Discover Why a Loyalty Rewards Program and App Should Be Your Next Move

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Small business owners know there’s a battle going on for customer’s attentions. People have short attention spans these days and are always looking for something new to interest them. Loyalty rewards programs are popular because they help win back eyeballs that otherwise might not come back. Rewarding your best clients makes sense because they buy more when you do!

Acquiring new customers is the hardest part of running a business. It’s an expensive process and not one that’s easy to do on a day-to-day basis. That’s why loyalty rewards programs resonate with owners and operators. They are an easy way to hang on to the customers you already have while encouraging them to spend more. Your organization doesn’t have to stop when it comes to promoting customer loyalty.

Products Are Outstanding App Ideas

Your product can become an app, which is a fast way to reach a vast new audience. Chances are your product already has many of the components in place to transform into a business application. Tons of companies already use this approach effectively to gain mobile usage. Face facts, if you aren’t already catering to a mobile market, you’re behind the curve. A majority of internet users are on mobile devices, and the trend won’t reverse.

Speak with your app developer to cover your options. With a bit of ingenuity, she can help you deliver a compelling application to users to expand your market.

Get Users to Engage

Apps don’t mean much unless people use and interact with them. It’s crucial that you design your offering with this fact in mind. There’s no doubt that users expect engagement. When they ask a question, they want answers fast. Companies take advantage of this opportunity by providing them with excellent, custom service. Personalizing their experience is one of the best ways to keep people coming back.

Transparency Helps Increase Participation

It’s always a good idea to be transparent with your loyalty rewards program. Your customers will want to know what precise benefits they get when they join. Spell it all out, and you’ll find that your participation rates are sky high. Deliver on the advantages you outline and you’ll find that people are more than happy to continue their business relationship with your organization. It’s a challenge to keep people around, so it’s necessary to have a high standard of quality built into your program.

Increase Sharing as Much as Possible

Virality is a savvy way to get the most mileage out of your business app. Encouraging people to share will result in them spreading the word beyond your traditional platform. Your success depends on how you and your developer orient your positioning in the market. For business owners in the retail space, such as massage therapists, café’s, restaurants, and hair stylists, an app spreads the word in a way that conventional advertising cannot. Customer loyalty programs built around apps outperform alternatives because they make staying loyal incredibly simple.

Loyalty Rewards Program Apps Spur Revenue Growth and Retain Customers

Major retail stores have long wowed their fans with discounts and incentives to stay loyal. Fortunately, the tactics work for almost all business types. It’s crucial to put a personal spin on your approach, but if you’re willing to make an effort to fit your app to your market, you cannot lose. Client retention is going to remain the number one issue for all companies across all industries. Many big companies now offer multi-level reward programs that account for a vast amount of revenue. Even the smallest retailer benefits from installing a program, especially one that taps into the convenience of mobile devices.

Your Most Active Users Make a Massive Difference

Your most eager customers and users are the driving force for your sales growth. A few customers push the majority of revenues for companies, with many experts stating the 80/20 rule. That’s why loyalty rewards programs excel. They help you pinpoint and cultivate relationships with those clients who are demonstrably valuable to your enterprise.

Start New People off with a Bonus

It’s a smart idea to get new rewards members to start off with something extra. That’s an easy way to make them feel like the program is worth it. Getting feedback from your current fans is a way to find out what features they want the most. If you’re willing to come through for them based on their input, you’ll see a greater degree of involvement.

Keep the Focus on the Goals

People join loyalty programs so they can achieve progressive goals. The reward you choose is not the only factor for success. Perhaps the customer will receive a free meal after paying for ten. It may be a free haircut once every three months that keeps someone interested. What matters most is that they’re working towards their objective as they make each purchase. The goal should be something of value that they want. With an app, you can reward them every step of the way as they continue to make purchases and payments. Even relatively small rewards may have a significant impact because your customers engage with your app.

Now is an ideal time to speak to us about how we can help you craft a loyalty rewards program that will boost company sales. With the right incentives in place, your technology will spread effortlessly. Your customers are like everybody else, and they will take incentives where they can find them! We can help make the entire system seamless so that rewards become an automatic process. You won’t have to do extra work using physical systems. Instead, rely on the power of an app to do all the heavy lifting needed. Reward programs continue to carry a lot of weight with consumers. They love to feel appreciation, especially from companies like yours that they admire. Get in touch now to find out more! We’re passionate about helping small businesses establish a loyalty rewards program that works. Fill out the form below and someone from the team will get in touch with you.

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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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