Second Screens for Small Business

February 26, 2013 , , , , ,

secondscreen

While traditional television advertising methods remain effective for many small businesses, they only represent a surface-level exposure to customers. According to a number of worldwide studies 75%-85% of people use their mobile devices while watching their favorite shows. In what is perhaps an even more telling set of statistics, between 27% and 44% use their devices to explore products or services they have seen advertised on TV. This trend demonstrates two key points: that viewers seek a greater depth of information than that provided by commercials, and that they are turning to their smartphones immediately upon viewing those commercials to conduct product research.

Businesses can capitalize on these trends by ensuring an established presence in the mobile ecosystem. Though mobile-optimized websites and third party information outlets are beneficial for this purpose, a dedicated application offers the opportunity to extend front-of-mind awareness for potential customers. For instance, someone may have looked up dozens of products as a result of advertisements set during a major broadcast. However, they are unlikely to forget the business that offers them a push-notification with a great deal a few days later.

Fortunately, EasyApp allows small businesses to develop an application extremely quickly (and often for a fraction of the cost of a mobile-site). These applications allow for effective targeted engagement that will stretch your advertising dollar. As smartphone adoption rates continue to climb more users will conduct product research via the “second screen.” Build an app in minutes and increase profits by allowing customers to interact with your business on their terms.

Announcing EasyApp 2.0

February 19, 2013 , , , ,

For the past six months Apptive has been working hard to make our intuitive app creation tool even better. Today, we are extremely pleased to announce the release of our newly redesigned EasyApp service!

EasyApp 2.0 is a major upgrade to Apptive’s web-based app creation and management platform with new advanced features such as iPhone and Android support and on-the-fly content and design updates. Businesses can build and update their apps in minutes without any coding experience or technical knowledge required using our simple drag and drop interface.

Of course, EasyApp 2.0 continues to support our ever-expanding library of customizable modules. Each module is designed to facilitate a high-impact mobile experience every time a customer uses your app. With popular functionality including geolocation, push notification deals and even take-out food orders for restaurants, EasyApp 2.0 lets you quickly tailor an app to your specific business needs. We also include recommended modules based on your business type to get you up and running with proven features that will delight your customers.

We hope that you are as excited as we are about the possibilities that EasyApp 2.0 can offer your business. We offer two convenient ways to build your app: you can sign up for a free EasyApp account to create an app yourself, or contact us for our pro setup option.

Redefining Local Search

December 14, 2012 , , ,

localsearch

Here at Apptive we view the concept of local search a bit differently than most. If you are a local/small business why make your customers fire up their mobile web browser, find you on Google, then either zoom and pan or interact with a stripped down version of your website to get the info they need while on the go?

Instead we think local search should mean your customer swipes through a screen or two on their smartphone and finds the icon for your app. Then with one tap they are interacting with your business: clicking to call, making a reservation, viewing a deal or ordering food to go right through your app.

Obviously you have to get your app on customers’ iPhone and Android devices first for this scenario to work. The solution to that is simple. Simply promote your app in your business location, on your Facebook page, on your Website and give customers a reason to download it such as receiving a one-time special deal upon download or receiving on-going mobile-only deals.

Getting found by your loyal customers on a smartphone doesn’t have to be hard. There’s an app for that, and it’s yours!

Where is My Phone? It’s in My Hand!

October 30, 2012 , , ,

iphone

I remember when I use to naturally check my pockets often to make sure that I had my wallet. Just a quick check of my pocket to reassure myself that it was there and that I had not left it behind at the house, on the store counter, or at that restaurant. My wallet of course has very important things in it. My driver’s license. My credit cards/bank cards. My pictures of my kids, friends, and family. The business cards of some of my clients and from businesses that I frequent. If I did not feel my wallet in my pocket I would begin a quick search. I would check my local surroundings and then that bowl on my night stand that I would empty my pockets into at the end of the day. If I couldn’t find it there then I would really have to think and retrace my steps to find it.

It almost seems funny to me now. I have come home and when I got to my night stand to empty my pockets like normal I have found my wallet sitting in the bowl. I didn’t even notice that it was not in my pocket, I also didn’t remember how many days I had left it there. Now when I check my pockets I’m not looking for my wallet, I’m looking for my phone. Here is a statistic that I found that put this into perspective.

