Mobile marketing tips for small businesses
Mobile CRM Apps To Grow 500% By 2014
May 17th
Recently, the IT information specialists at Gartner Research projected that the number of CRM apps will grow by 500% by 2014, if current trends hold. That’s 1,200 total CRM apps by 2014!
Obviously, there will be some winning providers and some losing providers, but this trend indicates the huge importance of CRM solutions to modern businesses. In fact, of CIOs surveyed, their fourth-highest priority was attracting and retaining new customers, a key function of CRM apps.
Why else is everyone bonkers for CRM? Well, it delivers some huge benefits:
1. Increased Revenue. This is the most obvious one – CRM solutions help you generate more sales. By increasing your sales team’s efficiency, you should see a direct positive impact on your bottom line.
2. Useful Data. CRM isn’t just about keeping information organized – it’s about analyzing it and gaining insights into your customers as well. By drilling down into your sales and lead data, you can learn what works and what doesn’t when it comes to selling your product. This information helps you refine your approach and improve regularly.
3. Organization. Keeping all of your sales and lead info neatly organized through a single, simple portal is hugely helpful for reference. Information isn’t locked up, either, which brings us to …
4. Remote Collaboration. The best CRM solutions let you access and update records from anywhere using your mobile devices.
So, which CRM solution is the best? Well, we’re kind of partial to one …
Our own!
Bizness Apps’ CRM solution is one of the simplest, most powerful, most cost-effective solutions available for those selling to small businesses. Bizness CRM makes it easy to find new small business leads, reach out, track progress, collaborate, and analyze and review results. And with mobile versions fully realized, Bizness CRM is ready to keep your team in sync, on track, and focused on the thing that matters most: sales!
For more information about Bizness CRM, including free trials and tours, please click here.
To check out the iPhone version, please click here.
To check out the Android version, please click here.
4 Ways to Make Mobile Apps Work for Your Small Business
May 16th
You may have heard recently about the increasing importance of mobile tech strategies for small businesses. Tremendous opportunities are indeed available, but knowing how to take advantage of them is another matter entirely. Indeed, few small business owners are familiar with mobile app development, deployment, and management, or the benefits thereof.
You have enough to worry about without becoming an IT specialist as well, right?
No worries – we have some easily digestible information that we think you will find extremely helpful!
For starters, to learn more about why you can’t afford to ignore mobile, you can check out our post here. If you’re already on the mobile bandwagon, however, and you’d like to learn a few key mobile strategies, please read on.
1. Support existing functions
Mobile apps don’t live in a separate world, isolated from reality. They’re closely interwoven into people’s daily lives, at this point.
When sitting at your desk, a calendar app will ring out a reminder from your pocket about your next meeting. You might then pull out your phone and order up car service on the way down stairs. When you hop in the car, a GPS app will tell the driver how to get to the destination.
Et cetera, et cetera.
When designing a mobile app for your business, think about functions that your business already does, and brainstorm ways for apps to improve them. If you’re a dry cleaner, your app could notify customers when an order is ready for pickup. If you’re a real estate broker, your app could work with existing software to tell clients more about houses they’re visiting by accessing their device’s location data. And so on.
The solutions are truly endless. Be creative, and use your app to enhance your business’s existing functions, and it will provide value right out of the gate.
2. Focus on mobile app tasks
People don’t typically download small business mobile apps to screw around – they’ve got awesome games for that. They generally have a specific task in mind if they’re going to fire up a small business’s mobile app. Play to these tasks, whether it’s looking up contact or location info, making a purchase, submitting a request for a quote, or something else. The key is knowing what customers and prospects want to do with an app from your company, and then to build around that so that core tasks can be executed quickly and smoothly.
3. Don’t settle
It may sound like a pain, but after you roll out your app, it’s important to review user data and feedback, and to continually tweak your app to improve it. Not only will the user experience get better, but you’ll also gain familiarity with data that can provide striking insights into what your users and customers want.
Apps are an excellent source of information – don’t discard it!
4. Do what mobile does best
A mobile device should not be thought of as a portable desktop. It has special features and functions that should be used and taken advantage of, such as the accelerometer (which detects movements), the GPS function, and personalized user data, if you have access to it. Look for ways to take advantage of these functions, and always remember that you can ping a mobile user no matter where they are. Many businesses now will alert customers to a special offer when they walk past the location, for example.
They didn’t develop all those bells and whistles for nothing – use ‘em!
The mobile game is still in an early stage, but time is passing quickly. Follow these tips and experiment to find what works best for your business, and you’ll likely be ahead of the competition in an area that is becoming more important with each passing day.
