Why Today’s Companies Need the Right App Developers to Scale

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With everyone owning smartphone devices, mobile apps have become increasingly crucial in navigating the online space. Most consumers, especially Millennials and Gen Z, are experiencing the internet using mobile devices, making mobile apps significant in navigating the internet.

So, even though many of us can still experience the internet using our computers and laptops, mobile apps provide leverage in navigating the online space and reinforcing relationships between brands and their target markets.

Truth be told, you’re likely to interact more with your favorite brand using mobile phones than any other device. That’s because mobile devices or smartphones are portable, accessible, and cheaper to maintain than any other endpoint device.

That’s precisely why most enterprises are migrating to smartphone-oriented marketing and advertising. Today, more than ever, companies urgently seek mobile apps to strengthen and reinforce their online presence.

And this is precisely why your company needs the right mobile app developers to scale. Other reasons you need the right mobile app developer to scale are discussed below.

1. Customer Loyalty

Enterprises or brands that operate in highly competitive marketplaces need an extra advantage to scale. Enterprises in highly saturated marketplaces must inject extra effort to scale and cultivate customer loyalty.

Mobile apps offer this advantage: they help increase repeat business by improving referral rates. With a mobile app, it’s possible to cultivate customer loyalty in discrete ways. You can send referrals, you can initiate a subscription-based model whereby promotions and offers are sent to customers in real time.

Further, mobile apps offer convenient two-way communication between SMEs and their target customers. With mobile apps, it’s possible to receive customer feedback in real-time and send information or responses using the apps. This communication advantage makes mobile apps classic alternatives to traditional business-to-customer communications.

2. Revenue Windows

Traditionally, the avenues for revenues were offices and physical stores. With time, revenue windows transitioned to websites and online stores whereby businesses could scan product and service information online. However, today, accessing customers doesn’t mean door-to-door access. Rather, it means availing product and service details in a predefined workflow using a mobile app.

Mobile apps offer an incredible, yet convenient medium to access customers, whether online or offline. There are mobile apps that can function with an internet connection, and others can send notifications about promotions, product offers, and referrals offline.

So, enterprises seeking additional revenue windows are nowadays leveraging mobile apps. And that’s why you need the right mobile app developers to scale.

3. Consumer Insight

Today, getting to know your customers’ shopping habits, sketching their preference personas, and obtaining feedback is a passive task. It’s time-consuming, tedious, and has overhead costs for companies.

So, obtaining customer feedback is either disregarded or considered an explicit task by companies and brands. Luckily, with the right mobile app developers, you can collect, collate, and even leverage this big data to make informed business decisions.

The right mobile app developers enable you to design tools that will collect big data, including customer shopping habits, referral rates, personas, expectations, and pricing options. And anytime, tailor this data to suit your business needs and market expectations.

4. Customer Service

Today, more than ever, companies are using mobile apps to tailor positive customer experiences. Mobile apps enable companies to obtain meaningful data to improve customer communication and address customer disgruntlement.

With a mobile app, you can access customers’ shopping habits, build rapport, and even tailor your business practices according to customers’ expectations. Mobile apps provide a medium for reinforcing your customer service simply because you can rely on these apps to boost conversion rates and positively impact your customer relationships.

5. Brand Positioning

Today, when you launch a new product or business, you want your target customers to follow it by hearing its name and associated product line. This expectation was the same for enterprises that launched before the advent of technology.

It’s the wish of every company to build a positive brand experience seamlessly. Mobile apps satisfy this simple expectation. Companies seeking to strengthen their brand positioning are seeking new, innovative ways of doing so.

Mobile apps provide increased visibility. Everyone with a smartphone can go to the app store or play store and download your app. Previously, this was not possible. As a company, you had to pay marketing and advertising agencies thousands and sometimes millions to get this much-desired visibility.

Traditionally, companies relied on different types of referrals to gain visibility: word-of-mouth referrals, email referrals, and social media referrals. Online reviews also stood as a classic way to refer clients. Today, you can reinforce your brand positioning by simply building a responsive mobile app that answers your customers’ most pressing needs – cost, quality, price, or even convenience.

6. Convenient Shopping

A mobile app allows customers to shop and place all their products in an online cart. The right mobile app developers can help you develop an app that will answer your customers’ online shopping needs and questions.

The convenience of comparing different products in a one-stop shop, making purchases, and tracking the delivery of the purchased product is an unmatched shopping capability. Luckily, mobile apps provide this convenience.

The right mobile app developers will integrate all your product details and avail a provision for credit card billing, dispatching, and tracking the dispatched products. The right mobile app provides the convenience and accessibility needed to shop for products and services anywhere in the world.

And as a company, scaling means allowing your customers to shop wherever and whenever they want. Whether vacationing outside town, working in their offices, or just sitting at home, a mobile app can actualize all their shopping needs.

