Mobile apps have revolutionized business. Transactions have been simplified, and brands can communicate with their customers directly and in a personalized manner. If you have a business - regardless of size - pairing it with an app is something you should give serious thought to. The digital age has provided a level playing field for all brands, and standing out has become incredibly intricate. Read on for ways an app can better your service delivery and give you the edge on your competitors:

1. An app provides you with a free marketing channel

One of the most significant benefits of having a business app is the ability to communicate directly with your customers without competing for attention. Your app carries only information about your brand and product. This means that when a customer opens it, there is zero chance they are there for anything but information about your product or service. Your only job is to ensure the information you provide is relevant, useful, and, if possible, personalized.

2. Apps separate the great from the good.

Apps are everywhere these days, but don't let that fool you: most of your rivals don't even know their businesses can use an app. You can use the opportunity to leapfrog them and pull yourself closer to the market leaders. Your customers will love your innovativeness, and your brand will take on a new look of credibility and classiness.

But there is a catch to it; a bad app is worse than an absent app. If you are going to develop an app, ensure it is terrific because such a significant addition can only enhance or break your business. Get a seasoned developer to build the app for you. Goodcore is an app development company based in London with a team of experts specializing in different aspects of app development. This is the expertise and level of dedication that you need for your project.

3. A business app will increase customer engagement.

All clients need a clear communication channel with the provider of the service they are seeking. If customers can't reach you, a chunk of them will likely consider the next brand. Mobile apps enable this reach. You only need to create a section on the app where customers can interact with the support team and chat. A mobile app eliminates the need for customers to visit your website to interact with the business or get more details. 

4. It increases customer loyalty.

Customer loyalty is achieved when you keep reminding your customers that your brand exists. Then again, everyone uses the same channels to elicit commitment - banners, flyers, flashing signs, newspaper ads, roadside banners, billboards, social media, email, coupons, etc.

You cannot draw on these hackneyed means and expect to realize extraordinary results. A mobile app will help you connect with your clients in a way that makes them feel valued. Gradually, they will develop an attachment to your business and potentially turn into your brand's self-appointed ambassadors.

5. Build brand awareness

Among the crucial things an app offers to consumers is communication with and awareness of your brand. It offers a platform for regular interaction with the target market, which helps to foster loyalty and trust. Also, when a customer is frequently exposed to your brand, their buying intent increases. That's why mobile apps are considered an effective brand promotion strategy. A mobile app is one of the best tools for enhancing brand visibility. 

6. On-the-go advertising

Whether they are at a coffee shop, at work, or in a traffic jam, a mobile app allows consumers to access a user-friendly place for your business. The regular use and easy accessibility help to reinforce your brand and business, increasing the possibility of consumers making purchases.

7. Easier market research

If you have been running your business for some time, you know how market research is crucial to businesses. A business app makes it easy to conduct market research. It makes it easy to collect, analyze, and leverage consumer data. Capturing consumer insights such as consumer preferences and behavior can help you make the right decisions and focus your energy in the right place. Therefore, with a business app, your business can use data-driven marketing statistics to offer customers a personalized experience. 

8. Mobile payments

Mobile payments are a secure means of transaction, and they have been growing in popularity. Customers are not required to share any sensitive information, and thus there is no possibility of a third party accessing the information. Integrating your business app with mobile payment will make customers feel secure about their private and transaction information. 

9. Worldwide audience reach

Most people around the world access the internet through their mobile phones. There are over 4.5 billion active internet users around the world, and most of these people access the internet through their mobile phones. A business app increases your business's global reach. 

10. Value creation

A mobile app will make your services or products more trustworthy for consumers. 94% of the top 50 retailers in the United States have at least one mobile application. A mobile application also makes your business look more professional. 

11. Maximize sales and revenue

The flexibility offered by mobile apps has led to increased mobile app transactions in recent years. They offer a convenient, simple, and intuitive purchasing process, which is why most customers prefer them. This helps to improve customer experience, which positively impacts sales. 

12. Brand endorsement

A mobile app will help you create a good reputation. You see, nobody wants to buy something without reading comments and reviews from other buyers. Just like you wouldn't go anywhere without checking ticket pricing, routes, and hotels beforehand. Positive reviews by your existing customers are an effective way to attract potential customers.