App of the Week – Clackamas Fire
May 15th
Okay, let’s say you live in Clackamas County, Oregon, and you need to find a hospital, quickly. How do you do it?
The Clackamas Fire app.
What if you heard there was a fire in your neighborhood, and you want to know if your home is in danger or not?
The Clackamas Fire app, again.
What if you just want to check out public safety alerts?
Yep, you guessed it, the Clackamas Fire app! (It ain’t the “App of the Week” for nothing.)
Seriously, though. The app is a great tool for anyone in the Clackamas area (including Milwaukie, Oregon City, Happy Valley, Johnson City, and a portion of Damascus, as well as Oak Lodge, Clackamas, Westwood, Carver, Redland, Beavercreek, Carus, Clarkes, and South End/Central Point).
Here’s a quick list of features:
• Access real-time audio
• Read alerts feeds
• Locate defibrillators
• Find fire stations, hospitals, and other public buildings, and get directions to them
• Find out about upcoming events
• Check out FD Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube content
• Review Clackamas River Water Levels
• Signup for the Chief’s Newsletter
The app is totally free to download. If you’re up in the Clackamas area, there’s no reason not to grab this app and stay informed about important public safety matters.
(Oh, and please send us some pictures from that gorgeous wild northwest – we could use a few mountains, forests, lakes, and streams here in the office!)
For more info, or to download the app from the iTunes Store, click here.
The Surprising Limitations of HTML5
May 9th
Recently, LinkedIn launched fresh versions of its apps, and many were surprised to find that, instead of being web-based, they were fully native. You may be wondering what prompted the change, but the answer is not what you might think.
The usual problems with HTML5 are well-known: 1) it’s slow on many devices and in many situations, and 2) it crashes too frequently. So, which of these problems was LinkedIn having?
Neither one!
Kiran Prasad, LinkedIn’s senior director for mobile engineering, said in a recent interview with VentureBeat, that the primary reason for the switch from HTML5 to native is that the LinkedIn team was, “[S]eeing that more and more people are spending more time in the app, and the app is running out of memory. It’s not performance issues, like speed or rendering, but it’s still a big problem.” (The other reason he cited was the desire to have smooth animations when running the app.)
So it’s not that HTML5 itself is unworkable for LinkedIn’s needs, it’s that the app ecosystem doesn’t yet support the specific issue LinkedIn is having.
What does Prasad want to see? More tools! Especially an improved debugger, and a way to understand and address performance issues quickly and effectively. This means that, with a little more help from the powers behind the platform, HTML5 could once again become a viable option for LinkedIn (and presumably others encountering the same problem).
This intrigues us. Many are aware of the facial advantages and drawbacks of various systems and platforms, but sometimes a “minor” non-obvious issue is enough to tip the scales and send market players scrambling to a competing solution.
We’re interested to hear: does anyone out there have any stories of hidden issues that were make-or-break for your team’s decision-making?
The Mobile Web Shifts Into the Next Gear
May 8th
Can you remember your first mobile web experience?
That is, the first time you tried to launch a browser on a mobile device? As you stared at a blank screen, and watched a progress bar slowly tick its way forward, only to be stopped about halfway across, your impression was probably something like this:
“This is it? Really? … This is slow!”
Things have changed a lot since then.
While mobile devices still lag behind their desktop counterparts, they are certainly useful for some limited web browsing. And when connected to a Wi-Fi router, many devices operate at speeds that are totally satisfying.
If your mobile browsing experiences have been getting better and better, we’re happy to confirm that, no, you weren’t imagining things. The mobile web is actually about 30% faster than it was last year, according to a recent report from Google.
More specifically, mobile page load times are 30% faster. About a third of pages load in 1-3 seconds, and about another third load in 3-7 seconds. That is, almost three-quarters of mobile web page openings were fully loaded in less than 7 seconds.
We know, we know. “7 seconds!? Who has that kind of time!?” Relax. The industry players are working on solutions from a number of angles. In fact, Google, identifies at least four areas of improvement that are contributing to the speed increases:
1. Core telecom infrastructure improvements,
2. Faster browsers,
3. Increased LTE/4G deployments for mobile networks, and
4. Mobile device processing power improvements
So the mobile web is significantly faster, compared to just last year, and is light-years ahead of where we were beyond that. In addition, the improvements have come to many countries around the world, not just the U.S., so many hotspots around the globe are speeding up.
Soon enough, all of our mobile devices will support web browsing that is too fast to complain about.
5 Great Free Productivity Apps for Android
May 3rd
Today’s stressed-out, Type-A workers need all the help they can get, as they rush from one project to the next. Unfortunately, the apps below won’t make you folks any less stressed (we know that’s impossible), but they will make you more productive.
