The beauty of technology is that it allows you to target the people you need to reach. "You can send fresh and compelling messages out to target audiences," says Michael Neumeier, principal of the Arketi Group, a small-business marketing consultancy in Atlanta. “You can use it to start delivering educational content to a narrowly focused list of people. Even if it’s only 50 people, if it’s the right 50 people, it’ll do wonders for your startup.”
Podcasting can help you become a leader and expert to your consumers. If your business is clothing, you should talk about the latest trends, fashion shows, or designers. If you own a wine shop, consider giving wine tips or food-pairing advice. In today's fast-paced world, catching a shopper's attention can be difficult. It’s easy for users to download audio content to their smart phones and listen to your advice on the go.
The fact that you're creating audio content instead of just adding words to a webpage means that your business will be seen as innovative. It gives you the kind of buzz that's harder to obtain. Allowing your content to be shareable and available can put you at the top of leaderboard.
Does Your Business Need a Smartphone App?
As smartphones such as the iPhone and the Android become more popular,
development of programs (known as "apps") that can be downloaded to the
phones are also rising in popularity. A recent survey by Deloitte LLC
found that 45% of smartphone users downloaded an app at least once a
week. With just the swipe of a finger and click of a button, your
customers can see your latest deals or newest products, without even
stepping foot in your store. Before you can decide whether your company
might benefit from having its own app, you should do some research to
make sure it is worth the expense.
App developers charge, on average, $100 per hour (the range is $50 to
$250 per hour). According to OS X Daily, the cost to develop even a
simple app can range from $3,000 to $8,000. A complex or recognized
brand app can cost up to $150,000. O'Reilly Digital Media claims that a
full-time iPhone app developer costs about $5,000 per week, and some
apps can take four to six weeks to develop. Although you can save money
by hiring college students or using labor outside of the US, oftentimes
projects are not developed properly and more money has to be spent
later to fix bugs. Another thing to remember is that each market
(iPhone, Android, Blackberry, etc.) will require its own program. If
you already know how to write code, you can always develop the app
yourself and pay to be part of Apple's developer's program.
Having a successful app means having new and changing content, which
will add to the cost (or time you spend on upkeep), and is something to
include in your consideration. You would also need to ask yourself if
your customer-base uses smartphones. Would they have a need to visit
your app regularly and will it will drive business into your store? On
the flip side, could an app help your employees do their job more
effectively? Perhaps the purpose of the app isn't to make money but to
help save money by making certain tasks easier.
Arguments in favor of creating an app? According to Comscore, in 2010,
over 45 million people were using smartphones. The Android market had
over 800 million apps downloaded in 2010. The Apple iPhone had over 3
billion apps downloaded by the beginning of 2010. Smartphone ownership
is expected to grow 30% per year for the next five years (with an
estimate that 2/3 of people in the United States will own one). A
really, really good argument in favor? Domino's Pizza claims their app
drove over $2 million in business into their stores within three months
following the launch. Clearly, Domino's is a nationally recognized
chain already; however, it is a testament to the power of users
committed to their smartphone apps.
There is much to consider before you can decide if a smartphone app is
right for your business. Under the right circumstances, it could really
help you drive business to your store or improve customer service.
How about your business -- do you have a smartphone app or are you considering one?
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