Miley, Author at Daily Cup of Tech

All posts by Miley

8 Actionable UX Tips You Should Know When Developing a Mobile App

Miley on October 8, 2020

There is no denying that user experience (UX) is one reason a user is keeping your mobile app. Its usability and intuitiveness (or the lack thereof) can make people decide whether an app is worth their time or not.

Thus, it is safe to say that the more usable your mobile app is, the higher the user engagement. This could lead to enhanced user retention, and fewer uninstalls.

That said, we will walk you through the eight actionable UX tips you should keep in mind when creating a mobile application:

Keep the target users in mind

Who are your mobile app’s target users? The people you want to serve and most likely use your app?

If you have no idea who your end-users are, you might be setting yourself up for failure.

At Sytian App Developer Philippines, we always tell our clients about the importance of keeping the target users in mind.

And we are not just talking about demographics here. It is also essential to understand why they would need your app.

For instance, your users would want a mobile payment app that lets them pay their bills, make bank transactions, and buy groceries. That way, they won’t be switching from one app to another.

Knowing who your target users are and what they need are some of the most important aspects to keep in mind when developing your mobile app.

Incorporate micro-interactions

Famous social media platforms like Instagram and Facebook have capitalized on micro-interactions. And because of their popularity, it makes sense if you follow suit.

Make your micro-interactions as seamless as possible to enhance your mobile app’s usability.

Doing so will generate more engagement and more interactive experience for your users. This usually involves getting notifications, sharing on social media accounts, or communicating feedback.

Just make sure that your mobile app’s interface is optimized for smaller screens.

Choose your colors wisely

It would be ideal to pick a color scheme that has fewer colors to decrease visual saturation.

Pick a maximum of three colors, and make sure that it’s consistent with your app’s design.

As much as possible, try to stay away from colors that are too vibrant as it can disturb your users’ eyes, causing them to disengage. Choose warmer colors instead, and pick colors that provoke certain emotions from the users.

Great search function

Users download your app with different goals in mind. Others may want to buy something, while some would like to know more information.

A good app should have excellent navigation, which helps ease the user search. If they found it hard to get useful links, your users will likely leave your app and uninstall it.

Provide users with advanced search features or an in-app search to make it fast and easy. It will boost the usability of your app, as well.

Keep it simple

You might have heard of the Keep It Simple Stupid (KISS) model. That’s because it is an integral part of UX and User Interface (UI) design, especially if you are designing an app.

After all, mobile app users prefer simplicity, ease of use, and intuitiveness. Something that can make them understand how your app words at a glance.

That said, stay away from using flashy elements when designing your mobile app. Keep it simple, instead, and optimize your images if needed.

Lessen user input

You should also stay away from asking too much information from your mobile app users.

If you require users to sign in, only ask what’s necessary, like name, email address, and mobile number. You can also opt to let users sign in via their Google or Facebook accounts. That way, they can sign in with ease.

Any unnecessary data and long forms can turn off many users, causing them to uninstall your app.

Prompt error notifications

If something goes wrong with the app, you must immediately notify your user about the error. Identify what the error is and what the user should do next.

The last thing that you want to happen is for them to be stuck navigating your app. If they feel like they’re wasting their time, your users will likely leave and uninstall your app.

Display valuable push notifications

Push notifications are a great way to boost your mobile’s user retention. Nonetheless, you should not send notifications to your users willy-nilly.

For one, it is vital to let your users choose what kind of notifications he’d like to receive. And only send valuable notifications.

Using our previous example, a mobile payment app user might want to receive a notification when his bill is due.

When done right, push notifications can keep your users engaged.

When designing a mobile app, it would be best to consider your end-users and their needs. Doing so can help you create a simple and intuitive design. And this can help you boost user retention and decrease your uninstall rate.

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How Seniors Are Using Technology

Miley on October 1, 2020

According to an interesting article that broke down mobile connection metrics across the globe, there are now more cellular devices on planet Earth than people. That means, in a general sense, that people, young and old, are relying on these devices to facilitate their needs. While many mobile users fall below 50 years of age, many seniors are beginning to understand how valuable connectedness is. Located below are areas in which senior citizens can benefit from using mobile devices and apps.

Food Delivery

One of the daily tasks that become increasingly difficult for individuals as they get older is getting a meal to eat. While many of us have no issue going into a restaurant or store to purchase items, this task seems daunting for an elderly individual. Luckily for them, smart-device applications have been created to make the process of getting a meal easier for older users.