1) It takes 26 hours for the average person to report a lost wallet. It takes 68 minutes for them to report a lost phone. (Source: Unisys)

I currently use an iPhone 4s. I use my iPhone throughout the day and it is always on me or near my person. When I’m checking my pockets now, that is what I’m searching for. Most of the time when I’m looking for my phone all I need to do is look at my other hand! I can use my smart phone to do so many things now that I often only use a computer while at work. I use my iPhone to find what I’m looking for, how to get there with directions, then research more about the products or services when I get where I’m going. It Is an amazing piece of technology. At this point I can not see myself without my smart phone.

In many ways it has replaced the need for a wallet. I can use it to order and purchase services and goods. It stores thousands of pictures. My contact list for clients is stored right on the device and can easily be searched and retrieved. I can find the number for most anything else with a quick search of the web. Those businesses that I frequent and have an app, I have downloaded it and I can use it to place an order, book a room, purchase tickets, etc. I often find myself returning to those businesses that do have an app, because of the convenience that app has given me.

These smart phone apps have made it easier for me as a customer to stay connected to the companies and businesses I like to do business with and vice versa. I often get the question, “Why do I need an app, when I have a mobile web site?” That is an easy question to answer. You need both. A mobile web site is important to gather new clients that are searching for that new pair of shoes, those tires for their vehicle, or where they will eat lunch today. The mobile web site allows you to grow your business with potential new customers, but your mobile web site does not give you a direct connection back to that customer after they visited your site. A native mobile app puts your business back into that customers pocket or purse.

With Apptive and our EasyApp platform a very robust native app can be developed for your clients so that they can keep in contact with those loyal customers that want to do business with them. A small business now has a direct link to those customer’s pockets, purses, or for some people right into their hands. One of the benefits of EasyApp is the ability to use our “Deals module” to directly send specials or coupons to those customers that have downloaded their app. You do not have that ability with a mobile web site by itself.

One of the other things that I’m sure many people had in their wallets were the old loyalty cards. Go to your favorite sandwich shop and they would stamp your card when you made a purchase. When your card was filled you got your next sandwich free. EasyApp now allows you to put that loyalty card right in the app. We have developed a module that allows your clients to reward those return customers in much the same way those cards worked in the past. The next statistic can also put the last two points into percepective.

2) It costs a business about 5-10 times more to acquire a new customer than it does to sell to an existing one — and on average those current customers of yours spend 67% more than a new one. (Source: Inc.)

So, get started helping your clients reach those loyal customers. Help them get into that pocket or purse and on their smart phones. You now have the ability to answer the question of mobile web site or native app. You can tell them both, and you will have the tool to provide them with an app. At the end of the day we are all looking to get to the last thing we still need a wallet or purse for, MONEY. The technology is already there that we will not even need that. The only question I have for your client, “Are you going to lose clients to that competitor down the road that already has an app?”

Learn more about Apptive and the EasyApp platform at www.apptive.com.

Three Ways to Establish a Mobile Presence

January 27, 2012 , ,

mobilecall

A prospective customer asked me a good question the other day: “What are the different ways I can have a mobile presence right now?”. I thought this might be a useful topic to briefly cover for everyone.

There are three primary ways you can think about getting a mobile presence. They are:

1) Let customers find your regular website on their mobile browser of choice.
2) Create a mobile optimized version of your website and let customers find that from their mobile browser of choice.
3) Create a mobile app and let customers find and interact with directly from their smartphone.

I’ll layout how each of these options measure up below.

Regular Website Mobile Website Mobile App
Formatted For Smartphone No Yes Yes
Installed on Smartphone No No Yes
Offline Access No No Yes
Leverages Smartphone Capabilities No Some Yes

So which way should you go? Obviously we’re strong proponents of the mobile app route.

That’s why we’ve created EasyApp – so you can get an app for your business or organization, stand out from the crowd, and create a way for your customers to connect with you from their always-on, location aware devices/smartphones. And the best part is no coding is required so you can do it yourself.