If you’re going to burn yourself out, you might as well at least get something done, right?
1. Google Drive
The ultimate solution for cloud-based document collaboration and sharing, plus a load of other powerful features. Not only will this app let you access your Google Drive files, but you can actually edit documents and spreadsheets, view pdfs, share items with your contacts, and do tons of other stuff.
It’s a pretty powerful solution when you’re not at your computer, but you need something to take the place of Microsoft Office. It’s doubtful that you can conveniently perform highly complex actions, but for quick-and-dirty editing and sharing, it’s a totally functional tool.
2. Evernote
The gold standard for note taking.
Evernote is not just for jotting down a few words here and there, though – you can sync notes across devices, share lists, access notes remotely, record voice reminders, and generally keep on top of your To-Do items in every way. It’s won a tidy pile of awards and accolades, and it’s totally free. Just download it, already!
3. CamCard Free
Business cards are riding slowly into the sunset in many places and industries, replaced by their virtual equivalents. But until they’re completely retired, it can still be helpful to have a way to capture the data on them, and integrate it with your electronic contacts lists.
Enter CamCard Free.
With CamCard, you take a picture of a business card, and the information on the card will be pushed to your address books (iPhone, Gmail, Exchange accounts, etc.)
Older folks tend to be the most powerful folks in an industry. And they’re the ones most likely to hand you a business card. The next time they do, don’t look at it with disgust. Just take it, smile, and CamCard it. Then throw it out.
It’s the best of both worlds.
“Wait, did he say don’t use blue in the graphics, or did he say he wanted blue in the graphics? Ah well, no prob. Lemme just pull up the recording.”
Thanks, Voice Recorder!
Not only can you record meetings, calls, interviews, lectures, or simple notes to yourself, but Voice Recorder also sends them automatically to your Gmail account as attachments for easy access from any device later on. The recordings are searchable by title and date, and if you’re feeling creative, can also be used as ringtones.
For a grand total of $0, it’s hard to see how you could go wrong, here.
5. Dropbox
If you need to share files easily, even big ones, this is your app. And Dropbox isn’t just for sharing with others. With auto-uploading folders on your computer, you can save files on your desktop, and have them automatically appear in the cloud for access later from your Dropbox app.
It’s a smooth-functioning, go-anywhere solution that basically lets you ensure that files are never stranded on a particular device or with a particular team member.
Neat, huh?
6 Great To-Do List Apps for iPhone
May 2nd
Now that we all have computers in our pockets, there are no longer any excuses for forgetting things. So whenever you need to remember something, just pop open one of the apps below on your iPhone, and make yourself a note.
1. List Master ($7.99)
This well-reviewed wonder app not only allows you to make lists, but ensures that they are accessible no matter where you are. You can view your lists online, export them via email and Dropbox, and sync across devices. With List Master, you’re truly the master of your lists.
2. eTodo ($.99)
eTodo is great for those who want robust scheduling functionality with their list app. eTodo lets users categorize items as “Inbox” (for initial ideas), “Action” (for things that are ready to be done), “Next” (for things to address afterward), and “Someday” (for more distant future plans). Items can be sorted by due date, tagged with time-sensitive colors and priority levels, and more.
If you’re obsessed with the clock, eTodo might be a good fit for you.
3. ReQall (free)
reQall focuses on the most basic feature – getting the notes down. You can use voice recordings, emails, texts, IMs, and more, to make sure that, no matter what situation you’re in, you’ll always be able to get your thoughts recorded. Thus the name: reQall!
4. To-Do List Pro ($.99)
Like most list apps, To-Do list allows for multiple lists and sub-lists, item categorization, and other functions. The neatest feature here, however, may be the progress analysis and graphing that helps users understand how time is being spent.
For those that are worried they may be serial procrastinators, To-Do List Pro will reveal the awful truth.
5. Remember the Milk (free)
Aside from being named after the most classic To-Do list item, our favorite feature with Remember the Milk is that it simply won’t let you forget an item. Reminders can be configured to go out via email, SMS, and even instant messenger. If you can’t get it done after a barrage of notifications like that, you’re beyond the help of a simple app.
6. Things ($9.99)
Things is the Cadillac of to-do list apps. It gets all the awards, and probably has the most robust feature set. If nothing but the best is good enough for you, Things is your to-do list app.
If you can’t find an app you like on this list, there are plenty of other options, so feel free to experiment and browse to find one that works for you.
(And as a final goodbye, make the last item on your hard copy to-do list, “Download to-do List app.”)
224 Million People Now Use Apps
May 1st
A recent post by the app consulting and analysis company Flurry revealed that the monthly number of people using apps now exceeds the number of people using desktops and laptops. Each month, roughly 224 million people now use apps, as opposed to 221 million people that use desktops and laptops.