Conclusion

There are many ways to upgrade your business. Creating an app, albeit relatively costly and time-consuming, is one of the most viable ones. Don't ponder it a minute longer. Develop a business app today and see your brand take on a new fast-tracked growth curve.

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Today, Wall Street Journal reports that Microsoft will make an investment in, the Android ROM developer company, Cyanogen Inc. The Redmond giant is expected to become a minority investor in a $70 million round of equity financing.

 

The latest round of funding is said to value Cyanogen Inc. in the high hundreds of millions. Spokespeople from both Microsoft and Cyanogen Inc. declined to comment on the matter.

 

Cyanogen made quite a splash a few days ago when the company's CEO Kirt McMaster told an audience in San Francisco that the company wants to take Android away from Google. The ambitious startup plans to create a version of Android, which isn't dependent on Google Play apps and services.

 

 

Source

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Reuters reports that Samsung is planning to invest the gargantuan $14.7 billion in a new chip-making factory over the next three years. That's the biggest investment the company has ever made into a single plant.

 

According to Samsung's plans, the plant is going to be built in Pyeongtaek, which is 75 km south of Seoul and create 150,000 jobs. Interestingly, the company hasn't made a final decision yet on whether the factory will create processors or memory chips.

 

 

But with Samsung estimating the new factory is going to be finished by the second half of 2017, there's a lot of time to make this decision. Rumors suggests Samsung is going to be making the upcoming Apple A9 chip, which will go into the company's future phones and tablets.

 

 

VIA

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When it comes to news on the internet, they are often based on rumors, leaks and sometimes even pure speculation. According to such an unconfirmed report by Reuters, Samsung could be considering the idea of building a manufacturing unit in the United States. The plant would be used to manufacture home appliances for the local market. Experts have cited the idea as a result of the new US President's plans to impose heavy import taxes on all products manufactured outside the country. Although Samsung has not confirmed the news, the President has already thanked Samsung for their decision on Twitter!

The tweet read, "Thank you, @Samsung! We would love to have you!"

According to The Investor, an unnamed Samsung official has expressed that the tweet puts a lot of unwarranted pressure on the company. Firstly, it gives the public an impression that the decision has already been made by Samsung. Secondly, it could be viewed as an indirect way of forcing the Korean company into building a manufacturing plant over here in the US.

It remains to be seen if Samsung really does invest more into building manufacturing plants in the US, especially since its recent semiconductor business in Texas has just received a $17 billion investment.

Saikat Kar (tech-enthusiast)

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With an Android smartphone, you can do a lot. Aside from all the usual phone calls, video messages and social media posts, you can amend documents, show presentations and stream films and music. For those who are interested in managing their money and watching it grow, there are some Android apps just for that!

 

A quick look in the Google Play Store will show a sizeable number of financial apps. Ones for the latest financial news, market data and even trading will prove valuable if you want the best possible return on your investment. When investing, there is a lot to think about, from the amount you want to invest to where you want to put your money.

 

Choosing an App

 

You need to choose the right app first. Consider when, where and how you would like to invest your hard-earned cash. When using any investment app, make sure that your bank card details are easily available. Otherwise, you won't be able to invest your money! Also, be sure that you have enough funds in your account to invest in the first place.

 

If you don't like to take too many risks, Acorns is a good starting point. This simple app allows you to invest your spare change in a safe and quick way. You can put a few cents or pence into different stocks and keep track of your money whenever you like. Any change left over from buying a coffee or pizza could be stored away in a stock of your choice.

 

Picking a Market

 

Before you invest, think about which markets are most likely to make you money. An app that has plenty of markets to choose from will give you more opportunities to explore. The Oanda fxTrade app offers over 120 currency pairs and instruments to work with, all while offering live market data.

 

To start, pick something to trade with, choose an amount of money you want to invest and then you can trade instantly. Live data and access to the latest financial news is a must for any would-be trader. If you have it on your smartphone, ready to read, you will be able to make a more informed decision on where to invest.

