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Posts tagged small business mobile marketing
It’s All About Apps, Mobile Web Usage Losing 6 To 1
Apr 3rd
A new report released recently has some truly eye opening information about how people are using their mobile phones.
According to the report, which was conducted by Flurry, 86% of the mobile time spent by American consumers is devoted to apps. That is six times higher than the time spent on mobile web (via a browser like Safari or Chrome), which was at 14%.
The statistics break down as follows:
American mobile users spend on average around 2 hours and 42 minutes a day on their smart phones and mobile devices. Of that time, 86% is spent using apps – 2 hours and 19 minutes. Mobile web time, at 14%, is only about 22 minutes a day. Of the app time, the most popular apps used were games (32%), Facebook (17%), Twitter (1.5%), other social networking (9.5%), YouTube (4%), and other entertainment (4%). For mobile web time, Apple Safari and Google Browers were the most used, at 7% and 5%, respectively. Consumers used mobile web time for news, productivity, and utilities, mostly.
So what does all this mean?
It means that Americans use their phones. A lot. What are they mainly using their phones for? Utilizing apps. They are using apps for everything, ranging from games and entertainment, to social networking, to taking care of business and household needs.
Just a few short years ago, apps were considered a flash in the pan trend, but now it has become clear that they aren’t going anywhere.
Apps dominate mobile usage, there are no two ways about it.
Browsers, while once the sole way to surf the web, are now just considered another app amongst many. Companies are following suit – even ones like Google.
Ready to join the throngs of savvy businesses that are creating apps and mobile optimized websites? Get started with Bizness Apps today.
Why Your Small Business Is Crazy To Not Be Mobile
Apr 2nd
If you’re a small business owner, chances are that you have a smart phone, a tablet or other device that you use to stay connected and interact with your customers.
But are you doing enough to make sure you’re mobile-optimized? For an entrepreneur, especially those with a small or mid-sized business, it is important to be plugged into the growing mobile industry in every way possible.
Smart Phones and Mobile Devices are the way of the future.
Currently 91% of Americans use cell phones, and the number of those people who have smart phones is growing exponentially every year. 34% of Americans currently go online primarily using a mobile phone or smart phone. That is a huge number, considering how just a few short years ago you could only access the web via a computer. Of those same people who use their phone to surf, the web, 30% of them use their phone to do business, shop, choose restaurants and more.
One final statistic: 87% of all connected devices, such as smart phones, tablets or other mobile devices, will be mobile by 2017, with laptop and desktop computers only making up a tiny 13% of the market! Those are surprising statistics indeed, and they show just how rapidly new technology can grow.
So what does that mean for your business?
If you’re not optimized for mobile, either with a mobile website, or better yet, a mobile app, you may see your business suffer in the coming months or years. People are simply doing more business via their mobile devices, and having a website simply isn’t good enough anymore. Small businesses need to focus on mobile apps & mobile websites more than ever.
So how can you jump on the trend?
First and foremost, make sure that you yourself, as well as your employees, are mobile. If you don’t have a smart phone or other mobile device already, get one. Make sure you have access to the web, any apps you need, have mobile access to SMS and email, and have a plan so that you can make international phone calls and texts, if you travel. If you’re going to tap into the mobile market, you need to be accessible by mobile yourself.
Is your business mobile accessible? There are two things you need to do.
Most businesses these days have a website, but is yours accessible by mobile devices and smart phones? If not, you need to change that. The majority of customers are now looking at your website NOT from a laptop or desktop, but from an iPhone or an Android, a tablet or some other mobile device. If your website isn’t optimized for their viewing, you could lose a customer.
Once you’ve made the decision to go mobile, you’ll need to create a mobile app & a mobile website.
This is the way most small and mid-sized businesses are doing business with their customers. From an app, you can be everything to your customers with a tap of their screen. They can access information about your goods and services, order online, track reservations, receive push notifications and promotions, contact you via email with questions or customer service needs, offer feedback, and more.
The time to switch to mobile is now – contact Bizness Apps to create your mobile-optimized website and easy to use, affordable app today.