Your target customers can access their products and services in the comfort of their homes or office just with a click of a button.

7. Loyalty Programs

If you believe in the saying, ‘once a customer, always a customer,’ you’re better off with a mobile app for your company. Companies that trust in return business invest in tools and solutions that guarantee return business.

So, mobile apps provide better, more improved capabilities for return business. Retaining your target customers and giving them a reason to return is the key to creating brand loyalty and customer loyalty.

Therefore, a mobile app that facilitates and manages customer and business loyalty will help you scale beyond expectations. And enterprises that are willing to invest in a one-time solution can unlock countless possibilities.

How to Find the Right Mobile App Developer?

Finding the right mobile app developer is not an easy task. So, here’s a brief guide to identifying and seizing the right developer for the job.

  • Interest. Find a developer interested in your company and your brand, not just in mobile development. You must identify a company and a developer willing to sit down with you and map a development strategy that resonates with your business goals and expectations.
  • Portfolio. Find a developer who has credibility and reliability in their respective industry. To do this, evaluate their portfolio and identify whether they’ve worked on similar projects previously. In addition, have a look at customer testimonials and see what brands and companies say about them.
  • Design-orientedness. It’s advisable that you make the design your priority. When selecting the right mobile app developer, ensure they are app design and deployment experts. Usually, it’s important that you ask for a minimum viable product MVP which is a reflection of the actual product. Most trusted and reliable developers will offer an MVP to ascertain their ability to accomplish the job and meet the client’s expectations.
  • Relationship-centred. Remember that mobile app development is not a one-stop project. The app will need to be designed, deployed, and monitored. Your app will often need marketing and advertising to ensure it reaches the target audience. So, when selecting the right mobile app developer, choose someone you can build a relationship with.

The communication process is also a critical factor to consider when selecting your developer. Ensure that your mobile app developer has constant and reliable communication channels, including phone numbers, website chats, and email communication.

NS804 – Maestros in Mobile App Development

NS804 has cultivated a strong brand in mobile app development. NS804 provides superior mobile app development solutions tailored to your individual needs and requirements.

Contact NS804 to scale your company with a superior mobile app.

5 Problems You Can Solve with the Right Mobile App Development Strategy

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Mobile app strategy refers to deploying the right mobile app to deal with overarching business challenges. Organizations of all sizes and sophistication look at mobile apps as the next frontier of enterprise innovation. So, mobile apps are being adopted to reach a wider market, achieve customer satisfaction and retention, and of course, respond to competition.

You can solve several enterprise challenges and needs with the right mobile app development strategy. Below we look at some of the most pressing challenges you can solve with the right mobile app strategy.

1. Data collection and data analysis

Did you know that consumers are today using mobile apps to shop? Well, the young generation of consumers has quickly adopted mobile app shopping as an easy and convenient model of accessing goods and services from e-commerce stores.

So, with the right mobile app development strategy, you can zero down into this emerging segment of tech-savvy consumers. A mobile app development strategy will help you collect critical data like shopping habits, shopping patterns, likes, and interests in new product categories.

Innovative companies know that the right mobile app will help you collect incredible data sets that you can use to make informed business decisions.

2. Customer service

Customer service is a critical component of your overall business strategy. With the right customer service, you can attract and retain customers with little cost. The right mobile app strategy can help you collect consumer feedback – complaints, disgruntlement, feedback, and recommendations.

This information is critically underpinning in making the right decisions about the quality and scope of your customer service. So, with the right mobile app strategy, it’s possible to identify the most pressing customer needs and make informed decisions from this data.

 

USE OUR APP COST CALCULATOR TO ESTIMATE THE COST TO BUILD YOUR APP!

 

3. Better internal communication

Did you know that mobile apps provide not just the opportunity to boost customer service, but equally reinforce your internal communication? Mobile apps allow you to communicate directly with your customers and your workforce.

Your customer service team can directly keep in touch with customers solely through direct messages. Innovative organizations understand that the employee monitoring process is quite critical but equally complex and time-consuming.

Thus, innovative organizations are adopting mobile apps to streamline and empower internal communication. The right mobile app development strategy can help you keep in touch with your employees on the most crucial business issues – marketing, customer service, complaints, innovation, research, and development.

4. Remote working

The ability to work remotely is not a capability you can derive from just any digital resource. Investing in the right mobile app strategy helps you to create a remote workforce – because tasks and processes can be initiated and closed solely through mobile apps.

As the world moves digital with new technologies such as virtualization, it’s critical that you embrace this shift. A mobile app development strategy that recognizes the need for remote working is all you need to adopt a remote lifestyle, not just for you, but also for your workers.

5. Customer engagement

Digital enterprises understand that the secret to digital success is customer engagement. A mobile app can build unmatched capacity for customer engagement. Leverage mobile apps to constantly engage with your customers through posts, new promotions, and advertising campaigns – smoothly and seamlessly.