 

Latest News

 

If you need financial news, Feedly is a one-stop app for all kinds of stories. It pools news items from many different sources, with specific areas for business and financial stories. Not having to go between websites and apps for financial data will save investors time and give them an idea of what to put their money on.

 

For some of the more obscure markets and stocks, the Investing.com app provides data from markets all over the world. Accessing historical stats on this app will boost your decision making, as well as educate you about how different stocks work.

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"Huawei Ascend II m865" (CC BY 2.0) by Linuxbear

We now live in a mobile world, we all know that. But when it comes to choosing the right mobile medium, companies have a number of factors to consider. While many would assume that the growth of the mobile app market might cause a decrease in the number of mobile websites out there, the opposite is actually true.

According to Statista, there are now more than 1 billion apps on the market. Delving a little deeper into the stats, the Apple App Store alone saw more than 100 billion downloads as of June 2015. Interestingly, however, only a small number of those apps account for people's daily usage. As outlined by Forrester and comScore, of the top 50 mobile apps in the world, the top five are responsible for as much as 90% of all usage.

If this is the case it would seem to suggest that while app market is extremely large, it's not a completely dominant force in the mobile world. Indeed, if people are only using a fraction of the apps they download, then 2 billion smartphones must be using mobile sites at least some of the time.

The battle between mobile apps and websites is one that's raged on for the best part of a decade and while neither has every shown a clear dominance, companies often find themselves faced with a choice. Having a native app certainly gives users easier access to what you have to offer, but it can also limit your market. In contrast, mobile websites can be made available to all platforms at once, but they don't offer things like offline access and push notifications.

Universal Appeal Helps Break Down Borders

"Texting" (CC BY 2.0) by nSeika

Deciding between one or the other partly depends on the type of product or service on offer. If we look at a major mobile operator in the iGaming space, 32Red, the benefits of a mobile site are obvious.

The industry as a whole is worth more than $41 billion each year and that means millions of people around the world are now anteing up via their computers and, importantly, their smartphones. With such a broad demographic to cater for, 32Red decided to create an optimized mobile site that features everything from roulette to slots and works across the board. Indeed, different countries have different preferences as to their favourite brand of smartphone. For instance, the iPhone was the most popular smartphone in Canada back in 2014 while the Samsung brand tops sales in Germany.

32Red understood the need to offer a platform that performs equally well on Germany's most popular device and Canada's favourite phone. Thanks to the operator's mobile site, customers who normally play online roulette at 32Red can now also ante up on the go regardless of the mobile device they own without having to download an app. They just need to log in and start playing one of the 90 or so casino games available.

Offline Options Offer Hands-On Approach

"Introducing the Push Notification Servic" (CC BY 2.0) by Erik Pitti

Of course, the iGaming industry isn't simply a collection of mobile sites. It's often the case that native apps offer fewer gaming options than their browser-based peers. For example, Betway has 400+ online games but games such as Hotel of Horror form part of a 120-game mobile offering.

However, while mobile apps often offer fewer features than a mobile site, they do have the benefit of improved access and, importantly, offline capabilities. Indeed, one of the most powerful features of a mobile app that companies can exploit is push notifications.

Sticking with the iGaming industry, an operator like Caesars Casino can utilize this feature by sending users push notifications announcing a new game such as Wolf Run (a five-reel, 40-payline video slot), the latest casino bonus or the status of a withdrawal. This system is great for operators as it allows them to keep their services at the forefront of a user's mind and, importantly, gain more clicks from their calls to action.

Instead of posting an announcement online and hoping people find it, operators can put it right under someone's nose (quite literally) and that's extremely powerful. Essentially, when it comes down to it, the mobile site vs. app argument comes down a matter of acquisition vs. retention.

A Matter of Personal Preference

Mobile sites clearly have a greater reach than apps which is great for a company that wants to maintain a global presence. In contrast, a mobile app has more power to retain customers as its accessibility and ability to offer push notifications help generate more action from existing players.

As you can see, there are positives and negatives on both sides of the equation. While apps might be slicker than sites, they aren't as universal so it all comes down to the goals of the company in question as to which one they choose to invest their money in.

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