Seniors will find their lives easier when they can open an app, place an order, and have the food delivered to their residence in a fraction of the time as the traditional method. Furthermore, on account of the current pandemic, seniors may opt for contactless delivery services to ensure their safety. Simply put, you can’t go wrong with this technology!

Tracking and Emergency Services

One of the biggest solutions for independent living that seniors can use to gain peace of mind is by using apps that can track their location in times of emergency. When asking seniors about their fears as they become older, they tend to express emotions about falling or becoming injured without anyone knowing. Their fear is real, too. Most injuries that seniors experience go unnoticed, as they’re unable to make it to a phone or computer.

The beauty of using these applications is that it allows an all-encompassing means of staying protected in the future. Should you decide to use a mobile application like this, here’s what you need to look out for:

Easy-to-use navigation and straightforward interface design.
The ability to talk to real people at a moment’s notice should something go wrong.
Predictive technology that allows healthcare professionals to remain alert in potentially dangerous circumstances.
Data points that allow caregivers to build a working history with the patient.
Peace of mind for both the user and the user’s family.

Medication Organizers

One of the main components of a senior’s day consists of taking medication on a schedule, thinking about their next dosage, and making sure they didn’t skip any supplements. The beauty of mobile apps is that they can act as an all-in-one assistant that keeps seniors on track for the day. Do you know an older individual that has difficulty taking their medications on time? Do they often find themselves getting off schedule, or in worst-case scenarios, completely forget to take their prescriptions for days on end? If so, it’s time to use a mobile app to alleviate their worry.

Reminders and alerts will act as a gentle reminder for the individual in question to maintain a productive schedule. When they take their medications consistently, you improve their quality of life and allow them to lead their days more freely. These mobile apps are a must-have!

Transportation

Let’s face it, getting to appointments and running errands can be a hassle, more so if you’re older. We also run into the problem that most seniors cannot safely get behind the wheel of a car to travel from point A to point B. With transportation apps available on mobile devices, seniors can rest assured that they can get where they need to be on time. Should they need to get to an appointment, run a quick errand, or meet up with a friend, these apps have their back!

As you can see, technology is not a series of devices reserved for younger generations to communicate with one another. Millions of older people living around the globe are finding new and unique ways of improving their lifestyle by implementing proprietary software. If you know a senior that could benefit from using these technologies, discuss it with them in the upcoming future. Who knows, you may improve their quality of living and allow them to live life on their terms.

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Customer Data Platforms

Miley on October 1, 2020

With increased businesses and competitors, most marketing organizations are looking for efficient ways to target customers. Customer Data Platforms (CDP) has become influential in helping marketing organizations achieve their marketing goals. They are assisting organizations to deal with several marketing channels and ways to counter competition. This article will look at what Customer Data Platforms are, their work, features, and examples.

What is Customer Data Platforms?

A Customer Data Platform empowers marketers with the client’s data and provides the full details of these customers. It brings together artificial intelligence and data science, which pulls together marketing data to create personalized experiences for clients. It helps support the company’s marketing activities based on the client’s experiences. They unify data collected from different sources to create one, full-detailed customer profile. These CDP mobile apps help marketers collect data in real-time, making them segment it and efficiently serve their clients.

How does Customer Data Platform work?

Customer Data Platforms have many capabilities and responsibilities. They are used to collect data from different sources, filter it, and restructure it in a manner suitable to fit marketing systems. The data is then used to offer personalized marketing activities to clients. CDPs come in various forms. They can also carry other functions, such as analyzing data, predictive processes, and content marketing. The main tasks of customer data platforms include the below:

They identify clients’ information.
They upload and store customer data in the systems.
They accept input of data from different sources and formats.
They compare and merge data of a client from various sources.
Provide the processed data to external systems, including marketing
It enables marketers to control and use the data in marketing activities.
Apply other processes that make the data usable in different fields of marketing.

How is a Customer Data Platform Important to Your Business?

There are different reasons why an organization will need a CDP mobile app in their organization. The main reason is that it benefits its marketers in their marketing functions. Its benefits are as below:

The CDP integrates the existing and future marketing tools of an organization. It is necessary because marketing systems come with different technologies, making them not compatible with each other in an organization.
It enables organizations to better understand their customer’s behavior on different channels when offering various media campaigns.
It provides real-time personalization of clients. CDP enables marketers to develop real-time personalized content for their customers based on personality and behavior.

