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Colleen EakinsColleen Eakins is a dynamic and creative individual that possess a knack for great design. With over 15 years of experience in the field of graphic design, Colleen is able to effectively brand her clients with great design pieces. Her motto is: “Anyone can make a pretty picture, but is it effective? Will it […]

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Tips For Getting and Keeping Mobile App Customers

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If you’re like most mobile app users, the chances are good that you have many apps that you’ve only used once or twice. Most people see a mobile app that they may like, download it, use a time or two, and quickly lose interest. People having a short attention span is commonplace, which makes acquiring and retaining mobile app customers a challenge in a crowded marketplace. People have many options when selecting a mobile app.

As more mobile apps are made available in marketplaces like Google Play and iTunes, people can become mobile app customers with just a press of a fingertip! Several reports, including one from BI Intelligence in 2015, peg the number of apps that people frequently use as three. Even though they may download and install as many as 100 apps in a year, only three of them are useful enough to become favorites. The trend of fewer downloads seems likely in the coming years, but there’s no reason to fear–yet!

It’s crucial to understand and address why people don’t use a mobile app after they install them. If you plan on distributing one, you need to know what psychological elements are at play. Retaining users and building app loyalty is critical to the success of your app.

Why Do People Stop Using Mobile Apps?

It’s no big surprise that the major reason that many mobile app customers stop using an app is quite simple. They forget! Even though they use their mobile phones or tablet devices for many of their regular communication needs, they forget what’s installed on their devices. The best mobile apps become interwoven with the mobile app customer’s daily life. While you can develop the most technically advanced and user-friendly mobile app, if the app doesn’t have a particular focus, your retention rate can suffer. You want to concentrate on appealing to a very specific audience that offers value and solutions that fit their lifestyle and their consumer profile. Your app also should be competitive against other apps in the same vertical or space.

Other Factors That Can Affect The Popularity Of Your Mobile App

Performance – In most cases, if a mobile app seems worthwhile or interesting, people won’t think twice about downloading it to their phone or tablet. Once installed, performance matters. Always be sure to thoroughly test and stabilize your app before putting it out for full release and distribution. Also, be certain you use a reliable mobile app host for your app to assure that it operates efficiently.

Cost – If you are charging for the use of a mobile app, there is always the risk that a free mobile app that has a similar offer can undercut your mobile app user base. It’s important to have a business plan in place before launching your app for best results. If you’re competing with other app developers in the same vertical, it’s imperative to offer more value than your competitors. If others have an app with similar features for free or at a lower price point, you could lose mobile app customers.

Ads And Monetization – Even if you offer a free mobile app, the chances are good that you’ll still want to monetize it using in-app advertising. But keep in mind that an overabundance of ads can significantly degrade your user’s experience. You want to find a reasonable balance of earning revenue and satisfying the desires of your user base. Too many intrusive or annoying ads could result in deletions and use of your mobile app.

Lengthy Registrations or Sign Up Requirements – It’s understandable that as a mobile app host that you want to collect some amount of information from the people who are using your app. It’s a good idea to streamline the Registration or Signup form as much as possible. It can be challenging to use a mobile keyboard to input information including a full name, email address, mobile phone number just to get started.

Tips For Higher Mobile App Customer Retention

Implementing a mobile app is certainly an investment in your business or Organization. You want to maximize the return you get on this expense. Here are some ideas to improve your results across the board.

Optimize the Operations – Take the extra time to test and optimize your app for the best possible performance. A mobile app that works flawlessly is one that will get enjoyed more than an app that experiences frequent crashes, is slow to start, or freezes the user’s mobile operating system. 

After this initial testing period, be sure to monitor and evaluate your app to keep it running at peak performance.

Use Push Notifications – Instead of having a dormant app that’s overlooked and forgotten, push notifications sent directly from your mobile app empower you to grab the attention of your user base and increase the retention rate of your mobile app user base. While you don’t want to inundate your mobile app users with push notifications, sending the occasional update with an offer or other pertinent information helps re-engage these users if they’ve forgotten about your mobile app.

Find A Fair Balance Of Ads – There’s nothing wrong with wanting to generate revenue from your mobile app. However, for best results over the long run, finding a fair balance of the ads that you display helps keep everyone happy. Mobile app customers are using your app willingly, so satisfying their desires while meeting your revenue targets is the sweet spot! Be particular about the ad networks and feature ads you run. If possible, keep the ads as closely tied to the general industry or vertical your app targets. Ideally, running promotions or special offers that result in direct sales for your company result in more sales and income than using advertising platforms to monetize your app.

