3 Steps to Get Into Your Customer’s Pocket
The question isn't whether you need a mobile strategy, it's how to get started with one. Consumers are now using mobile phones and devices to access the Internet more than they are using their computers. This means that if your business does not have a mobile presence, you are going to be left behind. It can be difficult to know where to begin, so here are three easy steps to making your business mobile.
1. Ensure that your website functions on mobile devices:
Just because your website can be seen on a smartphone does not mean it is necessarily mobile friendly. Some things to consider:
- Can your site be easily viewed on the smaller screen size?
- Do you need to pinch and zoom to see menus or text?
- Are links difficult to click?
- Does your website use a flash intro or other flash component?
If any of these are issues, your customers will be frustrated and are likely to leave your website. In a survey, by Google, 61% of smartphone users said they were unlikely to return to a mobile site if they had trouble viewing it on their device. 40% of those users took it a step further and said they would instead visit a competitor’s site. Test your website to see how easily it can be used on a mobile phone or tablet. Creating a positive user experience is key to the success of any mobile strategy
2. Create a mobile version of your website:
Create a mobile version of your website, optimized for the smaller screens of mobile devices. You can keep the same domain name and the site will detect when a user is accessing your site with a mobile device, automatically routing them to the mobile version of your site. Simplicity is key with mobile sites. They should be simple to navigate, easy to read, have larger buttons, and limit scrolling. Consider basic information that your customers will need to access on the go, such as contact information, hours, directions, services, and menus. These should be placed prominently so users don't need to hunt for them. Mobile-optimized sites should take advantage of the natural capabilities of mobile phones. Features like click-to-call, maps, and location information are perfect for mobile and help connect customers directly to your business.
3. Create an app:
An app for your business can be a great way to connect with your customers on the go. One of the most easily recognizable forms of Mobile Marketing, Mobile Apps are downloaded and installed directly onto a users mobile device and become like a billboard for your company that stays with the user. A survey by Nuance Communications shows that companies that utilize mobile apps seem to have the advantage in company perception and customer satisfaction. 72% of those surveyed said that they have a more positive view of a company that has a mobile app. Keep in mind that it is not a good idea to create an app just for the sake of creating an app. In fact, Apple will reject an app created solely for marketing purposes. Your app needs to add value for the user in some way, primarily through utility or entertainment. Businesses should think about what they can provide customers through a mobile app that will make them want to not only download the app, but continue to open it on their device.
Inspired to get started with your own mobile website or app? New Wave Industries is one of Connecticut’s leading Mobile Strategy, Mobile Web and App Developers, having created apps and mobile websites for businesses, events, and individuals across the country. Let us show you how to cost effectively and efficiently connect with your mobile audience. Contact us or call 860-953-9283 to get started.
Use QR Codes to Enhance Your Marketing
QR Codes have become a part of mainstream marketing in the United States in recent years, so much so that research firm Forester reports that as many as 75% of online businesses have utilized QR Codes as a marketing tool to supplement various cross channel marketing efforts. These 2-d bar codes, like this one here, are printed on marketing materials or product packaging and then scanned with a smartphone or tablet.
QR Codes are capable of storing more complex information, such as web addresses, contact information and promotions, QR codes help marketers reach their mobile audiences, while bridging the gap between print and interactive media. QRC Maker (www.qrcmaker.com) can help you quickly and easily make dynamic, print-ready QR Codes. Through the QRC Maker Dashboard, marketers can accurately measure ROI with statistics like:
- the number of times a code was scanned
- type of phone/device used to scan
- geographic location
- date and time of scan
Whether you need one QR Code or hundreds, there is sure to be a package that meets you needs. Users can generate an unlimited number of codes and can track one code per year, for free! Visit QRCMaker.com to get started now!
Download the QRCReader App for iPhone and Android to Scan the Code!
Don’t Get Caught Off Guard
Although Hurricane Sandy, the third devastatingly large storm to ravage the East Coast in little more than a year, is now behind us, the ominous task of recovering from the monster storm is just beginning. While thousands of lives have been irreparably impacted by the worst storm the East Coast has seen in our lifetimes, many businesses are now faced with a new disaster of sorts and we are once again reminded of just how critical it is for businesses small and large to be prepared for such catastrophic events. With a little planning you can minimize the negative effects of what could otherwise be a door-closing disaster.
Not being prepared for a disaster can have damaging consequences for the business. According to Global Disaster Recovery Management, within just 18 months of experiencing a disaster, around 80 percent of businesses close. If data is lost during the disaster, around 90 percent of those businesses close within two years of the even
Every business should have a disaster plan in place. This plan should include ways to keep not only employees safe, but also the data and equipment necessary to keep the business running. It also identifies the processes, systems and data that would have the largest negative impact on the business in the event of an outage. As a result, the disaster plan should center on ways to quickly and effectively restore or recover those things when a disaster results in an outage. Protecting vital records and data can keep not only the company in business, but it can reduce downtime and interruption of business activities after the event. Is your critical business data properly backed up in an off-site location?
NWI Networks, a division of New Wave Industries offers disaster recovery and data back-up solutions designed to fit your organization’s needs. Backed by years of experience in disaster planning and recovery we can make the planning and implementation process simple and easy and keep you up and running in the unfortunate time of a disaster. The best time to put a plan in place is before disaster strikes and your business faces costly and business altering decisions. Whether you need a simple back up or have more complex requirements, we can help.