Benefits of a Customer Data Platform

Below are some of the benefits of a Customer Data Platform app to businesses:

It provides a complete customer view: it helps companies get complete customer information, which is comprehensive and accurate, making their engagement more manageable. It maximizes efficiency by reducing redundancy and inaccuracy in the customer’s data.
Leads to improved advertising: since a CDP helps to come up with customer’s data in a targeted way, it increases online advertising effectiveness.
Simplifies customer data: traditionally, marketers had a challenging task of synchronizing data from different sources. CDP automates the whole process and gives marketers ready–to–use data, making them concentrate on other marketing strategies.
Web personalization: CDP allows companies to create personalized customer experiences directly to their websites. It’s only possible when companies get real-time information concerning website visitors.
Helps businesses gain insights: through data mining, companies can get more information regarding their customers.

Best CDP Software Providers

There are different CDP Software providers you can find online. Some of the best include the below:

Tealium: It’s the largest according to the employee count, and it’s the most recognized CDP software. It has over 1000 Pre-built integrations for business use and has a robust API toolkit.
Lytics: has over 50 employees and allows aggregation of data, which resolves data for individual customers. It has AI capabilities that are useful in most businesses.
Redpoint Global: It works with various vendors to create data solutions to clients. Founded in 2006, it has robust data segmentation and incorporates vendors for data enrichment. Gives quality data and provides data stitching services.
Segment: Provides strong, out of the box integrations and has over 200 SaaS vendors.
Treasure data: Offers CDP with over 100 connectors that help unify raw data to produce a single customer experience.
Blueconic: Provides a highly scalable solution for businesses. It’s a suitable ML based product. Its software leverages several AWS services.

Customer Data Platforms are becoming popular in implementing marketing strategies. It helps companies and their marketers concentrate on other things by simplifying customer’s data, used in marketing strategies. They are must-have instruments that every company should have in its marketing toolkit.

Development Insights Martech Products SaaS

How Small Businesses Use Mobile Apps

Miley on September 30, 2020

Mobile phones are everywhere, which has made staying in touch easier and has simplified many daily tasks. As technology grows, our lives become richer. Through filters, we are better photographers (and models). With voice assistants, we all have our very own robot secretary. Just about any fact-related argument can be settled anywhere by opening the encyclopedia, we carry around in our pockets. We don’t need a notepad and pen as long as we have our phone. For modest monthly fees, we can access vast libraries of music, movies, and television shows.

Mobile technology is great for our personal lives, but it’s great for our business lives, too, as you’ll see below.

Time Saving Apps

One of the greatest conveniences of mobile app technology is saving time. To see what we mean, just look at how apps have changed something as ubiquitous as banking. Whereas a business owner (or manager) once had to drive to the bank with an uncomfortably large amount of cash and wait in line for the business teller, the majority of payments are now handled electronically. Checks can be deposited by snapping a photo. Mobile banking apps can save bundles of time.

It doesn’t stop with banking. If you travel for business, there are apps to help you manage business flights, hotel reservations, car rentals, taxis, rideshare services, and dinner reservations. Business travel, like personal travel, is made easier through review apps like Tripadvisor.

Metrics-at-a-Glance Apps

Whether you’re in the back of rideshare, flying in a plane, or waking up in the morning, you can now pull up a snapshot view of a variety of business metrics thanks to mobile app technology. You can most likely monitor your website analytics software, access your CRM, and whip up sales reports with a mobile app. NachoNacho provides a list of CRM tools at a reduced cost.

Physical Plant Management Apps

Many security alarm companies now offer mobile apps so that you can wait until you’re out of the building to set the alarm. If you have security cameras, chances are you can access live (and stored) footage from an app. There are apps to manage smart thermostats and apps to turn the lights on and off.

Office Equipment Apps

Modern office equipment, such as printers and copiers, often comes with a bundled app. For example, Xerox commercial printers can be managed with the Mobile Link app. You can use your phone’s built-in camera to scan documents, manipulate PDFS, and send just about anything you want to the printer.

Cloud Storage Apps

If you use Dropbox, Google Drive, or another cloud storage platform to access electronic apps, you can download a mobile app to help you access and manage those files. This is especially convenient when you want to send a file with your mobile email app.

Social Media Apps

We typically think of social media apps as something for personal use, but you can just as easily manage your business accounts with a mobile device. It’s a good idea to always double-check which account you’re posting to; it can be amusing to accidentally post something for work to your personal account, but the reverse can be damaging. Facebook offers a separate app to manage business pages, but with Instagram, you simply switch between accounts in the same app.

Communication Apps

Typically we think of office communication platforms like phone, fax, and email. Due to the coronavirus pandemic, however, many business owners have discovered other useful technologies. Teams can–and do–hold video chat meetings with Zoom, Skype, and Google Hangouts, helping to eliminate the need for physical contact. Many office suites provide real-time collaboration features, improving productivity, and further eliminating the need for a physical office.