SCHEDULE A CONSULTATION WITH AN APP DEVELOPMENT EXPERT TO GET A CUSTOMIZED QUOTE!

NS804 – Reinforcing Your Digital Strategy and Transformation

NS804 enables enterprises to adopt a paradigm shift in digital transformation. NS804 provides superior mobile app solutions that are tailored to individual business needs.

Contact NS804 for mobile app development solutions – android, IOS apps, and hybrid apps alike.

Android Developers Richmond, VA

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The Android operating system has over 70% market share worldwide, making it a dominant force in the thriving mobile app market. Google continues to come up with exciting, feature-rich applications, driving entrepreneurs to desire a piece of the Google pie.

Today, more than ever, entrepreneurs are looking for enhanced security and scalability, and Android apps seem to be meeting this demand. Today, Android apps are the new frontier, driving sales for enterprises seeking unique and innovative solutions.

And if you’re running a business in Richmond, Virginia, you need a custom-built Android app to help you target and retain Android users. So, what do you benefit from when you contract or hire Android app developers in Richmond, Virginia?

Well, let’s take a look:

1. Higher Returns on Investment (ROI)

The Android Software Development Kit is open-source software readily available to developers. In addition, Android app development is cost-effective and budget-friendly to enterprises operating with a cost-structure model in mind.

The Android app development has four stages:

  • App design
  • App development
  • App testing
  • App deployment

In addition, the entire development cycle is cost-effective, making it easier for enterprises to attract a good return on investment. So, if you’re looking for an affordable, cost-effective mobile app development solution, you’re in the right place. Android mobile app development delivers on its promise.

2. Substitute for Bring Your Own Device

Bring Your Own Device, commonly abbreviated as BYOD, is an evolving trend in most enterprises. Most organizations are not encouraging their employees and co-workers to bring their own devices to enhance collaboration and communication in the workplace, regardless of distance.

So, with Android app developers Richmond, VA, you are guaranteed to promote collaboration across your Richmond team of workers. Android mobile app development allows your employees to collaborate on shared projects without losing touch on crucial matters.

3. Easy Customization

Did you know Android is a versatile and easy-to-customize platform with enhanced flexibility and agility? What you get with Android mobile app development is an innovative app with varied customization options. As a robust operating system, Android can integrate both simple and complex modifications, enhancing your business functionality across the board.

4. Security and Marketing

Since its inception, Google has launched many varied business-friendly features. Today, Android stands firm against its counterpart Apple, especially regarding usability and security. It’s hard for malware and other third-party viruses to locate Android’s data structures, making the OS a safe and secure enterprise application.

In addition, the Android operating system allows an automated system to send instant notifications to the end-users, keeping them updated on important issues. In addition, you can easily monetize your Android app, thanks to its already existing prevalence and reputation.

In a way, Android mobile app development gives you shared benefits – security and promotional capabilities.

NS804 – Maestro of Android Mobile App Development

NS804 serves enterprises across Richmond, Virginia, allowing these brands and businesses to take advantage of an already existing, superior application – Android. So, if you live in Richmond and you’re looking for trusted and secure Android app development solutions, look no further.

NS804 is your trusted Android Developer in Richmond, allowing you to design, develop, test, and successfully deploy your Android App.

Contact NS804 for time-to-value Android app development solutions.

3 Ways an App Can Improve Customer Retention

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Customer retention is an essential concept in marketing and refers to the ability of a company to turn new customers into frequent customers. Further, customer retention allows a company to grow the customer lifetime value of customers either by selling them more existing products or creating new innovations to suit their needs. Creating a mobile app is a great way to keep in touch with customers, build a better profile of each of them, and customize offerings. Here are specific ways apps help improve customer retention.

Push Notifications

Push notifications can improve customers’ interactions with an app by over 800%.  Notifications are great for re-engaging customers by reminding them to complete purchases. Most people do not view push notifications as intrusive and yet they are a great way to draw attention to the app. Combining loyalty rewards with push notifications can be a powerful way to keep customers coming back.

In-App Messaging Feature

An in-app messaging feature is a powerful way to provide timely information to customers without them having to leave the platform. A sales representative for instance, can help a customer make a decision on the right subscription service or product within the platform. It’s a low-cost feature that makes a great difference because customers feel like they can access information when they need to.

Email Campaign for Customer Retention

Apps are a great tool in an age where marketing has become hyper-focused on individual customers. By fine-tuning marketing messaging, businesses are able to realize a greater return on marketing spending. Apps allow companies to track individual customer browsing trends. This together with demographic information, past purchase history, and other relevant information builds customer profiles. The company can then send personalized emails to customers. For instance, customers can be nudged with an offer when they fail to renew a subscription. Loyal customers can receive rewards while those on a low-tier subscription can be enticed to upgrade.

