Deciding how to brand and promote a small, up-and-coming business is no easy feat. Many decisions that are made early on in the process of building a company are very pivotal and can often times decide the trajectory of the business for the next couple of years. As society is becoming increasingly more mobile, it’s expected that small businesses would ask themselves if having a mobile app is the right direction.
However, just because having an app is “trendy” does not make it the right decision for every business. You have to consider if your particular business would translate well into a mobile app and create a valuable line of communication between you and your customer. Would having a mobile website be just as valuable or more valuable than an app? Each business is different and providing the most useful way of relating your content to your customers is imperative.
When a Small Business App Works
Pinot’s Palette is a small business that lets you “paint and sip”. They are an art studio that offers classes where you can paint art work while sipping on a cocktail either with your partner or in a group. They created an app that uses your location to help find Pinot’s Palette locations around you as well as giving you the class times, prices, and the ability to sign up for the class right through the app. It provides all the information you can find online but is packaged into an app. With a strong repeat customer base, this app has generated a lot of users.
Another small business that ventured into the app store was Kona Ice, a Hawaiian-style shaved ice company. Instead of making the app solely informative about the company, they went a different route and made a Kona Ice game for kids. The app allows them to play and collect coupons for Kona Ice along the way. This app is highlighting Kona the Penguin as the face of the company, making it recognizable with the younger crowd.
Consider a “Mobile” Website
The above companies have found that an app is working for their company, but if you are looking to have your small business become more mobile friendly, an app is not the only option. Small businesses can create a mobile friendly website that is either a replica of your current website or a modified version of the current website. The mobile website would still be accessed by opening it in a web browser but it is designed specifically for browsing the website on a mobile device. It makes the website more user-friendly when people are viewing it on smaller screens.
Companies have found that going with a mobile friendly website is not as big of a financial commitment as developing an app. A mobile website also allows you to bypass the approval process with the app store when you want to make changes to the website. It allows you to easily track your clicks and traffic on your site and allows the websites to have fluidity in their design across all platforms.
Deciding whether to go mobile or not is a big commitment in terms of time and money. Not all companies need to go mobile. It all depends on the products and services offered and how their particular customers would respond. When considering how to brand your company through social media and beyond, you should consult your advertising agency to draw on their market expertise.
Integrated Advertising Inc. is a full service agency based in Jacksonville, FL that can help you with all aspects of promoting a company. We are known for our expertise in strategic planning and negotiating, our award-winning commercial production, and promotional and event management. Visit http://www.intadvertising.com/ or call (904) 296-2585 for more information.
See also:
http://www.businessinsider.com/a-mobile-website-might-be-what-your-business-needs-2013-3
http://www.businessnewsdaily.com/6783-mobile-website-vs-mobile-app.html
http://topfranchises.franchisebusinessreview.com/top-small-businesses/