Asset Tracking Apps

No matter what industry you are working in, a significant amount of work is now done off-premise by employees working remotely, in the field, or simply in a different location. An asset tracking mobile app enables teams who are handling company equipment in the field to easily update information through their smartphones or tablets. They can scan equipment labels to quickly check items in and out, make maintenance requests, reserve equipment, and much more for simplified off-premise operations. Meanwhile, all this activity gets logged into the central system so the organization has visibility into the field operations.

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6 Mobile Shipping Apps for Small Businesses

Miley on September 30, 2020

For small businesses, keeping track of your packages can be daunting and time-consuming. Choosing the right labels and shipping companies can ease your worries so that you can focus on your clients’ needs. Luckily, there are mobile apps that can reduce the shipping process for small businesses, as outlined below.

Package Tracker Pro

Package Tracker is a mobile app that lists shipping companies, including DHL and FedEx. The mobile application is available on Google Play Store with a small installation size at $1.99. Package Tracker is available for Android users in an all in one package that lets you track deliveries, keeps you informed, and allows you to customize your packages to suit your needs.

Package Tracker Pro has been in the market for a while and has a robust support system for the users. Some of the features that the app offers include:

Push notification to keep you informed about your packages in the form of ringtones or vibrations.
It allows you to add new options to your carrier list.
The app can show tracking routes on your screen if obtainable.
You can sync your tracking information from your PC to your mobile phone without retyping, which helps save you time.
You can archive tracking numbers to the sync site.
Generous support from the developers who are available to answer any questions you may have.

Package Buddy

Package Buddy is a free Android mobile app for shipment tracking purposes. The app that is downloadable from Google Play Store has an allowance of over 100 courier services. The free version is excellent for personal or domestic use to manage small packages. For small businesses, the pro version is available for $2, and you can integrate it with other android devices for your commercial requirements.

This app’s features include a barcode scanner that enables you to add a package to your tracking list and the capacity to share shipping data with others easily. It also consists of a filter function that allows you to sort your information by the status of whether you are sending or receiving parcels.

17TRACK

17TRACK is a mobile app compatible with both android and iOS users supporting famous couriers such as DHL and UPS. The app is great for businesses that order from China or have issues shipping to North America. 17TRACK is free with in-app purchases if you want to upgrade.

Features of this shipping app include push notifications to keep you updated on package status changes. It also comes with automatic syncing across your compatible devices and allows you to track multiple numbers simultaneously. The app can automatically detect your packages and which shipping companies they are on by entering a few digits of your tracking codes.

You can only track about 40 packages with the free version at a time. You can upgrade to a limit of 100 or 200 at a monthly charge of $2.99 or $4.99 consecutively.

Delivery Status Touch

This app is made for iOS devices and is available for download in AppStore for $4.99. Delivery Status Touch covers a wide range of shipping companies, both local and international, like Japan Post.

The features of this app include readable maps that tell you exactly where your package is. The app enables you to see the current transit packages and their delivery dates when you open it.

Delivery Status Touch allows you to sync your delivery dates to your calendar. You can also install it on your desktop and easily switch from the mobile device, depending on where you are.

FedEx Mobile App

FedEx is a development one of the biggest shipping companies which enable users to track packages and create shipping labels from wherever they are. FedEx app allows businesses to track all packages they send and receive. It also has a barcode scanner to add your boxes in the shipment list and enable you to sort it through using your tracking codes and references.

An upgrade to FedEx app that is available in some regions is the FedEx delivery Manager. With this addition, you can leave instructions for the courier services on when and where you want your packages to be delivered, sign digitally, and even send the package to FedEx location to pick later.

While this app is great, if your business heavily depends on shipping companies, you might consider enlisting the aid of a company like Shipware to conduct a FedEx audit. Due to a service and billing errors, you may be eligible for a high number of small refunds from FedEx on an ongoing basis. Shipware doesn’t have an app yet, but they have a history of helping small businesses who use FedEx and other shipping companies, so we thought we’d mention them here.

JumpTrack

JumpTrack is another Android and iOS compatible app that allows users to store proof-of-delivery like photos and signatures. The app will enable you to track shipment status and even trucks that carry the packages with GPS. You can also share the tracking information via email to your customers. This app is excellent for companies with complex supply chains that want to oversee their shipping.