If your business does not have a disaster recovery plan in place, please do not hesitate to contact us at 860-953-9283 for more information and a customized solution to meet your needs.
Superstorm, Hurricane Sandy
Unwiring Your Business: The Importance of Being Mobile
Developing a smartphone app for your business can have a huge impact on leads, sales, and productivity. “I don’t need an app because I already have a website,” you might be thinking; however it is important to keep in mind that the two are very different. There are many advantages that a mobile app can provide that a website cannot. For example, GPS, use of a camera, SMS, click to call, and social sharing with integration to social networks like Facebook and Twitter, to name a few.
These days consumers are relying on their mobile phones to stay connected and informed more than ever before. Mobile technology gives your business the opportunity to grab the attention of your target market while they are on the go! This is a significant opportunity for your business to target, reach and connect with your audience, enhancing your brand value and driving brand loyalty. Mobile Apps also provide a personal connection between businesses and consumers. When your business goes mobile with its own app, your consumers can download your app and literally carry you around with them. Your business is always on their phone-anywhere, anytime!
With the influx of smartphones around the world mobile apps are becoming a critical part of the communication strategy of many organizations. Consumers, armed with smart phones are coming to expect services on their device and it is critical to customer opinion that those needs are met. A survey by Nuance Communications shows that companies that utilize mobile apps seem to have the advantage in company perception and customer satisfaction. 72% of those surveyed said that they have a more positive view of a company that has a mobile app. Just having an app is not enough, however. In another survey, by Google, 61% of smartphone users said they were unlikely to return to a mobile site or continue to use an app if they had trouble viewing it on their device. 40% of those users took it a step further and said they would instead visit a competitor’s site or app. Creating a positive user experience is key to the success of any mobile strategy.
Smartphones and mobile apps are everywhere. Statistics show that the average smartphone users downloaded approximately 60 apps each in 2011. That’s 50 more apps than the average user had in 2008. This signals a vast appetite for apps on the part of the user and also a huge opportunity for businesses both large and small to connect with their customers. Apple recently announced that collectively, 25 billion apps have been downloaded from its App Store. That’s more than 3 apps for every person in the world!
Now is the time to initiate or strengthen your company’s mobile marketing plan! Let us show you how to cost effectively and efficiently connect with your mobile audience. New Wave Industries is one of Connecticut’s leading Mobile App Developers, having created apps for businesses, events, and individuals across the country. Check out our portfolio of apps currently available for Apple and Android devices and contact us today to get started on your mobile App!
Disaster Proof Your Data with YouVault Data Back-up & Disaster Recovery
After two major storms wreaked havoc in Connecticut this fall, Hurricane Irene and the infamous October snowstorm, we want to provide our customers with a little more information on the disaster recovery and data back-up solutions that we offer. Something as simple as a storm, power surge or hard drive failure can be catastrophic to a business.
NWI Networks can keep your business up and running in the unforeseen time of disaster. We make the disaster recovery planning and implementation process simple and easy for you. Whether you need a simple back up or more complex requirements including data vaulting and Business Continuity our disaster recovery services can help.
Protect your valuable data with NWI Networks YouVault services. Simply put, data vaulting is the process of sending data off-site, where it can be protected from hardware failures, theft, and other threats. It’s a Web backup service that compress’, encrypts, and periodically transmits customer data to a remote vault.
World Fulfillment, LLC, a longtime New Wave client, came to us in the aftermath of the October snow storm. “You and your staff worked diligently and into the night to get us up and running in less than 24 hours,” said CEO, Dan Saccu.” You allowed World Fulfillment to operate when no one else could. We could have lost hundreds of thousands of business dollars, never mind the lack of confidence that we could not deliver. Your foresight has brought to us the true importance of having an emergency center.”
It’s vital for your business to implement a comprehensive plan for disaster recovery before disaster strikes and your organization faces costly, business-altering decisions in the wake of a crisis. We’ll help you put a formal, comprehensive disaster recovery solution in place to help ensure continuous business operations. Whether you manage or outsource your IT staff, our disaster recovery services can help! If your business does not have a disaster recovery plan in place, please do not hesitate to contact us at 860-953-9283 for more information and a customized solution to meet your needs.
iPhone Apps: Big Hit at NY Xpo for Business
The day was long, but exciting...
Thank you to everybody that stopped by our booth and attended our seminar at the NY Xpo for Business in NYC Wednesday! With over 400 exhibitors and thousands of attendees, the show was a great success. Topics including iPhone application development, social marketing, search engine optimization and web development could be heard at and around the NWI booth all day long. Attendees, exhibitors, dancing mascots, cheerleaders, speakers, and brilliant business minds all gathered for a spectacular day of networking and great conversation. The trade show would not have been complete without the slew of passing business cards, raffle giveways, trade show chochkeys and much needed free coffee stations.
New Wave Industries at NY Xpo for Business in New York City
New Wave Industries, the official Web Development Partner and Event Supporter for the NY Xpo for Business, is ready for a full day of fun down in New York City, on October 21, 2009. The show will be taking place all day at the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center on 665 West, 34th Street in Manhattan.
Finally! iPhone can now send MMS messages
The long anticipated wait is over. Apple and AT&T have finally pulled it together and are going to allow iPhone users to send MMS picture messages. They figured that the 2 ½ year wait was long enough. Actually, Apple had this feature readily available for the iPhone months ago, but AT&T was restructuring their already weak infrastructure to allow the stress that MMS messages will cause on their network.
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