E-commerce has become an intrinsic part of modern-day life. The arrival of the internet, a few decades back, transformed several aspects of life. For example, communication became easier and faster. Instead of relying on snail mail, which took weeks to reach the recipient, people acquired a taste for communicating via e-mail. If you needed to speak to a person, no longer did you need to rely on using your mobile phone or your fixed line. Instead, the telephony services offered over the internet provided greater ease and convenience. That too, without burning a hole in your wallet.

Businesses across the world, also found themselves having to realign their strategies. In the pre-internet era, established businesses had a big advantage over their small and medium sized counterparts. They had immense financial resources to rely on, when it came to promoting their products and services. Hence, they would often corner a major slice of the market, leaving few crumbs of comfort for others. However, the internet introduced an element of parity. It enabled smaller businesses to promote their wares at much lower costs. In addition, it enabled them to access untapped markets by giving them access to customers on the other side of the globe.

Smartphones – Mobile Devices that Bring the World into Your Hands

At about the same time, people began using mobile phones for enhanced levels of communication. It did not take long for manufacturers to realise the benefits they could accrue by making their mobile devices highly convenient for accessing the internet. With the emergence of smartphones and tablets, people no longer needed to be at work or at home for accessing the internet. Now, they could apply for jobs, shop online or communicate with clients even while on the move. They do so by using a variety of mobile applications. Consider the following statistics that highlight the growing fascination that people have with mobile apps.

Statista Inc. is one of the leading statistics companies in the US. According to their estimates:

• People have downloaded about 102,062 million apps across the world
• The worldwide revenue generated by mobile apps amounts to approximately $26.68 billion

Flurry, a leading provider of app analytics, concurs with the increasing use of mobile apps. It released a report in April this year. The report declared that native app usage on smartphones was increasing at the expense of the mobile web. Flurry mentioned that users spent two hours and 42 minutes on mobile devices each day. Of this, they spent two hours and 19 minutes in using mobile apps. They spent the remaining time (i.e. 22 minutes) on using the mobile web.

Why You Need to Tap into the Potential of Having Mobile Apps for Your Business

The facts mentioned above, highlight the growing dependency that people have on mobile apps. Consider a situation, where you need to check out a restaurant for a dinner with a client or even for a family dinner. Not many people would visit the restaurant for checking the menu, prices or facilities on offer. Instead, they would simply check out the website of the restaurant to find what they want. In addition, they would visit various review sites too. This would enable them to check out what others have to say about the services of this specific restaurant. In other words, people today, use the information on the internet to make decisions.

Therefore, having a mobile app for your business is no longer a luxury. It enables your customers to access all your information at their fingertips. By having a mobile app for your business, your customers would be able to:

• Access your inventory easily
• Find out about new product launches, special events etc. faster
• Make the process of scheduling appointments easier and faster and,
• Get the directions to your store or facility, regardless of wherever they might be

Social Media Integration – The Tool for Increasing the Visibility of Your Business Online

As mentioned earlier, people look for information about a business online first. They could check review sites to see what other people have to say about that business. Alternatively, they could rely on social media networks. Today, social media is not just a platform for kids to interact with their friends. It enables users to share information about your business with others. For example, if you’re planning to hold a sale, your apps would communicate this to your clients. Similarly, your clients would transmit this information in their circles, thereby promoting your business further.

Good social media followings help in boosting your search engine rankings. That too, more effectively than by simply relying on various Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) techniques. Consider the following social media channels.

• YouTube: This is one of the most popular websites after Google and Facebook. By adding this to your website, you could become part of a wide video-sharing community.
• LinkedIn: This network has over 60 million users, from a wide range of industries. It is ideal for finding new customers, building new relationships and for keeping tabs on your competition.
• Twitter: You could harness this for informing your clients of sales, product launches etc. They, in turn, would transmit this message in their circles, thereby promoting your business.
• Facebook: This network offers another platform for you to promote your business and boost social media referral traffic to your website.

When you need to retain your existing customers and attract new ones, you need to invest in building bonds and relationships. Conventionally, businessmen attended conferences, exhibitions, parties and trade fairs to connect with other people for promoting their business interests. Social media and mobile apps are the new platforms that help businesses achieve this today. Therefore, you need to engage with a company that provides these services at cost effective rates, with guaranteed results. Harness the power of these tools for taking your business to clients, instead of waiting for them to visit you.