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Take your email marketing to the next level with Artificial Intelligence

Miley on September 29, 2020

Artificial Intelligence (AI) has emerged as one of the most powerful tactics to raise the bar of email marketing campaigns. Effective email marketing is all about delivering the right content to the right people at the right time and AI helps you achieve this. There was a time when manual intervention was needed to craft relevant content for individual subscribers. However, with the advancement of AI and automation workflows, it became easier to send personalized emails based on subscriber behavior. No wonder, it is expected to yield $14 trillion of additional revenue and a 38% increase in profitability by 2035.

Before we look into the details of how to employ AI in email marketing, let’s throw light on basic principles of how it works.

Mechanism of Action of AI

AI is a tool with the help of which the computer can use a given set of data and perform a particular function through trial and error. The three steps in which AI works are:

i. Detect

First of all, AI discovers the most predictive attributes or elements in a set of data to ascertain which ones to consider and which ones to overlook.

ii. Deliberate

AI, then, compares the most predictive attributes and accordingly makes a recommendation or answers a question.

iii. Develop

AI can program and reprogram itself and mature with every iteration. Subsequently, it can modify and assess the data according to information or consensus derived from experiments.

With that said, we shall now discuss how you can adopt AI in your email marketing campaigns.

1. Subject Lines

According to conventional practices, a proficient copywriter would be allotted the task of drafting engaging subject lines, considering the target audience and their buying preferences. AI algorithms have made it possible to evaluate the results of your past email marketing campaigns and improve the subject lines to generate a better open rate and click-through rate.

You can use tools like Phrasee that works on the principle of “Natural Language Processing” to craft subject lines that can grab maximum subscriber attention.

2. Personalized emails

Targeted personalization improves customer engagement rate as suggested by 74% marketers. Predictive analytics helps to create complex algorithms that ultimately enable the creation of unique emails. Through AI, marketers can understand the behavioral patterns of the customers and predict their next purchase. Subsequently, you can use this information to assign predictive scores, thereby eliminating the inconsistencies of orthodox lead scoring method.

With the help of AI, you can build groups of audience who display similar kind of behavior. These groups of predictive audiences can bring higher revenue by enhancing subscriber engagement. Marketo and Salesforce offer such tools that allow you to execute AI-powered email marketing.

3. Email retargeting

Traditionally, marketers used to send out cart abandonment emails to all the customers within the same timeline. AI gives you the liberty to retarget the customers at the right time by considering their behavior and response time. For example: Some customers may respond to a cart abandonment email sent immediately while some others might take the decision to purchase a week after the cart abandonment. AI allows you to differentiate between these customers and send the retargeting emails at an optimal time while cutting down the cart abandonment rate. Salesforce provides a feature known as Commerce Cloud Einstein that proves to be a boon for ecommerce marketers by providing access to detailed predictive insights. These insights can be used to send customized recommendations to customers.

4. Automated testing

Once used as a two-dimensional process, A/B testing has now advanced to an omnichannel hyper-targeting model with the help of which you can carry out complex testing. It lets you test a number of variables in different permutations and combinations. Bandit testing helps you automatically get a hint about what kind of traffic your versions will get. In case it is found that one of the versions is performing better, bandit testig will attempt to increase traffic to that variant and reach to a statistical significance faster.

Wrapping Up

Subject lines, copy, testing, and retargeting – these are the top four elements in which you can incorporate the magic of AI. Besides, AI also lets you reach out to the person with intelligent and more humanized automated emails. So, if you are wondering how you can take your email marketing a step ahead and beat your competitors, AI is the answer for you.

Author bio

Kevin George is Head of Marketing at Email Uplers, one of the fastest growing custom email design and coding companies, and specializes in crafting professional email templates, PSD to HTML email conversion and free responsive HTML email templates in addition to providing email automation, campaign management, and data integration & migration services. He loves gadgets, bikes, jazz and eats and breathes email marketing. He enjoys sharing his insights and thoughts on email marketing best practices on his blog.

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Mobile Apps for Families

Miley on September 29, 2020

What are some of the top mobile apps for families? We polled our editors, and here’s what we came up with.

When Tracker Apps Aren’t Creepy

Tracker apps are best used by parents to know the whereabouts of children and other family members. A family tracker app will help parents track where the kids are at any time of the day, either school or playing. All you need is your child’s smartphone; download the app and activate it to be functional. There are lots of apps in the market you can choose from, starting with basic ones and also the advanced apps that require subscriptions. Some of the best tracker apps you can find in the market include Find My Kids, Life360 Family Connector, Glympse, Sygic Family Connector, Foursquare Swarm, FamiGuard, and Safe 365.

