As mobile user experience plays an increasingly vital role, establishing and maintaining an online presence is more important than ever. Other than keeping everyone in the organization constantly connected, here are three significant ways dependable mobile technology gives your business a competitive edge.
It lets you implement a mobile strategy
- If you’ve never thought about implementing a mobile strategy, consider the following the data:
According to the US Census Bureau and comScore, mobile commerce took 11.6% of the total US retail sales in 2014, with business intelligence data projecting this percentage to increase to 45% by 2020. - More than 50% of smartphone users purchase products and services online.
These percentages are expected to increase as mobile devices become even more popular and advanced. Businesses that haven’t invested in a mobile strategy are losing out on opportunities to increase revenue.
If you’re implementing a mobile strategy, it should have clear objectives and be set up in the right environment. So decide whether you’re creating a mobile site, a mobile application, or both. Once you’ve set up a mobile strategy, you can start integrating other marketing efforts like linking to social media and launching online marketing campaigns that target mobile device users.
It expands your customer service channels
According to Forrester, 72% of businesses are making customer service their top priority. That means your business is up against competitors who are spending considerable resources to please their customers.
To stay competitive, expand your customer service channels to mobile-friendly platforms. This should include social media and any of the numerous mobile applications. If your business caters to a young demographic, they are most likely browsing your website using a smartphone. Should they have queries, they’re going to want to reach out using a platform that’s convenient for them, and often that means addressing their concerns via Facebook, Instagram, or WeChat.
Think about your last interaction with a company’s customer service hotline. If it involved calling a contact center that gave you a hard time before you could speak with the right personnel, then you’ll understand how frustrating it must be for your clients to have to reach your helpdesk via landline. This exemplifies an overreliance on technology at the expense of good service. Businesses are slowly moving away from this customer service model and your business can be more competitive if it offered more options.
Mobile technology reduces costs
Small enterprises should also adopt mobile technology to save time and money. Cloud-based VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol) tools help reduce telecommunication costs and increase productivity in small yet significant ways.
Applications for team communication, project management, time-tracking, customer relationship management, and payments management let your mobile employees access their work programs and files. Instant connectivity leads to increased productivity.
In today’s business environment, staff are expected to have a mobile device not just for communications, but also to carry out operations. Small enterprises may have fewer resources to invest in the latest technology, but with a variety of mobile technology solutions available nowadays, SMEs don’t have to spend a fortune.
Mobile technology is one of the most efficient and cost-effective solutions that suit the needs of small- and medium-sized enterprises. Fluid Networks collaborates with trusted voice-over-internet phone system providers and delivers only practical solutions to SMEs that need simplified Business Communication tools. Get in touch with us to discuss your mobile technology strategy.