HOW CAN LOCAL BUSINESSES BENEFIT FROM GOING MOBILE?

Doing businesses and commercial transactions are now made easier, thanks to the latest technologies and the popularity of the web. If in the past, one will have to drive for miles and check out one store after the other; this time around customers will let their fingers do the walking. Customers can now purchase a product or sign up for service with a click of a button or a tap of the finger. Similarly, business owners can now accept purchases and process transactions anywhere, and in real time. By breaking down geographical barriers due to mobility of transactions, doing business is now made fun and easy.

But don’t think that all these benefits will fall into your lap like ‘manna from heaven’. If you run a local business and you want to tap into mobility, you should know the best practices to take and learn how going mobile can help you. The problem with the traditional way of doing business is that your reach is limited, sometimes a few miles from your store. Your market is located where your business is established. This is not the case when you go mobile- you go where the customers are!

There are many ways in which your local business (and your customers) can benefit from going mobile. Here are some of the things you’ll love about it.

Push notifications will provide a proactive marketing approach – As a local business owner, you need to acknowledge the value of smart phone users, and how they are using their phones to shop. Knowing this information, you need to incorporate these into your plan. Keep in mind that smart phones or gadgets are always on, always beside the customer and always connect! This is where push notifications come in handy. Going mobile will let you connect with your customers instantaneously, like informing them of the latest products and services and even upcoming sales.

Check in technology lets you entice customers – Now, they don’t need to physically check the store for them to visit and try your offerings. They can ‘check in’ the store through mobile. This should notify their friends that they are near the business, thus helping boost your standing. Tap into this by offering perks or other things in return. A great example of this is with hotels – some offer vouchers for restaurants for every number of check-ins a customer purchases online. You can adopt this technique and see your market grow. You can also give them commission for referring a friend–otherwise known as a “new customer,” a word which is essentially synonymous to “more earnings.”

E-mails using mobile lets you connect – You can engage your customers to sign up for a newsletter in which you will be sending out notifications about new products, promotions and freebies. Just don’t overdo this trick; once-a-month e-mail can work for you.

The trend is now to go mobile, so make it happen. You’ll get better ROIs from your mobile marketing, courtesy of the listed benefits above.