Exercise Apps Are Fun for the Whole Family

Every family needs to stay fit and healthy. Everybody with a smartphone in the family can download an exercising app to help them stay fit. Some of these apps are free, while others cost a subscription fee. Some of the best exercising apps include Nike Training Club, Daily Workouts Fitness Trainer, Aaptiv, Zombies Run, 7-Minute Workout, Sworklt, and Daily Yoga.

Apps to Help the Whole Family Learn Stuff

If you’re planning a trip to Spain next year and you want the whole family to learn as much Spanish as possible before the trip, there’s an app for that. Want to make your brain work better? There’s an app for that, too! Want to learn to read the stars in the night sky? You guessed it; you’re going to find something in your app store. Some of the best skills improvement apps include Duolingo, Lumosity, Sky Guide, and Pocket. They can bring the family together as they present learning in a fun, reward-oriented environment. And the learning doesn’t have to stop there. Try The Human Body to teach science, Hopscotch to teach technology, Minecraft to teacheEngineering, and Mathmateer to teach your kids mathematics.

These Aren’t Necessarily for the Kids, But…

Some of the most popular mobile apps for families have practical, everyday, boring uses, like banking and insurance apps. You can find these apps on Google play store or App Store for android users and iPhone users, respectively. Some of the most popular insurance apps include Allstate Mobile, Esurance Mobile, Geico Mobile, Progressive, and State Farm. Unfortunately, not all insurance providers have a mobile app, and no insurance app will answer all of your questions, such as: Can I buy life insurance without a health exam? Is life insurance taxable? Can I even afford term life insurance? To answer those questions, you’ll want to step back into the analog world and talk to an agent via email, chat, phone, or in person.

Just for Kids Apps

While your kids might fall asleep trying to make sense of an insurance app, you might have a hard time entertaining yourself with these apps. One of the top-rated apps for children is called ABC Mouse; it is geared towards toddlers, and it teaches shapes, colors, numbers, and letters. Epic! is an e-book library for children ages 2-12; with over 35,000 children’s books, it’s a great alternative to letting your kids watch TV on their device. There are apps for children that teach the ABCs, math, geography, creativity, science, and even coding.
But the “just for kids” genre doesn’t stop there. YouTube Kids screens videos for age-appropriate content for children up to 12 years old. And there are games galore, many with educational bents. Swift Playgrounds, for example, uses puzzles and other techniques to teach children a coding language. PBS Kids Games uses entertainment to teach reading and math. Just make sure you don’t send your little ones unescorted into their device’s app store. As we have reported, children’s safety can be a concern.

Development Insights Martech SaaS

6 Ways to Convert Customers on Social Media Apps

Miley on September 29, 2020

In the old days, marketing for a small business was a relatively straightforward affair. You could choose between limited options in print, radio, and television advertising. Maybe you could also consider a billboard or banner somewhere out in the community. These strategies had existed for decades, so they felt familiar and easy.

Then the internet came along and changed everything. Suddenly, the world of advertising became incredibly complex. Now there are so many options available that it’s hard to know where to begin.

To avoid becoming overwhelmed, think of internet advertising as an opportunity rather than a burden. With social media apps, you have the ability to reach out to customers like never before. This is especially true if you utilize these platforms correctly. Take these tips into account as you exploit the wonderful opportunities out there to build your customer base.

Download the Apps and Use Them

Your social media marketing should be coherent and sustained. If all you do is throw a hodgepodge of information at potential customers, it’s unlikely that any of it will stick. Think long and hard about a marketing strategy that you can employ for months. Choose a goal and then develop a line of consistent messaging to support your objectives. This way, consumers will come to recognize your brand through the messaging they regularly encounter.

One of the best pieces of advice for any social media account manager is to download the apps, create personal accounts, follow people (and brands) who interest you, and get into the habit of spending some time on the app every day. You’ll learn a ton just by observing what other people are doing, and by having the apps on your smartphone, you’ll be more likely to use them frequently enough to learn something.

Use Hashtags to Your Advantage

Most social media platforms–whether you use the mobile app or web version–allow you to use hashtags to direct content. This is a free and easy way to reach out to certain groups of people. For example, if you’re hoping to target soccer fans during the big game, ending a tweet with “#WorldCupFinal” is a great way to target a specific audience. Mastering the hashtag game will make you a more skilled digital marketer.

Build Followers with Ad Campaigns

If you market on social media apps without choosing a specific target audience, you’re doing nothing more than blowing trumpets into the void. One of the principal benefits of social media is that it allows businesses to target the people who are most likely to be interested in their products. Instagram shows ads to people based on the types of accounts and hashtags they follow. Since Facebook users provide a lot more personal information, you can narrow down ads on that platform with incredible precision. Either way, running ads is a great way to get more followers.