If you want to learn more about mobile apps and how they can help your business grow, contact the team at Colleen Eakins Design via the contact form. We’re happy to help with everything from mobile app conception to completion!

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Why Use Live Chat On Your Site?

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If you’re like most people, there’s been a time when you’re looking for something very specific online. After scouring several websites that sell the item, you notice a key feature omitted from the product description. As a responsible shopper who doesn’t like to spend extra time and energy making returns, this could be the moment that you decide to move on to another website to find what you seek. That is unless the site operator has the foresight to offer Live Chat support for roving visitors who could use some extra assistance.

Improve Customer Satisfaction and Retention Rates with a Live Chat Operator

Instead of letting your potential customer drift and search looking for the information they seek, a Live Chat operator can offer assistance and answer any questions while the visitor is engaged on the site, without having to move the conversation offline via a phone call. A Live Chat Operator helps streamline your operations by providing customers and potential clients with a convenient way to get answers to the questions they have without a lot of extra “friction” or waiting.

Businesses of all sizes can benefit from using a Live Chat Agent on their website for a multitude of reasons.

A Live Chat Operator Can Monitor Website Traffic

These days, website traffic is a valuable commodity. For companies that invest in advertising and promotions to augment organic website traffic, it’s essential to try and gain a return on that investment. A Live Chat Operator can, in essence, work as a set of extra eyes to monitor the click paths that visitors take once they’re at the site. Furthermore, the operator (or automation) can “push” a conversation to answer any questions or engage with the visitor if they appear to be having issues navigating the website. By offering assistance, this can help identify navigational problems at your site that could potentially cost you lost revenue from abandoned or dropped carts. By improving your overall user experience, you’re building a stronger relationship with your customer and making your website better.

Increase Trust In Your Brand

Another big hurdle for smaller, less known ecommerce sites is building trust and confidence with potential clients who may not be particularly familiar with your brand. For new customers, the presence of a Live Chat operator at your site offers reassurance that they can get help with the click of a button. Depending on the level of service you’re willing to provide via Live Chat, you may even be able to help people who are having difficulties processing their payment. Web sites that use Live Chat maintain a higher customer satisfaction rate, because most consumers who shop online prefer using a convenient Live Chat over making phone calls to answer questions or resolve issues.

A Live Chat Operator Can Offer Immediate Responses And Timely Resolutions

Live Chat offers a real-time solution for your clients. On average, it takes less than a minute for a Live Chat operator to resolve most questions or issues concerned with their website visit. Live Chat Operators can be utilized in a number of different ways, from sales to support, and all aspects of customer service in between. When helping with sales, your Live Chat operator should be knowledgeable enough to assist customers with their inquiries and orders. If you also provide technical or product support, the Live Chat operators should be well trained and have access to all applicable materials to provide a stellar level of customer support. Your Live Chat operator serves as a first-line customer service agent who can handle first line questions, and if needed, refer the client to the next level of customer service when necessary.

For business owners who are interested in boosting the results from your web presence, Live Chat is an affordable and smart addition to your web development roadmap. Additionally, installing Live Chat helps improve productivity in your organization. Depending on the nature of your business, Live Chat can be used to assist in scheduling appointments with your sales force or employees of your business, which makes life a little easier for everyone. As you can imagine, this simple addition to your web presence is certainly worth the expense when you factor in the returns you can get from your investment.

In a nutshell, everyone wins. Online business operators can expect that customer satisfaction and conversion rates to increase because they’re taking the extra steps necessary to assure a seamless – and timely – user experience. Clients who receive the highest level of care throughout the purchase cycle are more likely to become loyal customers who tell their friends about your business, which directly benefits your company.

Take Customer Service To The Next Level!

Another tremendous benefit of offering a Live Chat to your website visitors is the fact that it’s a great platform for building and improving customer relationships. According to reports, nearly 65% of online shoppers that engaged in an online chat stated they would use the site again for their shopping needs. It’s no secret that converting a one-time customer into a repeat buyer is a business’ dream, and Live Chat empowers you to provide the exceptional customer service loyal customers are looking for when buying products or services online.

Customer service is your first-line offense and defense in business. You want to go the extra mile to make a favorable impression. Live Chat allows you to interact with website visitors in a meaningful way on a platform that’s convenient to them, regardless of whether they’re browsing your site on a desktop computer, a laptop, a tablet, or a mobile phone.

By having a friendly and responsive Live Chat Operator available at your site, you are taking your Customer service capabilities to the next level. It’s an easy way to stay on top of your business game! Plus, if this is a website feature that your competitors aren’t offering at their site. You no longer have to let a person who might just have a quick question about your products or services leave your site because they weren’t able to find the answer easily.

