Yesterday, our post Internet Marketing & Digital Advertising Professionals: The Value’s in Mobile outlined some new trends in mobile app use. (You can read more about these statistics in the 2014 Mobile Behavior Report from ExactTarget, a digital marketing company.) Now, let's explore this new research in terms of how mobile can generate additional sales for your business.
By the Numbers: a Better Way to Connect Clients with Customers
Most small-business owners want concrete examples and numbers to help them make business decisions. As a mobile developer, you can use these statistics to show the value clients can get from your mobile apps. Here are four talking points to help you convey the importance of mobile technology to clients:
- Nine out of 10 customers find it important to be able to access content "any way" they want to. In other words, they’d like a consistent cross-platform experience. When consumers use multiple devices, they want to be able to access a company's webpage, marketplace, and other content easily on every device. (For a breakdown of the liabilities you have as a web marketplace developer, read our post How Clients Who Accept Mobile Payments Put You at Risk.)
- Two-thirds of consumers think it's important for businesses to look like mobile leaders and embrace cross-platform technology. If a business doesn't, consumers can be quick to judge and think it shows the business is behind the times. Clients might miss out on sales by not having a mobile app for Android and iPhone / iOS devices. Or they might offer less content on their mobile apps, which turns off new customers.
- Most consumers judge content based on its usefulness. Consumers who don't like mobile webpages or mobile alerts / text messaging ads usually don't like them because they don't offer valuable content. This is an important finding because it shows how vital it is that your clients take an active role in their mobile technology. Clients must publish new information on their websites, have ongoing ad campaigns – anything that will prove them to be active and relevant mobile companies. Emphasize this fact with your clients. Otherwise, they might expect your new app will do all the work for them.
- 80 percent of consumers who subscribed to a business's emails made a purchase within six months of an email promotion they received. Consumers want choice. Letting consumers opt into text messaging / email ads helps you deliver messages to the folks who want to be connected to your clients’ businesses.
Each of these statistics offers a way for mobile app developers to focus on how they add value to their clients' businesses. This is particularly important because marketing is hard to quantify. Being able to point to research about mobile technology and marketing will go a long way in helping your clients understand exactly how mobile apps can improve their business.
Takeaways: How to Adjust Your Mobile Sales Strategy
As you think about revising or adjusting your mobile sales strategy, focus on these three areas:
- The developer. Good news! Mobile software demand has exploded in recent years, and mobile developers are going to continue to reap the benefits as long as they keep up with mobile trends and offer integrated, cross-platform apps. Remember growth is good, but it also means there will be lots of future competition. Stay sharp!
- The client. Your clients might not understand the intricacies of mobile marketing and development. There's more to mobile tech than just apps. There are text-messaging alerts, location-sharing, targeted email campaigns, and a host of other ways clients can reach consumers. (For more on the communication gap between developer and client, see How to Talk Apps to Clients.)
- The customer. Many customers won't be satisfied with a limited mobile experience. Your clients should embrace multiple platforms and publish apps for different devices in order to reach as many people as possible. Some of your clients may think it's enough to have one mobile app and won't understand they need multiple versions for different devices. Clients might also not understand the importance of having streamlined, mobile-friendly content on their webpage.
As you position your company to take advantage of the growing demand for mobile software, remember to protect your liabilities. Data breaches, software flaws, and disappointing results can all lead to lawsuits filed against your IT firm. Fortunately, Errors and Omissions Insurance can cover these lawsuits. Contact an insurance agent today for a free insurance quote.
