The need to download the graphics and page design elements of a webpage slows down the load time of its mobile version. When you try to open a website on your smartphone, you have to wait until all page elements load, then you have to navigate the tiny buttons on an interface that simply wasn’t designed to be viewed on such a small screen. This inconvenience is why mobile versions of websites have not lived up to their promise to increase sales through mobile devices.
Mobile Applications or ‘apps’ on the other hand, are specifically designed with the mobile user in mind.
Mobile apps can run without an internet connection. Potential clients can gain access to key information about the company, contacts, products and services at any time. When you do connect to the Internet via Wi-Fi, 3G or EDGE, any information that has been changed recently is automatically updated. Thus, the potential client always has the most important information at hand, even without connecting to the Internet.
Each mobile device, whether the platform is WP7, Android or iOS, was originally designed to comfortably work with applications. Large touch screen and navigation buttons allow people to quickly find their desired item, read its specifications, place the order and then send it by e-mail and SMS. All navigation items and buttons in the application have a suitable size, easy to see and interact with on a touch screen.
Create your own application, and you will become part of a rapidly growing market. You will be able to offer your products and services to all mobile phone owners. The market for mobile applications in New Zealand and even in the whole world is still quite young, and has exceptional potential for growth. Be the first in your field to offer your services through a mobile app, or create an app that betters the competition’s, and you could see a significant increase in sales.
Before installing an application on a mobile device, the user has to find it. A keyword search is the most common method for doing this. Depending on what keywords a customer searches with, (real estate, home appliances, beauty salon, etc.), they will receive a list of related applications available for download. Currently, in the New Zealand market you can find only a few applications for each area. It is quite possible that in your area the range of applications is small, and you'll be the first to offer your products and services to mobile phones owners. However, with each passing day the number of business applications increases and there will be less and less chance to occupy the currently vacant niche.
By creating a mobile application, your company demonstrates concern for increasing both its service level and the convenience it offers its customers. iPhone, iPad, Android and Windows Phone7 owners will highly appreciate this. Other customers will also admire that your company follows the latest technological trends and bypasses its competition.
Mobile application development is a great publicity opportunity. When an application is launched, a press release is prepared and sent to online newspapers for publication. To increase the publicity you can hold a press conference in one of the central news agencies, dedicated to the application launch. The increased publicity will inevitably lead to an increase in sales.
There are more than 200 million smartphones around the world. Any mobile device owner can run an application and become familiar with new materials. Information about the company, products and services will be available to users around the world.
In business mobile applications, the request for an order can be performed with a single touch of a button. All data goes straight to your company’s email address, and you have only to call back and clarify all terms of shipping and payment.
In business mobile applications, the request for order registration can be performed with a single button. In doing so, all data will go to the company email address, and its employees have only to call back and clarify all terms of shipping and payment.
The geolocation feature in modern smartphones allows you to get the coordinates of the device’s current location. In addition, the company location is shown on the map. By using the GPS-navigator, which is also built into all modern mobile platforms (Windows Phone7, Android, iPhone and iPad), the client can easily find their way from his current location to the office or premises of your company. Create a mobile application, and each of your customers will always have a navigator showing exactly how to get to your premises.
The problem of updating the content in a mobile application is solved if an organization regularly updates their website. Every time you add information to your company's website, including news, promotions and discounts, products and prices, the data is automatically synchronized with the application. Your customers will always stay abreast of the latest changes, and you will not have to exert any effort at all to update the information placed onto an application.
If your mobile application contains a lot of interesting and frequently updated content, you can charge customers to download it, providing your company with an additional way of making money.
Another way to make your app pay is to add an advertising block to the app’s pages. Your company may also benefit from placing ads within its business app.
Most mobile platforms allow users to make payments within applications. Your company will be able to sell videos, music, plug-ins, etc., and also collect donations.
Rapid growth of mobile device users around the world means that businesses that have their own mobile application are experiencing considerable growth in sales. Business owners everywhere should be asking themselves the question – can I afford not to create an app?