Apps are indeed a powerful tool when aiming to increase customer retention. At NS804, we specialize in delivering truly world-class mobile business apps that will maximize business ROI. Reach out to us today for a conversation about your app.

App Performance: How To Tell If Your App Is Succeeding

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If you’re not continuously monitoring app performance, you won’t have a clear picture of app quality and success. And that means you won’t know if your app meets or exceeds user expectations. Moreover, you can’t correctly evaluate your app since you’re not measuring its key performance indicators (KPIs).

So, what should you do to ensure you know everything about your app that matters? And more importantly, how do you do so without hurting your brand? After all, there’s nothing worse than releasing an app — even as a beta for testing purposes — that delivers a shoddy user experience. 

Read on as we’re about to reveal the steps you need to take to monitor app performance — the right way!

1. Implement App Performance Metrics For App Quality

First and foremost, you need to know if your app runs flawlessly or is a buggy mess that upsets users. Thus, you’ll need to implement the following app performance metrics that will furnish you with reports in real-time:

  • Crash analytics – To help you identify when and why app crashes happen
  • Performance – Collect data related to load speeds, device configurations, operating systems, and screen resolutions
  • In-app feedback and ticketing – An effective way to gain feedback and respond to app issues without hurting your brand
  • Testing – Use an SDK such as Firebase to build and test apps across multiple devices and platforms 

2. Measure KPIs That Determine App Success

You’ll also need to know how well your app is performing in the app stores. And there’s quite a bit of data that you’ll need to collect and analyze, such as follows:

  • Number of downloads – This is one of the most important KPIs and helps determine app growth or stagnation
  • Reviews and ratings – Positive reviews and ratings bolster downloads as users often look at these first before trying out an app 
  • Track active users – It’s crucial to know how many users continue using your app after they download it from the store
  • The average duration of user interaction – User engagement directly correlates with higher usage times
  • The frequency of user sessions – This is another important metric that determines user engagement
  • Retention rate – This metric helps determine whether or not users remain interested in your app
  • Churn rate – Another important metric that indicates how many users leave an app

3. Mobile Game Considerations

All app performance metrics discussed above also apply to mobile games. Given the viral nature of mobile games, it’s also crucial to measure the K factor. So, what is the K factor, and how does it impact a mobile game? In a nutshell, the K factor refers to the number of users that talk about your game and recommend it to others.

An easy way to work out the K factor is with this simple formula (i = average number of invitations sent by a user, and c = conversation rate of those invited): 

k-factor = i*c

In Conclusion

Always implement app performance metrics, as these will help you gain a 360-degree view of your app. The more data you collect about your app’s performance and how users interact with it, the better informed you’ll be to make the right changes — and when they’re necessary. Contact NS804 to learn how we’ll help you create phenomenal apps that truly succeed! 

6 Tips for a Better UX/UI Design

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Your application, whether a web application or a mobile app, gives your clients and users the first impression of your product or company. Emerging evidence shows that well-designed UI and UX can drive your sales and conversion rate by double. So, you must ensure that your application is attractive and user-friendly.

It is important to note that the user interface (UI) is not the same as the user experience (UX). User interface (UI) focuses on the platform or interface that the user interacts with. UX, on the other hand, is the overall aspect of the application. It is the emotional experience of the user after interacting with your application.

The overall goal of UI/ UX design is to ensure that it is efficient, easy, and smooth for users to interact with your web or app.

Here Are Some Tips For A Better UI/ UX Design:

1. Know your users

You cannot go blindly into designing the UI/UX of your website. You need to identify who the target audience is and what their needs are. So, to design a product that will entice your users, the first step is user research. Having an idea of what your users need will help you to design a better UI/UX for your product. Keep your user needs in mind when designing.

2. Keep things simple

Your website or application should not require a map or a navigation guide. Simplicity in UI/UX design means making it easy for your users to interact with the product (content, images) captured in your application. You can guide your users using some features such as icons, showing tapping, and hovering. Make everything simple and clear.

3. Accessibility and functionality

As a UI/UX designer, do not just focus on aesthetics and forget some important aspects such as functionality and accessibility. Yes, looks are important but pointless if your users cannot comfortably use your platform. Strive to ensure that every element in your design functions properly and icons are easily accessible.

4. Offer feedback

Imagine clicking or pressing an action button, let’s say, ‘buy now’ or ‘send in an app’ but you don’t get an update. You’re just left there guessing that the process went on smoothly. Frustrating, right? As a designer, it is your responsibility to ensure that you update your users, and offer timely visual feedback.

If a submission has been sent successfully, tell the user that the submission was successful. If an order has been made, update the user’s cart. If something is loading, show the user that it is loading. This way your users know exactly where they are in your app. Don’t underestimate the power of these simple messages when designing UI/UX.