If you’re ready to boost sales, customer satisfaction, and productivity at your business, you can’t go wrong with Live Chat! Need to implement a Live Chat feature on your website? Give us a shout via the contact form and let’s talk about it!

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Benefits of an Emergency Preparedness App for Educational Institutions

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In light of all the violence that’s occurred in schools across the United States in recent years, it comes as no surprise that politicians and school officials everywhere are seeking out solutions to increase security on school grounds and campuses across the nation. One of the first measures that school officials have taken is to examine their current safety protocols to identify areas that can be improved to increase security on campus. Having an emergency preparedness plan in place in combination with the use of an emergency preparedness app, is the best way to keep students, faculty members, and the public at large safer.

Mobile Apps and Software Keep Information Flowing

Many schools and campuses have added an emergency preparedness mobile app as part of their defense and information systems. The use of smartphones has steadily increased over the last few years, with close to 70% of American adults now reporting they own at least one smartphone. Schools, universities, and educational facilities that offer an emergency preparedness app have a direct line to send alerts to people who have downloaded the app, regardless if they are students or not.

Features And Benefits of Emergency Preparedness Apps

Unlike other mobile apps geared towards providing entertainment, emergency preparedness apps have a broad range of technology integrated to assist in controlling and containing various situations that can occur on school grounds, dormitories, and numerous outbuildings that serve students and faculty members. This type of mobile app can get configured to contact first responders including fire, EMS, and law enforcement in the case of an emergency. Mobile apps that include the floor plans and interactive maps provide responders with instant access to critical information concerning the layout of the building(s) where they’re providing response services. By having this data readily available, responders can assess the situation and determine a course of action, including selecting entry points to the building. Additionally, having this critical information easily accessible is helpful in reducing the overall response time, which is always helpful when people’s lives or safety are in danger.

Drills And Training

It’s also worth noting that the primary focus of an emergency preparedness mobile app is to provide guidance in times of crisis. Regular safety drills and training work in conjunction with a mobile app to provide information on what protocols students, faculty and visitors should follow during an actual emergency, regardless if it is a weather-related emergency (severe weather conditions) or a physical threat (such as violence or unauthorized intrusions). A mobile app provides everyone with instructions on what course of action should be followed based on the situation, including evacuations, lockdowns, or intrusions. Education is key to keeping everyone as safe as possible in times of crisis. For added safety, outfitting classrooms with remote alert systems that give teachers, professors, and other key staff members to alert authorities in the case of an emergency calmly. The faster that emergency personnel can respond to any incident quicker to minimize the risk and provide help when it’s needed.

Mobile Accessibility Is Convenient For All

In some school districts, tech-savvy administrators are making the decision to offer a mobile app in place of bulky paper copies of their student handbooks and crisis management plans. Not only is this approach to information distribution eco-friendly, but it also makes accessing this critical information easier for anyone who is looking for the data. Students, parents, grandparents, guardians, faculty and staff, as well as general community members, are all welcome to download the mobile app for their personal use. In ‘non-emergency’ situations, the mobile app is ideal for communicating regular updates including school news and other related school business.

Keep Parents “In The Loop.”

A mobile app that’s used to share critical safety news gives school administrators the ability to remain in contact with parents and guardians if there is an emergency. It may also be used to provide emergency instructions or timely updates on the situation, so instead of not knowing what’s happening, they get a direct response from school administrators. It’s a lot more reassuring to get official updates firsthand than to try to sort through false or inaccurate information getting disseminated by third-party reporters who may not have access to all information surrounding the situation. This ‘one to many’ method of sharing news and updates helps keep phone lines in the school from getting jammed with incoming calls from worried parents, so administrators can make outgoing calls to authorities and emergency personnel if needed. As you can imagine, an emergency on any campus has to get addressed quickly, professionally, and thoroughly, so making sure that the school’s phone system isn’t tied up with exploratory calls from concerned parents and news outlets is paramount.

Launch An Emergency Preparedness App The Easy Way

Emergency preparedness apps are the solution to keeping everyone a little safer and more secure when they are in an academic or educational setting. Further, when technological safeguards like this are in place, your educational facility builds more trust with the community, which is always important when you’re entrusted with the lives and wellbeing of children, adolescents, and young adults. If your school or school system is looking to streamline the way you distribute information regarding campus emergencies or incidents, a mobile app is the most affordable and direct way to connect with your audience.

For people and administrators who need a hand with launching and deploying a mobile app to support their educational facilities, the team at Colleen Eakins Design is here to help. We help clients establish a mobile app presence, and we’d love to help you, too! Our mobile apps can be customized to meet all of your school’s requirements for sharing important updates, data, and other information to streamline your everyday business operations. We offer a free, no-obligation consultation to discuss your mobile app Project. Click the button below and fill out the form to start the conversation today!

