HOW TO CREATE A SMARTPHONE APP YOUR

CUSTOMERS WILL ACTUALLY USE

ByTedJanusz

wenty years ago, many small businesses that spent the majority of their advertising
dollars on Yellow Pages ads couldn't quite understand the need for a website.
But eventually they invested in and then upgraded their online presence. And
look where the Yellow Pages are today.
There are now more than 120 million smartphone
users in the U.S., representing about 40 percent of the
population. Up to 50 percent of Internet searches are
now conducted on mobile devices.

Making Your App Stand Out

montlrusingappsthantheydidjusttwoyearsago.Ad-

w 42percentofallapptimespentonsmartphonesoccurs

Currently, Android users have a choice of more than 1.3

million apps; iPhone users can choose from 1.2 million
apps. Consider:
*
DatafromNielsenshowsthatU.S.AndroidandiPhone The average smartphone user now downloads zero
users age 18 and older spend 65 percent more time each apps per month (ComScore and Quartz).

ditional data from Flurry Mobile

Analytics show that the average

on the individual's single most used

app (ComScore).
With that kind olcompetition.
how can you make sure your app

American consumer spends more

time with his smartphone each
day than in front ofthe television.
The mobile device has become our

I screen.

is downloaded? Perhaps more importantly, once it has been downloaded, how can you be sure your

App Benefits

app is actr-rally used?

The key to success is to solve

No.

a business problem for your user

with the app. Allowyour consum-

Let's examine four benefits to de-

veloping an app:
1, A mobile app can help obtain
valuable feedback about your
customers'behavior. That information can 1ikely rncrease both your business's revenue and profit margin.
2. You can keep updatingyour app to feature new products and services.

TED JANUSZ is
a professional

3. You can make money by offering in-app advertising

speaker on the topic

of "social media

4. By integrating the rnajor sociai networks with your app,

for baby boomers,"

author, and marketing
consultant. He is the
author of the Socral
Media Marketing
Guide for Parking

Professionals,which
is a free publication
for lPl members and
can be downloaded
from parking.org/
socialmediaguide.
He can be

reached at ted(O
uspreseiitati on s.
com or 614.440.7487.
jan

14

to other businesses.
you can increase the scope and reach ofyourbusiness.

Now, take a look at four potential benefits for your

prospects and customers:

You can allow your customers to interact directly

with the company. The easier it is for the customer to
interact with you, the more business you cal generate.
2. Your customers can receive special offers and coupons in reai time rather than forcing them to look in
other media.
1,

3. Yourbusiness's mobile app car offer

safer alternative

for them to make purchases.

4. Customers' questions can be answered in real time on
the app, or they can participate in a contest, game, or
card-free rewards program.

INTERNATTONAL PABKING tNST|TUTE

lUNr

ZOrS

ers to accomplish more in less

time, reduce waste, save money,

and receive better customer servrce.
'A company may have the best app as a tool to
increase revenue," says AJ Rassamni, author of Dirty
Cars Filthy Rich!, "but if the company doesn't offer
any incentives for customers to download the app and
use it, then the app is not worth anything. The app
offers many valuabie strategies to increase number of
clients, dol1ar per transaction, and frequency ofvisits
of any business."
For example, when a customer visits a car wash and
checks in on social media using the app, he can receive
an immediate discount (up to $5) offhis purchase. In
addition, his digital loyalty card can be stamped with
each purchase-eight digital stamps earn a free car
wash. Further, because of a feature available with the
app called 'geo fencing" (the app will know w}ren the
customer is in the vicinity of the car wash), the app can
push out incentives and free offers for the customer to
return and redeem rhe offers.
Sounds like something parking could do, doesn't

it?