5. Prototype before you implement

Can you imagine designing everything and then realizing it doesn’t work as you expected? To avoid this, you should create a model of the product you’re designing and test it. This process is known as prototyping. You can easily and comfortably fix the errors before you design the real product.

6. User testing

Remember that you’re not designing for yourself. So, you must ensure that you get real users to test your design. Don’t assume that users are like you and will have a similar experience as you when interacting with your interface.

The target users come from different backgrounds and have different beliefs and mindsets. That’s why you should test your app with users who are not your relatives and friends. As a result, you’ll get honest opinions about their experience.

These few tips alongside what you already know will help you improve your UI/UX design. Most importantly, don’t be afraid to make mistakes. Even the best of us do. It is the only way to learn!

NS804 – Streamlining Your UX and UI Design!

NS804 is a trusted provider of superior mobile app design and development solutions. At NS804, we help individual businesses and large corporations design functional and responsive mobile apps – from inception to completion.

Contact NS804 to know exactly how you can achieve superior UX and UI design.

 

What Can Your App Metrics Tell You About Your Customers?

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App metrics will help you succeed as an appreneur or even as an enterprise releasing one or more apps. After all, it’s never a good idea to push out an app without monitoring its key performance indicators (KPIs). And that’s because you’ll be missing out on crucial information that impacts your app in its entirety.

Just think for a minute that you’ve spent a lot of time and money on a food ordering app. Many users download it, but you receive very few orders. Having failed to add mobile app metrics, you’re left bewildered as to why this occurs. To top it off, you’re left guessing about what needs to improve, apart from a few negative user reviews.

The hard truth is that you should never have to guess what’s wrong with your app. Instead, you should know how it performs during its entire lifecycle. And app metrics will also help you learn more about your customers, which we’ll discuss in more detail below.

Learn More About Customer Device Specs

You should add metrics that monitor your app’s performance and user experience (UX) from the get-go. But why is this so important when your app runs fine on your test devices? Your test devices only offer a limited view due to the massive variety of devices available, especially in the Android space. It’s a technical impossibility to test your app on the thousands of different Android smartphones, tablets, and TVs that your users may own.

However, your mobile app metrics will let you know how your application performs after the user installs it. You’ll gain access to valuable data, such as the user’s device operating system (OS), screen resolution, load times, and crash reports. Moreover, you’ll have a granular view of this data to allow you to pinpoint issues and fix them. Occasionally, you may detect these issues before most of your users do.

Mobile App Metrics Reveal Customer Engagement KPIs

Is your app engaging users, or are they uninstalling it in droves? Believe it or not, that’s one of the most important questions you should be asking. But it’s also one that you should be getting answers for immediately. And that’s because engagement rates directly impact your app’s revenue, so never leave this to chance.

Your customer engagement KPIs should reveal the following: average number of screens per visit, session length, stickiness ratio, retention rate, and churn rate. Furthermore, you should have detailed data on daily, weekly, and monthly engagement per active user. 

Monitor Customer Spending Habits

Your app’s supposed to make you money, so you need to know if your customers are actually making purchases. Also, integrate the necessary application programming interfaces (APIs) to facilitate and monitor all payment methods. Nowadays, users like to make payments using Apple Pay, Google Pay, PayPal — and several other payment services.

But what customer revenue metrics should you monitor? You’ll need to look at the following: average revenue per user (ARPU), number of purchases, time to first purchase, customer lifetime value (CLV), conversion rate, and cost per install (CPI).

In Conclusion

Mobile app metrics, when properly implemented, reveal much about your customers. And the data you collect and analyze will help you to pinpoint issues that impact your app negatively. Thus, allowing you to make fixes and roll out updates that actually make sense. Contact NS804 today to learn how we’ll help you integrate app metrics to unlock the true potential of your applications!

App Commerce Trends of the Future

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The mobile app industry is thriving due to the high uptake of smartphone technology. The increased consumption of smartphone devices alongside higher internet penetration rates leads to a corresponding growth in mobile apps.

According to published statistics, there are 6.3 billion smartphone users globally. And if you factor in the 1.14 billion tablet users globally which are growing exponentially at a rate of 26%, you realize just how reputable and promising the mobile app market is.

In 2022 alone e-commerce sales are slated to exceed $430 billion. The e-commerce sector is growing as retailers respond to consumers’ increased uptake of smartphone devices and mobile apps.

So, retailers that want to maintain a competitive advantage must watch out for new trends that will define and shape the mobile app landscape.

Let’s take a look at some app commerce trends of the future.

1. Shopping via mobile apps

Credible statistics show that 72% of e-commerce sales happen on mobile devices, with 85% of customers opting for mobile apps for their day-to-day shopping. Evidence has shown that the continued adoption and the rising preference for mobile app shopping are due to the speed these apps function. Already, consumers are finding mobile apps speedier, agile, robust, and ultimately convenient.

