How does a mobile footprint benefit local businesses?

When we all think of mobile phones the first thing that generally springs to mind is Apple or Google. Whether it is an iPhone, iPad or Samsung device, mobile technology is now a big part of our lives. There is no getting away from mobile technology. For example, while watching TV adverts for almost any brand you will see towards the bottom of the screen the familiar App Store and Google Play icons directing customers to download the app.

With more and more businesses now thinking mobile and seeing this as the next frontier in technology and marketing, how can businesses really benefit from this uptake? Let us find out below.

• Customer Acquisition

Customer acquisition focuses on securing new customers for a business and is the lifeblood of any successful organisation. Mobile technology and in particular having a mobile website can really help at this point.

With more and more people accessing the internet through their mobile smartphones and tablets, local businesses can now take advantage of this trend. Traditionally a business has been satisfied by just having a presence online in the form of a website. However, as customers’ expectations have changed with regards to viewing habits, many local businesses are now trying to offer their customers a mobile experience of their website.

The reason why businesses are offering mobile websites to their customers is to meet the customers’ expectations as well as offering them a mobile experience. Trying to navigate a traditional website through the small screen of your smartphone is a cumbersome experience with extensive zooming in/out, rotating screen etc.

This often frustrates customers and within 5-10 seconds that customer has now navigated away from a website. In order to maximise the time spent on a business’s website, many local businesses are optimising their sites for mobile devices. The theory behind this is that the longer the customers stays on the site and explores the products/services, the more likely they are to engage with the business and make a purchase.

As a direct result of this, the business will be acquiring customers through their website and taking advantage of mobile technology.

• Customer Retention

Mobile technology can greatly enhance a business in retaining their customers by virtue of a mobile application. By default, a mobile app is all about engagement and utilising native technology of the user’s handset. Allowing customers the ease of purchasing products, booking appointments, enquiring about additional services, redeeming loyalty programs etc. all help a customer build a strong relationship with the business.

From a business’s point of view, the more customers that have been retained and remain loyal, the stronger the long term health of the business. Mobile apps also help with presenting a positive image of the business to its customers. As more and more businesses try to find ways of staying ahead of the competition, a mobile app can help differentiate one business from the competition.

As we have seen during the course of this blog, a mobile footprint can greatly enhance a local business and build its profile amongst its customers. To find out how you can help businesses go mobile and leverage mobile technology, contact us today.