your business to go mobile, start with these four steps….

Create an App Worth Marketing

Before you start marketing your app, you need to design and create it, or employ someone to do that for you.

At this stage, ask yourself what your app is going to do for your customers. There’s no doubt that an app has advantages for your business – you’re putting your brand right there on your customers’ phones, creating another channel for communication, and making your company a part of their daily life.

But to reap those advantages, customers need to like and use your app, which means they need to know what it will do for them.

Ask yourself “what problem will this app solve for my customers? How will it make their lives better?” and you’ll be well on your way to making the most of your app.

Know and Communicate Your App’s Unique Selling Point

Is your app built and ready to launch? It’s time to make sure your customers know about it and know what it can do for them.

As the article “How to Market an App to Consumers” points out, your app needs to stand out from the competition.

The first step is making a functional app that is truly useful. The second is your customers know about it. Instead of “download our app”, tell them why they will love it.

For example, a restaurant might let their customers know that downloading their app means getting the latest offers direct to their phone, while a financial planning service might offer financial advice and tracking.

Offer Time or Location Sensitive Advantages

One of the best things about mobile apps from a customer perspective is the chance to get deals and bargains that aren’t available anywhere else.

From exclusive downloads or games to money saving coupons and offers, or even information that is tailored using location and date, there are lots of ways you can make your app indispensable.

After all, who doesn’t love a great deal?

By offering something exclusive to customers who download your app, you’re giving them a strong incentive to do so, and making it worth their time to open your app regularly, which means keeping your company name at their fingertips.

Make Use of Social Media

If your customers want to keep up with their favorite brands, research purchases or find good deals, where do they go? There’s a good chance that social media is one of their go-to places.

Meet them there with Facebook updates, Tweets or even blog posts that tell them all about your new app.

Keep the focus on why your app will make their life better. If it suits your business tone, add in some fun, encourage feedback, or even run a competition based on sharing or re-tweeting your updates to get your customers sharing on your behalf.

An app is a versatile business tool that you can use to connect with your customers and build brand loyalty.

Plan your app carefully and market it with enthusiasm and plenty of talk about the benefits it offers your customers to increase your app’s usability and popularity.

Photo credit: Image courtesy of KROMKRATHOG at FreeDigitalPhotos.net

About the Author: Tristan Anwyn writes on a wide variety of topics, including social media, small businesses, mobile apps and SEO.

Can Logging In Be Fun? Clef Says Yes.

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It was all fun and games until my purse got stolen.

We were on a great vacation, and visiting the Arizona Memorial on Oahu. In the parking lot, there was a sign that warned “High theft area, do not leave valuables in car.” So what did I do? Put my purse in the trunk of the rental car and went in to see the museum. A couple of hours later, you can guess what happened. Vacation ruined, checkbook and credit cards gone. Prescription glasses gone. Plane tickets home, gone.

It was a supremely painful lesson, but I took heed. Being smart about my personal security moved up several notches in my priority list.

Do you see the daily warnings about changing your online passwords frequently, not using your pet’s name, remembering to change the default? Are you taking heed?

The proliferation of sites that require a login has forced us all to find ways of remembering a tornado of passwords.

And it’s not fun.

Yes, there are good services like LastPass and 1Password that will help you generate random passwords and retain newly created logins. But still, not fun.

Enter a new service called Clef.

For now, it’s primarily a free WordPress add-on. Once you download the app to your smartphone, it allows you to log in to your WordPress site by waving your phone in front of your computer screen.

Clef password app

When you click “sync” on your normal login page, Clef generates a cool animated signal wave. Open Clef on your phone (there’s a PIN) and it generates a similar animated wave. Hold it up for a second, and it syncs, giving a haptic buzz when it succeeds. You can choose to stay logged in permanently, or set a time frame. Clef will log you out automatically when the time runs out.

What if you lose your phone? Clef has a remote “lockdown” key. Just let them know the phone isn’t in your possession, and they will disable Clef on the phone.

Looks like the team at Clef is expanding into payment systems and additional platforms (it works with Hootsuite and a few others right now).

The only drawback I see is that you currently have to manually open the Clef app on your phone. It would be super cool if the mobile app automatically launched when you clicked login on the desktop screen.

Give it a spin and tell me what you think! What are you currently using to help you deal with your tornado of passwords?

Author’s Bio: Rosemary O’Neill is an insightful spirit who works for social strata — a top ten company to work for on the Internet . Check out the Social Strata blog. You can find Rosemary on Google+ and on Twitter as @rhogroupee

Disclosure: I have no affiliation with Clef, and received no consideration for this post. It represents my unvarnished opinion.