Monitor the Performance of Your Ads

Social media companies allow you to track the performance of your ads. Take advantage of this service regularly. When you see that your ads are producing engagement, you’ll know that your marketing strategy is working. If your ads aren’t getting clicks for weeks on end, you’ll learn that it’s time to switch tactics. And this is a topic for a whole new article, but there are even apps to help you manage your social media ad campaigns.

Use a Chatbot on the Facebook Messenger App

The gold standard for any marketing campaign is a personal interaction with potential clients. In a perfect world, we’d all have plenty of time to chat with individuals in public parks and message people on social media. Unfortunately, this is not logistically possible. With a Facebook Messenger bot, however, you can replicate the feel of a personal conversation without actually having to be present yourself. Your bot can instantly answer questions when people contact you using Facebook’s Messenger app.

Be Persistent

Marketing on social media apps is never a “one and done” sort of game. Hardly anybody will engage with your ad the very first time they see it. It takes patience and repetition to break into the consciousness of your potential customer base. Don’t give up when social media ad campaigns fail to bring immediate results. It’s with continual campaigns and slight changes in tactics that you’ll eventually find a strategy that works.
Finally, remember that Facebook and Instagram aren’t the only social media apps out there. The marketing landscape is more diverse than ever, providing the types of opportunities advertisers used to dream of. Use the tips above to perfect your marketing on social media apps. The results will prove how successful these strategies are.

Insights Martech Products SaaS

5 Apps to Help You Make Money

Miley on September 29, 2020

There are apps for entertaining you and apps to help you be more productive. Certainly, there must be mobile apps for helping you make money… right? We decided to look, and here’s what we found:

Money App

Yes, that’s what it’s called: “Money App.” This is an Android and iOS market research app which rewards its users for completing tasks such as playing games, offering opinions, testing services, mystery shopping, using free trials, and checking store displays. Using your PayPal account, you can redeem your money after completing tasks. This app is convenient as the user can redeem their rewards and get paid within two or three working days, which is rare in market research apps that tend to pay monthly and sometimes never even pay at all. On both iTunes and Google Play, the app scores 4.8 out of 5. Quite decent for being a couch potato.

iPoll

Like Money App, iPoll is another task-based app to help you make money while you’re waiting on the bus. It’s an Android and iOS market research app that rewards its users through completing retail missions, writing down diaries (for example, your meat consumption over a week), and taking market surveys.

Once registered, you are required to input basic information like your consumer habits and preferences, to determine your availability for tasks. You are then alerted when there are new available missions based on location and preferences. This market research app is unique in the sense that it is customized so that missions and tasks given to you are suited to you and could, at times, be enjoyable. On Google Play, it is rated 3.1, and on iTunes, it is rated 4 out of 5. Users enjoy the lack of glitches selection of topics. Rewards can be redeemed as gift cards or cash, which can be acquired through PayPal.

Foap

But what if you don’t want to take surveys for pennies? Foap is an Android and iOS money-making app that allows photographers to make extra money by selling smartphone-taken photos. It is a platform for marketing and advertising agencies and brands to search and buy images from Foap’s registry.

After registering for your account, you can upload your tagged photos (high-quality). The photos’ visibility will be higher if the rating is high. The registered community is responsible for rating photos. Each image earns you $5, but a photo can get as much as $100. Some agencies and brands sometimes hand out “missions” where they require specific images or, in recent times, even videos. The app is highly rated on both Google Play, where it is rated 3.8 out of 5, and iTunes, where it is rated 4.3 out of 5.

Helium 10

But what if you already have a way to make money online? If you’re an Amazon seller, the Helium 10 Chrome extension gives you an advantage over your competitors. This powerful extension includes a profitability calculator, an ASIN grabber, a review insights tool, quick-views of inventory levels, and more. We mention it in this list because there is a streamlined mobile app version for Helium 10 subscribers. The app version provides you with charts and sales trends at a glance, deep-dive product research tools, order monitoring, and suspicious activity alerts. You can get a great understanding of what is going on with your Amazon selling business just by looking at your phone. The Helium 10 mobile app is available on both Android and iOS.

Fluid Market

Our last choice for a mobile app that helps you make money is called Fluid Market. Many people have cars that they do not use often, and other people do not have cars at all. Fluid taps into this business opportunity by allowing someone to rent out their SUV, car, pickup truck, box truck, or cargo van by the week, day, or hour. The folks at Fluid claim that renting out your truck could make you up to $24,000. Tools such as hedge hammers, saws, and drills can also be rented. It is convenient for both parties in the car rental system. Users enjoy using the app. On iTunes, it is rated 4.5 out of 5, and on Android, it is rated 3.5 out of 5.