2. One-click purchasing

One-click is a term first postulated by the world’s leading retail giant Amazon to mean ‘making all purchases with one click. One-click purchasing allows consumers to buy all products from a store without necessarily having to key in their personal or purchasing information.

You only have to click and all information keyed in including:

  • Billing address
  • Shipping address
  • Credit card number
  • Email address
  • Card verification number
  • Customer name

Retail outlets that use one-click purchase options allow customers to complete all purchases using data from previous purchases. So, you don’t have to key in all the personal and credit card information anytime you make a purchase.

Point to note: Although the one-click app commerce trend is a convenient option with many benefits, the biggest question is security. Consumers must remember that the one-click drift relies on an intermediary getaway payment system.

This intermediary getaway is PCI-certified, so your information is safe and secure. So, you don’t have to worry because there are sufficient security configurations to protect your personal and credit card information.

3. Social commerce

Customers are converging on social networking channels now more than ever before. Your customers, too, are always on social media – Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, LinkedIn, and many more. So, it’s easier for your product (or service) to catch their eyes on social media sites than on your website.

One of 2022 leading mobile commerce trends is using social media for mobile commerce. Brands and businesses are increasingly converting their social media following into actual sales by reinventing how they communicate to this social audience.

While many e-commerce enterprises have tried and succeeded, most enterprises find that converting social traffic into product sales is a conundrum. Navigating from a social media conversation or post to product sales appears an uphill task that requires remediation processes.

Luckily, the social commerce trend has come to solve this challenge.

4. Augmented reality

Augmented reality is one of the latest kids on the block in technology and user experience. Augmented reality continues to elevate the mobile commerce market by giving it a complete sensory experience.

Augmented reality allows users or viewers to virtually try on, personalize, and even fit products at the convenience of their homes or offices. In addition, consumers can augment the real world using real products while seated back at home.

The four key strategic benefits of augmented reality in shaping app commerce include:

  • Unique customer experiences. The first benefit of augmented reality in transforming mobile commerce is that it provides the best customer experience by blending both the physical and virtual worlds.
  • Eliminates cognitive overload. Have you ever tried repairing something by referring to a manual? Well, the process can be tedious and mind-boggling, especially considering that you have to refer to technical drawings or specifications to arrive at the desired outcome. Augmented reality presents information in easy-to-process digital snippets, sparing the user from processing complex pieces of information or data.
  • Heightens user engagement. When augmented reality first became popular, it was confined to gaming and entertainment. However, today, augmented reality has extended its use to many other applications that add tangible business value.
  • Competitive differentiation. It’s critical to differentiate yourself in a market where every seller offers the same products or a homogenous line of products at the same price band. Augmented reality lets mobile apps set themselves apart with creative campaigns and attractive snippets. The 360-degree visual and sensory experience offered by augmented reality sets most apps aside from their competitors.

There’s no denying that recent developments have revealed something exciting about us as humans. As a human race, we spend more time immersing ourselves in screens.

And so with time, our realities become deeply integrated or ingrained with digital experiences. Indeed, we tend to see a product as superior or inferior based on its ability to indulge or conform to our digital experiences.

As a result, building your app by considering this aspect of human nature may help you achieve the desired results, especially when embedding augmented reality in your m-commerce app.

5. M-Commerce

Aside from e-commerce, there’s a corresponding growth in m-commerce. M-commerce refers to buying using smartphone or tablet devices. M-commerce has grown because of the growth and uptake of smartphone devices or endpoints.

As a result, with 6.3 billion smartphone users globally, it’s now possible to understand why mobile commerce is the new frontier in a world with a web of heavily interconnected endpoints – mobile phones, laptops, tablets, computers, and even wearables.

6. Voice shopping

Voice apps like Alexa and Siri have been growing over the last decade, thanks to massive improvements in artificial intelligence and machine learning. In addition, how voice search is used and applied in different contexts has changed drastically.

Today, home appliances are utilizing voice search in day-to-day tasks like changing channels using remotes, switching lights, and controlling entry points like gates, doors, and entrances.

People also use voice search to check weather conditions and to tell their audio systems to stream music.

However, today, voice search has gradually penetrated the e-commerce market. Indeed, credible research shows that the voice market is expected to reach $40 billion by 2023, up from $2 billion less than half a decade ago. This growth represents a 1000% increase in just four years.

So, it’s possible to see that voice search and personalization, in general, are critical trends in the mobile commerce market.

7. Mobile chatbots

Chatbots have existed for decades. And perhaps you’ve ever interacted with a chatbot at some point in your life. In fact, we are already interacting with chatbots anytime we order from our favorite restaurants or even speak with an agent for a TV or cable company.

And while chatbots have become a common scenario in our day-to-day lives, these bots have not fully penetrated the mobile commerce market. However, this is likely to change in 2022 and beyond.

Just think about all the benefits of chatbots. Imagine if you can integrate chatbots with mobile apps to help improve the customers’ shopping experience.

