How Apps can help with customer support

With around 53% of the population owning a smartphone it is no wonder that people are turning to technology for quick and easy access through Apps.

There is more and more time being spent using smartphones which means Apps are becoming first choice over their normal mobile internet browser. There are a number of Apps for a number of different day-to-day tasks. Ever heard the saying, “there’s an App for that?” … well that’s because there probably is.

So, with this in mind it makes sense for companies and the public to turn to an App which will provide customer service needs. This sort of task would normally require a telephone call and perhaps, additional costs. With an App, accessibility and unlimited availability are right at your fingertips, which will mean the turn-around time is a lot quicker and cheaper.

On the outset, this seems like more of a convenience for the customer but in fact, this is just as beneficial for the business too. With decreased costs for deflected calls, a reduction in call resolution time and improved customer satisfaction the business can spend more time in other areas, which will of course improve efficiency.

The public shows no sign of giving up the use of Apps so delegating your App with a customer service feature will be an intelligent way to better the flow of business. Once the customer has downloaded the App, it is going to be present on their mobile device until they choose to delete it, but by keeping it they will always be reminded about your custom. This in itself is a great way to advertise. By implementing a customer service feature on your App as well will only increase the general usability of it.

There are always new and exciting ways to improve your business and right now an app is probably one of the best ways to do this. It is current, it is easy and for the most part it is accessible from pretty much anywhere.

Using Apps To Market Your Business

There are many ways to market your business but have you ever thought of promoting it through an app?

We live in a very technology-savvy society so marketing through an app seems like a no brainer. Here are some reasons why:

• They can make your job easier. By being conveniently located on your phone or the mobile device of a customer, you or they can access the app whenever and wherever they want.
• Word of mouth spreads. If you create an app that people enjoy, word will get out and more and more people will download your app. With the more people using the app, browsers will turn into buyers.
• Be creative. The app can be completely different to your website but still possess the same useful information, making it a better way of engaging customers. This can be a useful way of improving your audience or a way to target a new demographic completely.
• Credibility. When users or customers see that you have an app with positive reviews and a large number of people downloading it, you and your business gain credibility.
• Keep on top of statistics. When someone downloads an app, you know about it. When they give it a review, you know about it. This is a great way to know exactly how many people are interacting with your app and how well the marketing is doing.

Apps are everywhere. They are no longer restricted to just an iPhone and are easily accessible on Android, other mobile devices and tablets. There is such a large market to target, so promoting your business or product through an app is both innovative and beneficial.

There are more to apps than just flicking some birds into some pigs and with the right idea and some creativity, you’ll be onto a winner.

5 Top Tips for your App Website

A website for your App is pretty much essential these days so here are our 5 top tips on how to make it work best for you and your App.

1. First Impressions
If your website isn't up to scratch then what will that say about your App? If you've developed a fantastic App and then thought about your website at the last minute it will show. Don't quickly have something thrown together or even worse do a DIY job when you don't have the skills as this is often how people will find, and of course judge the App. Just as much care should go into the App website as the App itself. It goes without saying that all the branding and general look and feel should match the App too.

2. What does your App do?
It seems really obvious to state exactly what your App does but you'd be surprised at how many App websites fail to do this in a quick and easy manner. Your homepage should be able to sum up in a single sentence exactly what your App does and how it can help the user. Even though most Apps are feature packed and take more explanation for every single thing, you need to get across in a few seconds what the App actually does.

3. Use Video
An excellent way of letting people know what your App does and just how great it is in by using video. These often work well on your homepage and grab peoples attention straight away. Keep this short (less than a minute) and punchy rather than a full on 10 minute video demo going through every screen and function with a boring commentary.

4. Encourage people to spread the word
Once you've got someone interested in your App because they'll find it useful or maybe just because it has that "cool factor" then help them spread the word. As well as the links to the App in the Appstore then also include your social media channels too to encourage engagement. Consider using a sharing widget on your website as these are easy to implement. This means that with a single click a user can share your content on Twitter, Facebook, by email, and plenty of other platforms.

5. Is it mobile friendly?
More often than not people will come across your App website when using their mobile, especially if they are casually searching. Have you either got a mobile specific website for the App and if not how does the website look and is it usable? In the past I've seen App websites that were built in Flash so wouldn't even be visible on an iPhone never mind be usable! Do make sure you've considered this as some of our stats point to nearly 50% of total App website traffic being from a mobile.

How having an App can help your business

First of all, what is an App? An App (short for Application) is a program that runs on a smartphone in the same way as installed software runs on your computer. It allows the user to carry out tasks they want or need to do whilst on the move using their smartphone.

We’ve all heard the huge success stories of Apps like Angry Birds and used common Apps such as Ebay or Twitter but how can an App help your business, no matter what size it is? There are three main ways a smartphone App can be used to help:

1. Marketing
As part of your marketing effort Apps can be very powerful. As Apps are only just becoming mainstream then the first companies to have an App in their sector can generate a lot of PR around this. A client of ours (www.wetherbyortho.co.uk) has done exactly that by being the first orthodontist in the UK to have an App. Also, in the same way as your website gets found by Google, then with the right setup, people will find your App (and of course your business) through the various App stores.

2. Customer Service
We all want to serve our customers better in whichever field we work. Have you thought how you could help yours without them needing to be in the office sat in front of a computer? Mobile Apps allow you to do this! We practice what we preach at Appware so as well as using web based project management software in the office we also use the associated iPhone App for this. This means that if I’m sat with a client I can give an update of exactly where we are with their project in real time. I can also make notes or add new tasks as they are requested so my team can get to work on them before I’m even back in the office!

3. Direct Revenue Generation
The types of Apps above are usually given away for free. There is of course the option to actually generate direct revenue from an App. This can be done in a few ways; you could simply charge a flat fee for an App, give a limited version of an App for free but allow customers to pay to upgrade and unlock any limitations, or support the App through sponsorship or adverts. The cost of Apps to the end user is relatively small (starting at just 69 pence) but the worldwide market is huge. With a great idea and good marketing then the potential is massive. For example, the original version of Angry Birds has sold over 12 million copies!

I hope this gives you an insight into the world of Apps. Feel free to ask any questions by getting in touch at www.appware.co.uk