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Top 5 Digital payment trends for 2021

Miley on September 28, 2020

In the last decade, technology has been gaining more and more influence on most aspects of our life. That includes shopping and making payments. The biggest shopping day of the year is Black Friday, and at first mention, the mind goes straight to long lines and large crowds at the mall. But, as it turns out, most buyers turn to online shopping instead of actually visiting the store.

Last year’s Black Friday broke all records when it comes to online spendings. Adobe’s analytics published that consumers spent $7.4 billion online. Yes, that’s billion with a B. And we don’t see that number going down with the pandemic and everything going on in 2020.

Because of how people handle it, and how quickly it exchanges hands, cash was always a potential vector of transmissible diseases. With COVID-19 still going on, the popularity of paper money is likely going to take a hit. What are the alternatives? If you aren’t familiar with other choices except for cash or credit card, this is the article for you. We are going to inform you about the best digital payments for 2021.

Infographic created by Clover Network, a retail POS company

EMV Chips Turn Cards Into Smart Cards

EMV stands for Europay, MasterCard, and Visa, but is most often referred to as a credit card with a smart chip. It uses the smart chip for storage of the data that is needed to process the transaction, unlike a mag stripe used by older credit cards.

EMV’s increased security is the reason more and more cards have chips nowadays. Unlike the mag stripe, which was a lot easier to clone, the chip is tamper-proof, thus making the card almost impossible to duplicate. Furthermore, EMV cards use a unique code for every payment, your bank then uses the code for the transaction, and once it’s used, it can never be used again.

Another plus for the use of EMV is the possibility of a contactless transaction. You can just tap the POS terminal, or even wave the card in front of it to make a payment. It allows you to use the card without putting in the pin. Contactless is the way to go in 2020.

You Might Be Using EChecks Already

If you went to the gym for a while, chances are, you used an electronic check without even knowing it. Most people do. Gym memberships are considered automatic payments, but in fact, they are fulfilled via eChecks.

By using eChecks, you only spend time when you agree on the terms for the first time, everything else is automatic. That’s the biggest advantage of electronic checks, significant time gets saved by both the client and the supplier, everything is done electronically. This type of online payment takes the agreed sum of money out of the payer’s account and transfers it to an overarching network, which deposits it to the payee’s account.

Have you ever thought that you’ll be able to forget about your bills and not even think about the due dates, but everything still gets paid on time? EChecks make that possible!

Home Assistants Can Do All the Work

In 2014, Amazon came up with the first smart speaker, and a few years later, Google Home and Apple presented their home assistants as well. Since then, smart speakers have been helping people with their everyday tasks. Unfortunately, most users still don’t believe in the safety of their information with home assistants, so they mostly rely on them for tasks with less risk.

Statistically, 82% of all consumers use smart speakers for seeking information, checking the weather, and making appointments, while only 28% dare to send money or make payments. The percentage is significantly lower due to security reasons most users have, but the future of smart speakers is still bright.

With big names like Amazon, Google, and Apple investing in developing safer home assistants, we can assume that the future of smart speakers is secured. Also, Business Insider estimates that the usage of virtual assistants will unquestionably grow in the next few years.

Mobile Wallets Are Convenient

A mobile wallet is exactly what it sounds like, a wallet on your phone. What better way to lower the clutter you carry around in your pockets than to combine a phone and a wallet in one thing. That’s why the number of mobile wallet users is growing consistently.

Big companies like Samsung, Apple, and Google already have their applications that are used as a wallet, so we can expect others to follow with similar apps in the future. The possibility of just tapping your phone to make a payment makes the use of a mobile wallet practical, which a lot of buyers are looking for these days. Also, the app can store your loyalty cards, credit cards, and multiple companies can work together to make the experience extra convenient for you.

Use Your Fingerprint to Make a Payment via Biometric Authentication

This way of payment makes you realize that we live in the technological future. Biometric authentication uses a person’s biological and structural characteristics to verify who is trying to make a transaction. This includes methods like fingerprint scanning, facial and iris recognition, or even heartbeat analysis or vein mapping.

The main goals of all the transactions that are being invested in currently are security and fraud protection. It’s hard to find something more secure than bio authentication, and that’s why we’ll see more of it shortly. Stats suggest that by the year 2021, more than 18 billion biometric transactions will be completed, every year.