It’s interesting to compare these growing app audiences with those reached by traditional media outlets. For now, a single television show still reaches far, far more viewers than a single app. For example, the top three television shows, put together, reach an audience of about 50 million people. To reach this same audience via apps, it takes about 500 of the top apps.
This comparison may seem silly, but for businesses and advertisers, there’s a hidden difference that shouldn’t be ignored: apps allow for extraordinary segmentation and targeting. Advertising on prime-time television shows is extremely expensive and usually leads to a fair amount of waste. Viewership is broad, and can include many segments that are not relevant to a particular advertiser. Advertising on apps, in contrast, is cheaper and can deliver a better value if done properly, because a tighter user segment can be targeted.
For these reasons, in-app advertising has become a major channel for business promotion. 88% of all apps downloaded are ad-supported, and total revenue for in-app ads is projected to reach $2 billion this year.
“But wait,” you say, “I hate those little ads in my apps, and I never click them!”
The advertisers have heard you, and their “ads” are changing to adapt to the new medium of apps. As Mashable reports, sponsors are testing a number of strategies to avoid irritating people with their ads, including 1) appearing as a part of game apps themselves, 2) paying viewers for ad views, and 3) making more inventive ads that depart from the old-school static display model (e.g. an ad for the Westin Resorts appeared as a frosted screen, which the user could wipe with a finger to reveal a tropical paradise in the background).
For businesses, the message is clear: the aggregate app audience has hit another milestone of growth, and is quickly becoming a major channel that should not be ignored.
Small Business Owners Confirm: “Mobile Marketing Works!”
Apr 30th
How do we know? Well, Web.com asked small business owners (about 500 of them), and learned that 84% of those that have stand-alone mobile websites are getting new business from them. This means that prospects and leads are waiting to be found on mobile devices, and that small business that meet them there are getting positive results.
A few related notes:
• 69%: The number of small business owners who think that mobile marketing is key to their growth in the next five years.
• 64%: The number who intend to spend more on mobile marketing this year, when compared to last year.
Given this information, it’s safe to say that small businesses are enjoying returns from their investments in mobile websites and mobile marketing. The main motivations for pursing these avenues are to 1) deliver better service to customers, 2) gain new customers, and 3) build an edge over the competition. But despite these worthwhile benefits, only about a quarter of small businesses have mobile-friendly websites. In addition, most don’t have a mobile strategy, and are currently missing out on opportunities to be found by mobile searchers.
Meanwhile, mobile search volumes are exploding. Mobile search is quickly pushing past desktop/laptop searching, and customers are increasingly expecting businesses to have functional mobile websites. Indeed, a customer’s experience during mobile search can have a powerful impact on a business. In another post, we laid out the unintended negative consequences of having a poor or nonexistent mobile presence, as well as the positive effects of a well-designed mobile presence.
The results might surprise you.
At this point, small businesses must be aware of these issues, or they’ll pay a heavy “tax” imposed by the market and shifting user expectations. With other small businesses confirming that mobile marketing gets positive results, and helps them push ahead of the competitors, isn’t it time you gave it a shot?
For more info, please click here.
4 Budget and Finance Apps for iPhone that Are Well Worth the Download
Apr 29th
In this day and age, there are no more excuses for not having a personal budget laid out. The apps and tools available to you, often for free, are cheap, easy to use, and will make your life better. Here are four of our favorites, for iPhone:
1. Expenditure ($2)
With a clean interface and a few nice extra features, Expenditure makes expense tracking about as simple as it can get. You can pick your spending categories, add transactions, take notes, and even use photos to help you “keep an eye” on your spending. If you don’t want to get too bogged down with sophisticated reports and advanced information, Expenditure will keep things straightforward for you, and simply show you what you spent.
2. Mint (Free)
In the first annual app awards, Mint was awarded “Best Finance App.” You can’t go wrong with a free app that is also probably the best one out there. Mint pulls in account info in real time, lets you create and adjust budgets on the fly, and does everything you want it to do, in general.
3. iReconcile ($3)
iReconcile has a wealth of features that might be just what you’re looking for. In addition to the usual budgeting and transaction recording functions you might expect, iReconcile has advanced reporting, searching, exporting, and memorization functions that enrich the experience. iReconcile also offers sync and backup services to round out their product.
4. MoneyBook ($3)
MoneyBook boasts the usual set of features, but bills itself as “Finance with flair.” Is the app stylish enough to merit such a distinction? You be the judge!
No matter which app you use, the important thing is that you get tracking. (The sooner you track, the sooner you find out how much those awesome deals on Groupon are really costing you each month.)