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mobile app for school

How Your School Can Benefit From Launching A Mobile App

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These days, connectivity is essential for effective communication. There is no better example of where communication is needed than in schools and educational facilities. According to recent findings, 68% of American adults own a smartphone, making it easier than ever before for school administrators to engage and communicate with faculty members, parents, students, and the community as a whole. Here are some ways that a mobile app for your school can be beneficial to your community.

An Information Epicenter

These days, there are many other uses for apps than just playing your favorite mobile game or catching up with the people in your social networking circles. A mobile app is a specialized technological offering that allows you to quickly send important updates to anyone who has downloaded the app, regardless of whether they are students, parents, teachers, or auxiliary staff members. These updates can include anything from sports schedules and scores, school closings and delays, information on extracurricular activities, and other administrative updates that concern students and parents. Additionally, a mobile app for your school allows administrators to have a centralized location to work as a reference point for nearly everything that concerns the school. Your app can provide a wealth of information to users, including a list of the teachers, faculty, and staff members, the student handbook, access to forms and permission slips, bus route information, field trip itineraries, and school menu options.

Offer Access To School Records

Mobile apps are useful for not only sharing general information about the happenings at your school, but they can also get used for sharing progress reports on students throughout the school year. Instead of parents being ‘in the dark’ about troubles like truancy, slipping grades, or missing homework, they are granted access to this critical information so they can get ahead of the problem and address it quickly.

Mobile Is Quickly Outpacing Desktop

Technological trends are always changing and evolving. As mentioned before, 68% of American adults now own a smartphone. The widespread access and use of wireless internet, in combination with affordable and powerful tablets and smartphones, outpaced the desktop market years ago. Now more than ever, people want to be able to get access to the information they want with just a few touches of a button. A mobile app launches cleaner without needing to open up a web browser and conduct an online search. While the overall desktop use and search have slowly declined over the years, you still want to be sure to cater to whatever audiences you have on this operating system and platform by having a classic website available as well.

Push Notifications Send Instant Alerts

Most parents want to stay abreast of everything that’s going on at their child’s school. A mobile app is an ideal way to engage with parents and ‘keep them in the loop’ about valuable information concerning their kid’s education and wellbeing. Everyone dreads the thought of an emergency taking place at a school. If something were to happen, a mobile app serves as the fastest and most efficient way to communicate using native ‘Push Notifications’ that pop up automatically on mobile users smartphones or tablet computers. This capability is especially useful for announcing school delays, cancellations, early dismissals, and other events that parents and students need to be aware are happening.

Streamline Calls and Emails

Depending on how extensive you want to make your mobile app, adding a “Click to Call” or “Click to Email” button helps streamline how parents, students, and other community members conduct their outreach. In today’s day and age, almost no one takes the time to memorize phone numbers and email addresses. A mobile app that offers users a convenient way to call or email makes things a lot easier for them and helps encourage two-way communication, whether it’s to report an absenteeism or to schedule a conference with their kid’s teacher. In higher-education settings, such as colleges and universities, these features offer students a way to stay in touch with professors, advisors, and other key faculty members.

Build A Stronger Community

While it might sound silly to hear that a mobile app can help foster a stronger sense of community, it really can! Many school districts have turned to their mobile app as a way to leverage their connection in the communities they serve. Instead of having to cut through miles of red tape to get in touch with staff or board members, mobile apps make it much easier to get in touch. Further, they can get used to promote events, sporting events, and fundraisers to support class trips, intramural and extramural sports teams, or other causes and initiatives the school stands behind.

Deploying A Mobile App Doesn’t Have to be Difficult

For many school districts and independent school systems, making technological advancements are sometimes difficult. Undoubtedly, making significant investments in the education system such as computer lab upgrades, textbook purchases, as well as building maintenance are always needed to remain competitive. Adding a mobile app to your school’s roster of ‘must have’ technology makes a lot of sense because of all the controls it gives you for sharing information with students, parents, and the larger community. When you work with a skilled team of Mobile App developers who have a thorough understanding of how to put everything together for your school system’s mobile app, you’re taking all the right steps to assure that your school is using cutting-edge technology.

Mobile apps are ideal for keeping in touch – and increasing engagement – with students, parents, faculty, and other key personnel. The team at Colleen Eakins Design is ready to tackle your school’s mobile app project with enthusiasm and skill! To learn more about our mobile app service offerings, visit our mobile app services’ page and give us a shout to discuss your unique project needs, we’re always happy to help!