Why Small Businesses Should be 100% Mobile-Focused in 2014
Nov 26th
There was a time, just a few short years ago, when having a website was unnecessary. People looked up businesses using the phone book, and asked friends and family for recommendations. Businesses promoted themselves by advertising through traditional channels (like mailers, flyers, billboards, television ads, and magazine ads), or earned new business through word of mouth referrals.
It was a simpler time.
But then came the Internet.
The website revolution
At first, having a website wasn’t that important. It wasn’t a well-developed channel, and the majority of a business’s customers still came from elsewhere. Over time, however, the Internet became more and more significant. Now, most businesses can’t survive without their website. There are, of course, certain exceptions, but if you want to succeed nowadays, even as a small, local business, a website is generally a must-have.
The same change is now taking place with mobile technology.
Why the mobile revolution is the same
Once, mobile phones were just like ordinary phones, without the cord. Now, each one is a miniature computer. And with the rise of smartphones and affordable data plans, consumers have eagerly made the switch from desktop browsing to mobile browsing. In fact, over half of Internet traffic comes from mobile devices in many industries and geographic locations. And even where the 50% mark hasn’t been exceeded, the trend lines generally indicate that it will be soon enough.
The world is going mobile.
So, why is this a big deal? Well, if your website isn’t mobile-optimized, you might as well not have one at all when it comes to mobile visitors. Sound extreme? Studies of user behavior show that if a site isn’t mobile-optimized, most users hit the back button and rarely return. Instead, they head to competing websites and bring their business with them.
If your website isn’t mobile-optimized, you simply “don’t exist” to what will soon the majority of users, if it hasn’t happened already. It’s a harsh reality, but there’s also a huge opportunity to get ahead, if you’re willing to meet the issue head on.
Think mobile-first
You wouldn’t depend entirely on the phone book for your business, right? Mobile is coming to be the same way. Depending solely on a website that isn’t mobile-optimized is a very costly mistake, and these losses will only grow in the coming year.
For that reason, when it comes to the Internet and digital marketing, you need to think mobile first in 2014. That’s where everyone will be.
Why Small Businesses Need Mobile More than Ever
Sep 11th
As any small business owner knows, the failure rate for small businesses is staggeringly high. Restaurants, in fact, are famous for almost always failing within a few years. The difficulties are well known – limited resources, failure to earn repeat business, lack of reliable staff, lack of access to credit, etc. But small businesses also have several advantages over larger enterprises that they can use to get their foot in the door of a new market. Small businesses are nimble, and can take advantage of new trends more easily and quickly than large enterprises can.
So why is it that small businesses, despite their increasing adoption of mobile strategies, are still lagging behind big enterprises when it comes to using the most cost-effective promotional platforms available? Why are small businesses staying loyal to costly forms of advertising like newspaper circulars and direct mail when digital ads are providing amazing returns due to far lower costs?
Our guess is that familiarity and comfort with print ads is still high, while mobile channels remain somewhat obscure to a segment of small business owners. But this loyalty comes at a hefty price. Print ads are expensive, and despite this high cost, don’t deliver great returns. In fact, effectiveness is declining rapidly. Large corporations are well aware of these lowered returns, and have begun to shift marketing dollars to mobile platforms. Unfortunately, small businesses, even with their advantageous flexibility, have not been as quick to follow suit.
The difference between is large: for small businesses, only 3% of ad dollars flow online, while large businesses allocate roughly 16% for the segment. The strange part is that mobile promotions are the most affordable advertising channel available – a natural fit for small businesses. More specifically, mobile ad rates are the second lowest among all advertising mediums – cheaper than broadcast, print, and digital channels.
With direct mail returns hovering just above zero at 1-2%, it becomes difficult to see why such a costly advertising channel should remain popular among small businesses that need to make every marketing dollar count. Therefore, due to the higher returns delivered by mobile ads, and because of the declining effectiveness of expensive print advertising, small businesses need mobile now more than ever. Ignoring the trend will only lead to compounding the advantages of competitors and large corporations, while small businesses that move with their audiences will enjoy solid returns on their advertising expenses.
An effective mobile strategy all begins with a good mobile website and mobile app, and Bizness Apps is the web’s most popular platform for going mobile with ease.
