Happy #BusinessTipTuesday! Yesterday, December 11th was National App Day and was instituted as a national day, due to the ever-growing application market. Applications (apps) have without a doubt changed the way we live our everyday lives, be it working, exercising, eating, shopping, communicating, and even sleeping! Companies, jobs, and money have all been spun out of the creation of apps within the past decade and at this rate it will continue to flourish. According to techcrunch.com, smartphone users access more than 30 apps per month and launch at least 9 apps per day. How many apps have you opened today?
Being that apps are so relevant in people’s everyday lives, maybe its time to start thinking about having an app for your small business. Online activity is continually shifting to mobile usage so having an app could be beneficial to your business. There are many options when it comes to creating your small business app. Here are a few ways that the use of an app can help your business:
- Mobile Store: For a product-based business you can create a mobile store that has access to view your products and then purchase them right there on the app.
- Notifications: For a service-based business you can create notifications to send out to customers; whether it is a notification for an appointment or a reminder that they need to set up an appointment.
- Coupons: For any type of business you can create a coupon section where you offer some sort of discount to your customers, and this could constantly change to offer different deals each week.
- Customer Profiles: Your app could allow each customer to create a profile this way they can track their purchases, create wish-lists of items they want, and store their loyalty card for frequent purchases at your business.
- Personal Relationships: The app will allow for a way to create a direct relationship with customers, whether its through offering a chat option or a feeling for the customers that have the app to be the first people with “inside exclusives”.
These are all examples of how an app could benefit your business. They provide a way to have repeat customers that are continually engaged with your business and allow them the best of both worlds by having local shopping at their fingertips!
Now if you fear that this app creation process is going to be too difficult and expensive, take some time to research the process and see what the price options are. There are many possibilities available and you may be able to find something out there that is just right for you and your business. Remember to do your research and thoroughly examine all the options out there before you purchase anything, as you want to be sure you are getting exactly what you pay for, nothing less.
If you are interested in creating an app for your small business or have any other business needs, remember to reach out to the Small Business Development Center. Please visit www.scrantonsbdc.com for any guidance and information!
Danielle Guari
Business Consultant
The University of Scranton
Small Business Development Center
Artwork adapted from vecteezy.com
