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At the risk of stating the obvious, IT stands for information technology. It’s all in the name, as information is the primary currency in this consideration. Fancy phones, computers, and fiber optic cables are just the mediums of exchange; they are not the show’s stars.
As a result, information is more valuable than any other commodity.
But how do you access information without having to spy on people? We all have to make money, but it has to be ethical.
Well, as user engagement in mobile apps grows, investing in mobile application development is becoming a quick way of ethically sourcing valuable data and information.
Ethical first-party data
Back in the “good old’ days” of the internet, data-driven mobile marketing was very primitive. Companies would regularly harvest data without even asking for consent or notifying the customer. Then, all of that meta-data was sold to the highest bidder, and that was it.
Of course, people do not like to be spied on, so almost every country in the world has adopted some form of legislation that seeks to protect personal data.
To clarify, personal data is any type of data that can lead to identifying a specific person. With metadata, it can get hazier, depending on the country in question.
Companies and marketers have realized that a parasitic relationship is good for a quick buck but simply does not work in the long run.
Now, the aim is to create a mutually beneficial partnership that can be continued for years on end. To keep with the parasitism analogy, the aim is to stop being parasitic and predatory, but more symbiotic.
So, how can this relationship be achieved? Well, the first and most important step is asking for consent, while providing full transparency.
Cross-platform app development hopefully results in products that the user wants to use. And, if he/she downloads the application, you request access to use and harvest their data.
Again, in many places, this is mandated by law, but even if your region of the world does not mandate full transparency, it is still a good idea.
Design a cross-platform experience.
There are multiple media through which users can interact with websites and applications. Some prefer desktop PCs, while others use mostly their phone, consoles, and even smartwatches.
App features for business marketing ideally should take into consideration all of these environments. Otherwise, you are artificially lowering the number of people that your marketing can reach.
This is easier said than done, as it can get complicated to design an app that offers a seamless experience. Mice, keyboards, touch screens, controllers, and everything in between have to work well. Also, the scaling of the fonts and page sizes have to adapt automatically.
However, if successful, a well-designed and seamless app will be used more, and that will lead to an influx of data and information that can be used to tailor a superior marketing campaign. And the best part is that it is well-trodden ground.
A few years ago, very few apps were actually cross-platform, but nowadays, almost every single one is. While developers have had plenty of practice developing this software, maintaining that high-quality experience requires specialized application management services to handle updates, performance monitoring, and cross-platform optimization effectively.
Leverage convenience to make sales.
Boosting sales with business apps does not work if people just stop using your app. Attention spans are becoming notoriously low, and the nature of marketing does not really favor waiting.
This is why every advertisement is meant to seem like an emergency.
Think about it: why are sales limited by time? Why are price cuts not permanent? Wouldn’t you make more money if the service is 25% all the time?
Well, the short answer is no.
By telling customers that it is ending in a few days, you create the illusion of artificial scarcity. Most applications even have countdown timers to underline the point.
As a result, people are more likely to buy or contract a service that they wouldn’t have otherwise considered.
Also, as a marketer, depending on what you are selling, the goal is to encourage impulse buying. Yet, the issue with impulse buying is that most people change their minds if given the time. So, the less time they have to spend thinking, the more likely they are to finalize the purchase.
This is why, for example, a mobile-first marketing strategy will often include selling something at a very low price. For example, a T-shirt costs only 1.5 USD.
The point is not to make a profit on the shirt but to get the credit card information memorized on your app. Why?
Well, when it comes time for the customer to consider a larger purchase, you don’t want to give them the time to search for their wallet, take out the card, input the details, confirm with the bank, etc…
Most people actually change their minds in those critical seconds. So, if you already have their card memorized, the odds of having large sales increases.
SEO, but for apps
Most people are familiar with Search engine optimization. SEO promises to help someone’s website appear high on Google’s search results. This is important, as a majority of customers do not scroll past the first 2-3 web search results. So, without SEO, you risk your site not being seen.
The exact same principle also applies in app development for business growth, as applications are often hosted on app stores. And given that there are only a few major stores that everyone uses, you have to make sure your business application ranks high.
The strategies for SEO and ASO are fairly similar. For example, descriptions have to strategically include special keywords that you know the search function is looking for.
As part of this approach, many businesses consider budget-friendly writing solutions to help produce written content for blog posts or app descriptions, offering a steady stream of fresh, professional copy that informs and engages users. Services like these help maintain a steady flow of content that complements both SEO and ASO goals, promoting visibility without high costs.
Also, popularity attracts popularity. So, apps that get many downloads are promoted further, which increases the number of downloads even more. It is best if you have multiple applications, and you use the data from one, to better market the other. They can even link and reference each other, trying to share the customer base.
Ratings are also highly important, so be very careful to temper how aggressive your marketing campaign is. People will drop your app like a hot potato if you pester them too much with ads, ask for feedback, or if your data harvesting is too aggressive.
Do not neglect your social media presence.
Are you developing an app to help gather market data for your main business’s marketing campaign, or is the app directly for your business?
It doesn’t matter if you do not leverage a solid social media presence. Promoting yourself or sponsoring someone to promote you is essential for growth after a certain point.
You can get by without a social media presence, but your business will reach a glass ceiling at some point.
Conclusion
Marketing has to always reference the real world. What are the mediums of communication? How do people think, and in what state of mind are they most likely to shop? And finally, how can I gather and use the data from past experiences to make my future campaigns even more successful?
App development for business purposes will only be successful if you manage to successfully answer and integrate these key factors.
