Learning About Business Opportunities

Posted on: 5 September 2018

As a small business owner, you need to recognize the importance of mobile apps for generating inbound sales. By 2015, nearly two-thirds of the population in the US owned smartphones, so making your business mobile friendly is important. If you're considering a custom-designed mobile app to increase your sales revenue, there are a few things you need to consider. Here are a couple of tips that will help you make the most of the investment and app launch so you get the best return.

Know How An App Can Help Generate Sales

If you want to build a custom app to help increase your inbound sales, you need to understand how apps can promote sales so that can you factor this into your design. First, remember that a mobile app is all-encompassing, so you reduce the risk of distraction. Unlike a contact form on a website that customers can easily click away from, customers would have to actually exit your app before they complete their inquiry. This makes it far more likely that potential customers will actually complete the initial contact, increasing your chances of securing that sale.

Focus on retaining customer attention when you design your app. The more resources you offer and the more engaging your app design, the longer people will stay in the app. The longer you retain their attention, the greater your chances of receiving that initial contact that can lead to a sale.

Make It Easy To Use

There are few things more frustrating than trying to accomplish something in an app and finding that it is either too confusing to navigate or that the buttons are so small that they are hard to tap. Keep simplicity in mind when you're designing your app so that you minimize the risk of user frustration.

Make the app intuitive so that users can easily tell where they need to go to accomplish their task, get their questions answered, or inquire about a product or service. Further, consider those who have difficulty navigating small screens and buttons, such as the visually or motor-skill impaired. Make your button navigation easy to access and tap without risk of hitting the wrong buttons and causing frustration that could drive potential customers away.

Incorporate SMS Services

Another beneficial feature you can add to your mobile app and mobile marketing plan is an SMS service. By providing customers the ability to opt into SMS alerts and notifications within your mobile app, it gives you another avenue of contact for things like special promotions, discounts, loyalty programs, and more. You can even use SMS services to notify customers if you are closing for the day due to inclement weather or other emergencies.

Using a business SMS service for this is ideal because the platforms are designed for full control and simplicity. You can create messages to be sent immediately, or you can schedule them to be sent at a specific time. This is great for planning ahead when you want to promote an upcoming deal or discount. You can also send coupon codes to specific customers this way because the SMS apps allow you to create your own lists based on those who have subscribed to the notification service. To learn more, contact a business SMS service provider.

These are three key factors to consider if you're weighing the option of a mobile app for your business. An app that's focused on your product or service can help to draw in new customers as well as increase your chance of additional sales to existing customers. The more proactive you are about your mobile app design, the greater your chances of increasing your company's inbound sales activity.