Catering to the Consumer
The trend of mobile applications continues to explode. As new phones arrive and technology continues to develop, mobile application stores for smartphones on all carries, have hundreds of thousands of applications for users to choose from. These applications can do everything from finding you are restaurant to eat at to finding you the best deal on virtually any product you are looking to buy.
Even though the life of mobile applications has been brief so far, designs and trends of mobile applications are ever changing. And with the invention of the iPad and other similar devices these trends will only continue to grow in change for a longtime to come.
Mobile phone applications do much more than just offer directions or find out what time a movie is playing. Perhaps one of the biggest trends is mobile applications is the ability to personalize an application to meet the needs of the consumer.
Are you looking for a hotel? Mobile phone applications now do much more than make your reservation and tell you how to arrive at your destination. You can now take a more personalized approach to finding a hotel that will can truly become your home away from home. You search by the types of food and beverages offered in and around the hotel. In addition, you can even search by room amenities. Are you looking for a specific mattress or pillow type? There is an app for that.
Applications can also help you to figure out what to do once you have arrived at your hotel. Find local attractions, establishments and restaurants based on your personal interests. As if that was not enough, mobile applications can also help provide you with discount codes and promotional pricing at these establishments.
Mobile applications are turning smartphones into a must-have item (who knows, will you even be able to buy a standard mobile phone in the future?). Smartphones do more than just organize your life. They can now organize the unfamiliar and send you on to explore new territories. Forget using your smartphone to plan business meetings, kid’s soccer games and doctor’s appointments, your smartphone can now plan a vacation for you with a few slides of your finger.
Preparing Your Site For 2011
With the new year here, it is about time you make sure your website is up to par with all the trends 2011 brings. Make 2011 the year of giving your customers exactly what they want. If possible, send out a customer satisfaction survey. This way you will know exactly what you customers are looking for and how to please them. Until you are able to find out exactly what they want, here is our list of what you should be doing to keep business booming in 2011.
Continue with the social media. Social media may just more than a trend. Its been around for quite some time now and does not seem to be going anywhere. In fact, social media appears to be reaching a larger crowd then ever. Social media has branched out long beyond your college scene is no reaching a younger and older crowd than ever before. Virtually any product or service can be marketed through the use of social media.
Use mobile marketing. With the Android, iPhone, iPad and a zillion other smart phones, mobile marketing can be just about anything you want it to be. You can use mobile marketing to allow individuals to know what is going on with your business. Sales, deals and promotions can easily be known through mobile marketing via an application, the mobile web or through a text message. Additionally, give mobile shopping a try. Individuals can shop anywhere at anytime, convenience is a major factor for consumers.
Integrate multi-media viewing into your projects. Allow customers to pan, zoom and view all angles of a product from their home computer or mobile device. Provide customers with a life-like experience without having to ever step foot in a brick and mortar establishment.
Develop your content. Refine your content to meet the demands of your consumers. Avoid long, drawn out paragraphs of text. Keep it simple and get your point across. Do not just stop at text, pictures, videos, audio and pod casts can play an integral role in the success of your website. Additionally, make it SEO friendly. You want your page to show up at the top of a search engine results page.
While these may be some of the things everyone else is doing. They work! Be creative and make these ideas your own. Standing out in the crowd is the best way to get noticed and see success as a business.
Merry Mobile Shopping!
As Smartphones essentially become smarter and smarter, the market for mobile shopping is really taking off. Mobile commerce applications and mobile websites are changing the way retailers do business and the way consumers shop.
With a rise of retailers users social media, mobile applications, and mobile web, mobile activity is destine to play a role in the 2010 holiday shopping season. In a study conducted by Deloitte, retailers are seeking to deliver tightly integrated and consistent merchandise, inventory, and promotional messages to their customers via mobile web, applications, and social media. There is also expected to be a between web based and physical storefront promotions and sales. Phone applications are tying online and store shopping together in more ways than ever before.
Consumers use their mobile phones to run price comparison searches and search for the products they want most. In the Deloitte study, conducted earlier this year, 21 percent of smartphone users state they have used their phones to locate stores, find product information, shop, and comparison shop. Shoppers are even insistent that their mobile phones will assist them with their holiday shopping.
Why mobile shopping? The question is more likely to be: why not mobile shopping. Mobile shopping is convenient. You can shop on your phone regardless of who you are, where you are, and what kind of time you have. Shoppers can beat the holiday crowds anywhere at any time. Shoppers have the opportunity to shop on the bus, while waiting in a doctor’s office, between classes, etc. Mobile shopping has the potential to make last minute holiday shopping a thing of the past.
With rich media, mobile shopping is equivalent to shopping online. Preface Media offers 360 degrees shopping experiences for mobile devices. Any user with an iPhone or smartphone is able to view all items at a full 360 degree view. Users can zoom, pan, and rotate products all with the click of a button on their phone. Technology has made mobile phone shopping easy. Shoppers can purchase products without having to worry about not liking what the actual product looks like.
Should retailers expect to see a huge sales surge courtesy of the mobile web and applications? The answer is a likely no. New technology is likely to only provide a small increase in sales. Given the current economy, consumers are still watching their funds closely and are remaining focused on increasing their savings and paying off any debt they may have. Consumers are not ready to max out their credit cards again.
Smart Shopping: Mobile Shopping and Black Friday
Black Friday is often considered the official kickoff to the holiday shopping season (even though retailers have been decorated for and advertising for the holidays since Halloween). As retailers gear up for the holiday season, having a Smartphone may save you time, money, or both. Mobile applications can help consumers price compare, save money, and scout out all the best holiday deals without ever having to leave their couch.
According to Jill Dvorak, Senior Consultant-Mobile Commerce for FitForCommerce in an interview with WalletPop, mobile shopping is expected to be up about 100% from last holiday shopping season. In 2008, mobile sales were about $396 million. Last year, they are $1.2 billion. This year mobile sales are expected to be at around $2.2-2.4 billion.
Many of the countries top retailers, such as Ebay, Amazon, and Best Buy, have developed mobile applications that allow consumers to shop with the touch of a button as well as with texting. Additionally, these applications are free to download. Mobile applications and web sites are easy-to-use and load quickly on mobile devices.
Smartphone users can sign up for tweets, text, and e-mail alerts on deals, promotions, special pricing, and to learn about new products and services. Additionally, users are able to text for free samples, especially in the perfume and cosmetic industry. Additionally, checking into stores with applications like FourSquare and Shopkick will provide consumers with additionally and on the stop discounts.
Mobile shopping will allow shopper to get all the Black Friday deals without the holiday shopping crowds in brick and mortar establishments.
As an added bonus, parents will not have to worry about kids checking their computer browser history to check out what retailer sites mom and dad have visited. Mobile shopping is a secure way to shop even with a house full of curious children. They won’t know what Santa is bringing until Christmas morning.
Take a look at what Preface Media has down for retailer Brown Jordan. Let us do the same for you this season! Let mobile shopping spread a little cheer and added income for your retail business.