So, in 2022, e-commerce stores will be embedding chatbot features in smartphone apps. This new trend will revolutionize e-commerce, making bots the center of focus in consumer interactions and customer support in general.

NS804 – Futuristic Approach to Mobile App Commerce

NS804 is a leading provider of mobile app solutions. NS804 provides mobile app design and development solutions – from inception to completion.

Today, NS804 believes that the mobile commerce market is changing, and businesses must adopt new trends in app adoption and use.

So, at NS804, we believe the best way for businesses and brands to grow and evolve is by adopting a futuristic mindset to app commerce.

Contact NS804 for mobile app design and development solutions.

 

10 Reasons Why Your Restaurant Needs a Mobile App

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The ability to view, click, and order is on the rise. The ‘click’ trend is slowly taking a toll on almost every enterprise – from retailers to hoteliers. Today, restaurants are looking for ways to differentiate themselves, thanks to new mobile capabilities like online ordering and delivery.

The hotel industry has experienced a boom over the last decade due to a corresponding growth and uptake of technology. For instance, mobile apps are helping restaurants grow their brands in almost unimaginable ways.

In addition, e-commerce capabilities enable hotels to access fresh produce, thus powering up vital operations in traditional hotels and restaurants – from sourcing products to delivering them to consumers.

Reasons Your Restaurant Needs an App

So, whether running a small food kiosk at the corner of a busy city or handling multiple hotel chains across different geographies, having an app is mandatory.

So, here are ten reasons your restaurant needs a mobile app.

1. Online slot reservation

Today, mobile apps connect clients to their desired restaurants and provide adequate information to make a reservation. Restaurants are leveraging online forms to enable clients and customers to make reservation requests.

In addition, smartphone apps allow your customers to book reservations and identify whether there’s a slot or not. So, instead of traveling miles only to miss a seat, restaurants can inform potential guests of any available seats.

2. Digital menu card

Do you know that most customers wouldn’t mind accessing the menu digitally, especially when it’s easily accessible and with a good interface? Well, if you don’t know, consider making your digital menu card as appealing and attractive as possible.

Today, most restaurants (like Foodlitter) allow customers to place orders using digital menu cards. This capability enables users to make their orders online without much hassle and with just a few clicks on their phones.

Digital menu cards provide end-users with immense accessibility and a convenient experience. And while many restaurants have menus in their mobile apps, few have digital menus uploaded to these apps.

So, your restaurant needs a mobile app to enable digital menu capabilities.

3. Ordering online

Mobile apps are indispensable for restaurants that offer online ordering and online delivery options. For instance, fast-food chains like Mcdonald’s, Subway, Wendy’s, Taco Bell, and Checkers provide online ordering capabilities, filling hunger bites when they occur.

What mobile apps do is that they eliminate the role of mediator in booking orders and online reservations. So, you can directly go to your app and place an order. And immediately, you’ll receive a call confirming your order details and delivery information – location, address, phone number, recipient(s), and more.

4. Location-based deals

The location-based feature is a relatively new app feature but incredibly satisfying to restaurants that want to close fast deals.

For instance, Apple’s iBeacon uses this particular feature. This feature sends a push notification to a customer near your restaurant.

With this feature, you can tempt your customers by offering unbeatable deals on mouth-watering delicacies they can’t refuse.

5. Customer-friendliness

Perhaps the leading reason behind the adoption of mobile apps is that mobile apps are customer-friendly. Mobile apps offer a superior customer experience making apps a darling to many people.

Online ordering has enabled most restaurants to handle their peak hours efficiently. Online ordering reduces the pressure and queue, assisting restaurants with orders even when customers are seated at home or in offices.

And thanks to online ordering, most people nowadays can avoid the pain of standing in long queues waiting for meals. And with the option of ordering their meals online, they can easily order meals when they’re in traffic or when picking up their children from school.

So, there’s no denying that the customer-friendly nature of mobile apps in online ordering has been a feat to its adoption.

6. Customer outreach

Mobile apps provide ways to connect to new customers. By using mobile apps, restaurants can advise their offerings and reach out to new and existing customers.

And while there’s no proven way to connect to customers, you can always use mobile apps because they’re cheap, customized to customer needs, and less spammy. Mobile apps offer soft push notifications that don’t appear as a bother to consumers.

So, mobile apps remain indispensable in creating targeted communication with customers.

7. Brand positioning

You cannot undermine the power of apps in building a compelling brand image. Mobile apps exist on consumer devices, are easily accessible, and can be customized to address consumer needs using purchase patterns, purchasing behavior, and other operative metrics.

So, restaurants are slowly understanding the potential of mobile apps in building a good brand and image. Mobile apps act as your restaurant’s beacon outside. For instance, if a customer is not ordering directly from your restaurant but has your app installed, they can receive push notifications which ultimately build your brand.

