Self-employment – is it worth it?

From the outset, it’s important to understand that developing a new mobile application is time consuming and expensive. In addition to the investment of time and money, consider that there are already about three million applications available in the App Store. With this in mind, companies should explore this environment and consider what options already exist, how they can differentiate themselves, and whether it is worth investing in yet another tool to attract and retain customers. If you are going to invest, you need to take the time to understand your customers’ wants and needs, and then design a solution that is ideal for them.

78% of smartphone customers have used a store’s app to make a purchase.

Learn about other strategies related to your own applications:

1 – Omnichannel

This cross-channel content strategy is used by organizations to improve the user experience and ensure better relationships at the points of contact. The idea is to integrate all the available channels in an interrelated way and thus allow the customer to start their communication with the company through one channel and continue through another.

A practical example of this strategy is when a customer starts a purchase on the company’s website, asks questions about the desired product on webchat, sends their proof of address by email, and completes the purchase on a voice call, and most importantly, without having to restart the conversation or repeat information already provided.

The advantages of applying this strategy are:

• Provide a quality experience regardless of the medium chosen by the customer;
• Improve relationships and increase brand loyalty;
• Help maintain the company’s perceived value in the market.

To ensure the best results, it’s important to:

• Ensure that all channels act with simplicity and transparency;
• Unify resolution criteria and adapt to customer demands;
• Align the tone of voice: the brand’s values must be present, in other words, the company’s service culture must be reviewed and molded to support this initiative.

Source: Mercado & Consumo

Web to app – discover Google’s tool

Another way to improve the web experience is to redirect the user directly to the desired page. To facilitate this, Google offers a tool that allows this to happen quickly and easily. Through advertisements on the internet, Web to app takes the customer directly to the desired page within the app.

In addition to guiding the user and preventing them from getting “lost” along the way, it is also possible to measure conversion actions such as purchases, registrations, and subscriptions, which allows the performance of online ads to be tracked and optimized.

The main advantages of Google’s tool are:

• Provides better user experiences through direct links that enable seamless integration between web and app.
• Offers conversion rates on average twice as high for clicks on ads in the app compared to the mobile site.
• Optimizes the performance of campaigns and ads to keep high-value users engaged and generate more conversions.

2 – Exclusives for new customers

When a new user finally downloads the app, the company has a unique moment to offer an excellent first impression. To impress and immediately retain this new customer, companies often offer exclusive facilities, discounts, promotions, insider information, and other benefits that are only valid for new users.

83% of US retailers agree that customers of their app tend to make more purchases compared to customers who don’t use it, and up to 87% agree that these users are more loyal and have a higher lifetime value

Paid campaigns can also be a good way to inform users that your brand/company offers its app as an alternative channel and thus direct them directly there.

Amazon, for example, reported that 45% of the activity within its app comes from paid installation. In this way, it can be said that betting on this strategy has helped the company boost its share of e-commerce by 17 percentage points between 2016 and 2021.

3 – Data retention

Obtaining a good database, thus enabling an even more personalized experience, allows users to access the app more often. Requiring them to enter their details every time they log in makes the experience repetitive and tiring.

Young people, in particular, want an experience with less friction when making a purchase. A recent global study reveals that Generation Z (45%) and Millenials (48%) are significantly more likely to say that having their account and payment information already on file is important for their decision to buy, as well as making it more regular. If we consider that Generation Z represents almost 30% of the global population, this age group becomes the main target for these digital strategies.

But to maintain this increasingly close relationship, transparency in communication is essential. The company must make it clear how the information retained will be used, as well as show how this exchange of information will provide a lighter, easier, and more personalized experience. Finally, in exchange for the value provided to your users, encourage them to create an account on the app and log in.

Once this relationship of trust has been established, the information retained can generate analytical data that can further boost the growth of the brand and the app itself, as well as improve the user experience when using it.

Source: Medium

Once you’ve invested in this tool, it’s then part of your marketing strategies to plan how it will be promoted and how best to exploit this channel to attract followers and, consequently, boost earnings.

Several strategies can be used: gamification, geolocation, paid advertising on social networks, and the use of push notifications, among others, everything will depend on the brand concept, the app’s objectives, and the budget, of course.

The most important reason to promote the app is to reach all potential smartphone users and let everyone know that your brand also has this communication channel. With several apps on the move in the market, there’s a chance that they won’t spot you in the app store.

User perspective

When analyzing this strategy from the user’s point of view, the main benefits identified can be:

1. Mobility – what used to require a laptop can now be done and accessed anywhere via cell phone
2. Agility – if access is easier, answers come more quickly. Users can quickly clarify doubts, obtain information, and even resolve small issues, depending on the app.
3. Proximity – users feel closer to the brand as if they were inside its home. If they have a good experience within the app, they will feel “welcomed”, which will easily make them come back often and use the app more and more.
4. Reliability – the user has the feeling that, because they are inside a brand’s channel, the information is more truthful and reliable, they feel they are in a safe environment, making them more comfortable with providing personal data and carrying out financial transactions, for example.

Increasingly reinforcing these values to the user strengthens the relationship between them and the brand. Both sides win.

Source: blog.7comm

It can therefore be concluded that, as consumer expectations rise and online and offline experiences become more connected, it is essential for marketers to adapt to new, more effective strategies.

The importance of mobile application marketing cannot be ignored, especially in a world where almost everything is available on your cell phone, just a tap of your finger away. And if users are spending more and more time on that device, there are more ways to build direct relationships between brand and customer.

Adopting this strategy, with a well-crafted approach, can be a practical and efficient way to delight consumers, generate income, and take your business to the next level.