Your business may already have an app, but technology and customer expectations are moving on, meaning there are many features you could be used to increase loyalty and sales, but probably aren’t. Catch up with the latest app features and find out how to get customers using your app more.
The digital landscape for marketing, sales and customer awareness continues to broaden. Originally, a website used to be all you needed, then came apps and social media, and now chatbots, AI services, and presence in smart homes. All of which can confuse many businesses who want to engage customers but are feeling swamped with the choices and facing all those options with limited time and budget.
Stepping back from all the hype and chaos, your small business might already have an app. But you wouldn’t be alone if your company has let it drift or stagnate in favor of the newer trends. The truth is an app, that can appeal to millions of Apple iPhone and Android users. Can include many of the modern digital features. And some newer app-specific ones to get customers using it regularly. And thinking of your offerings or products more frequently.
Of course, if your business doesn’t have an app, now is definitely the time to get one to put your company on the smartphones of new and existing customers. Among the new features, you can add are:
Push Notifications
The modern app is a two-way message stream, your customers can get in touch for sales and information, while you can keep them informed with the latest products, promotions, venue news and more through push messages. These can be sent on a regular basis, not too often as you’ll annoy customers. And also depending on their location or the type of customer, sending them useful and granular information or focused special offers.
Loyalty Programs
Pet stores, grocers and coffee shops all use loyalty or reward programs these days to keep customers coming back, and there’s no reason your business can’t benefit. Not only do they help with the stickiness of the app. But can provide a regular supply of special offers and rewards. You can provide digital in-app stamp cards to replace those annoying bits of paper, provide coupons or shareable QR codes for offers, and help people share their check-ins to encourage repeat business and get new customers.
Social Media Integration
If you don’t feel the need for a loyalty app. You can still use the app to boost your levels of engagement. And grow your brand via social media integrations with Facebook, Twitter, WhatsApp. And other platforms as they grow or become relevant to your business. Your users can access posts from within the app, share their finds, deals or positive experiences with others and post product photos and other content to their own social media pages.
Geo Location and Listings
Smartphones make people more aware of what’s around them. And geo-location and listings features in an app can help connect people with your places of business and sales. Geo listings make it easy for your users to add and search for things near them. From cars for sale to events from pop-up restaurants to markets and concerts. Using Geo-tagged properties, vehicles, businesses help people find what they want, when it is convenient for them, all within your app.
Online Payments
With the rise of Apple and Google Pay, people are used to paying with their phone or in the app for all sorts of items. You can create payments within your app to speed up the sales process. And make those impulse purchases easier to perform. With one-click payments and the ability to add unlimited categorized listings, it is easy for any business to offer m-commerce for food, services, supplies, and other products.
Between these options, you can find new features that are easy to deploy in your app. Giving it a new lease of life, and a greater sense of purpose and utility for customers.