8. Social media presence

No matter what sector your business operates in, it’s critical to have your presence on social channels such as Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, and WhatsApp.

Declaring your presence in social channels is one way of going with the trends and ensuring you gain a competitive advantage. And provided you give it an effective online marketing campaign, your social media presence will surely attract a large following.

So, restaurants use mobile apps to strengthen their social media presence. Mobile apps can be integrated with social channels and portfolios, reinforcing a brand’s overall digital strategy.

9. Online promotions

There’s no denying that mobile apps have helped restaurants improve their online promotion approaches in numerous ways. For instance, through online promotion programs like ‘check-in’ features, clients or consumers can notify their friends and family about specific restaurants they’re dining in.

The check-in promotion feature helps friends, family, and workmates connect and meet in specific restaurants or locations.

So, if you’re running a restaurant and considering a mobile app, ensure it encompasses the ‘check-in’ feature to enable your restaurant’s clientele to tag in their friends and allies anytime they wish.

You can also use mobile app push notifications to notify customers about new offers and specials. That helps to improve your communication and ultimately increases your chances of improving your ROI on specials.

So, restaurants are now using mobile apps as leverage to improve the return on investment, especially on special treats.

10. Loyalty programs

Loyalty programs provide a win-win situation for the business and the customer. The programs help restaurants target and retain new customers while extending value to clients.

According to a study, 86% of consumers are likely to purchase from you if you provide discounts or offers periodically. To do this, you can give your clients discounts on every 10th or 5th visit, which will help enhance retention.

NS804 – Transforming Your Restaurant’s Digital Posture with an App!

NS804 is a trusted provider of superior and quality mobile apps. We have helped businesses across various sectors – hotels, restaurants, banks, insurance, healthcare, and education – design the best apps that answer their clients’ questions.

At NS804, we can help you identify your restaurant’s needs and design an app that best answers your clients’ questions.

So, do you own a restaurant, and would you like to transform its operations using a mobile app? Well, don’t worry, we have a solution for you!

Contact NS804 for mobile app development solutions – whether you’re running a restaurant or planning to own one.

How Do Free Apps Make Money

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The mobile app market is highly lucrative. In 2021, the mobile app market was estimated to be worth $187.58 billion and is projected to reach $207.53 billion by 2022. According to PRNewswire, the mobile app market witnessed year-over-year growth of 20.45% in 2021 – a clear indication of its potential as an industry.

So, the mobile app market is a productive and high-income sector worth considering. Today, more than ever, people are turning to mobile apps for almost everything – shopping, communicating, gaming, social interactions, chatting, and even trading.

But how do these apps make money given that 97% of Google Android apps were downloaded for free in July 2022? How do free apps make money if most people download these apps for free?

Freemium vs. Free Trial Apps

The free app market is broadly segmented into freemium apps and free trial apps. Freemium apps allow users to access an assorted list of features for free, but the free trial apps let users interact and access the full functionality of all apps for a limited period.

According to reports, freemium apps have an app conversion rate of 30% while free trial apps may attract up to 50% conversion rates. Either way, these apps end up making handsome incomes for their developers and even founders.

So, here’s how publishers monetize free apps.

1. Paid ads

Interestingly, paid ads are among the leading income-generation strategies today. The same is true for most things, including mobile apps. Free mobile apps leverage paid ads in the following ways:

  • CPM – The app developer is paid a certain amount of money for app impressions
  • CPC – Revenue is generated based on the number of clicks achieved in an ad
  • CPV – Revenue is determined by the number of views per app user
  • CPA – This revenue is gained when users directly install the app on their devices or when they purchase products or services directly using links attached or embedded in the app.

So, it’s advisable to subscribe to some paid ads if you’re not charging your app users. However, always remember that when you take the advertising route, you don’t downplay the user experience with excessive ads.

Excessive ads may greatly impair the user experience, thus being counterproductive to your app monetization strategy.

2. Subscriptions

Subscription is the most cost-effective and straightforward way of monetizing an app. Think of any free app, do you pay to access additional features or do you access all features for a limited period? Either way, you end up wanting to pay for a subscription.

An obvious and straightforward approach by app publishers is to give the apps free of charge and then charge subscriptions for users to continue using the service. That means you only get to access the app’s full functionality after you’ve secured a paid subscription.

Tinder, Disney, Pandora, Netflix, Hulu, Twitch, ESPN, and HBO Max are some of the most popular paid app subscriptions globally.

3. Direct selling

Selling merchandise is a proven way of monetizing your app. Most app publishers build or design free versions to sell products such as clothing, apparel, toys, and accessories.

Most of these products are sold through email marketing or sold directly using the app. So, if you’re considering an innovative way to push your new clothing or toy brand, look no further, a free app can be a hidden ingredient to a potent cocktail.

Contact NS804 for inquiries on app costs and app development solutions.