6 Small Businesses that can Benefit from Mobile Apps
By Abhinav Girdhar | Last Updated on July 19th, 2024 12:05 pm | 4-min read
We live in a mobile world. The average smart phone users spends nearly five hours every day on their devices and 92% of this time is spent interacting with apps. Whether it’s sharing information on social media or buying tickets for a concert, more activities are occurring through apps than ever before, and small businesses need to keep up with this trend.
Benefits of Small Business Apps
Many small business owners haven’t ever considered developing an app for their business either because they believe it’s too expensive or they think it’s only for stores and restaurants. Neither of these beliefs are true. An app can boost sales of goods and services in nearly every industry as well as:- Support customer communications;
- Create a personalized client experience;
- Improve brand recognition;
- Increase client loyalty;
- Enhance marketplace visibility; and
- Differentiate your business from the competition.
Traditional and Non-Traditional Healthcare Providers
Doctors, dentists, chiropractors, massage therapists, physical therapists and more share a specific challenge: getting their patients or clients to come for their scheduled appointments. For small practices, each no-show has a significant impact on their bottom line and financial stability. With a personalized healthcare app, you can schedule appointments and send reminders with an option to reschedule if needed. With this app there are fewer missed appointments, which results in improved cash flow.Child Daycare Centers
Flyers get lost in a child’s backpack and emails go unread. As a result, little Suzie and Jimmy are crying because they can’t go on the fieldtrip since they don’t have a signed permission slip. For child daycare programs, an app is the best way to keep parents informed about what’s happening at the school and remind them of tasks they need to complete. This can include:- Initial and follow-up reminders of parent and/or child task deadlines;
- Announcements of special events, plays, award ceremonies, etc.;
- Reminders of scheduled school breaks; and
- Requests for donations, such as food, plates, etc. for a party.
Doggy Daycare Centers
Today’s pampered pooches often spend the day with their friends at daycare rather than staying home alone and destroying the couch cushions out of boredom. Apps are an effective tool to keep pet owners in the know about limited holiday hours of operations, behavioral issues their pet is displaying, and the availability of new activities, such as a wading pool in the summer. For providers that provide additional services, the app can be used to schedule grooming sessions or boarding stays. For doggy daycare programs that offer packages, such as buy 10 days of care and get one free, owners can use the app to track how many days they have left in their package. Loyalty programs can also be created and managed through a doggy daycare app.Veterinarians
Similar to human healthcare providers, veterinarians need to manage appointments, including sending reminders to the pet owners of upcoming scheduled visits. Reminder can also be sent for:- Upcoming care needs, such as vaccinations;
- Follow-up homecare plan after a procedure;
- General seasonal needs, including tick and flee treatments;
- Pet license deadlines; and
- Scheduling next physical.
Salons and Spas
Salons and spas are places that make a woman feel pampered and special. Enhance this personalized experience with an app that places them at the center of the process. Depending on the app design, guests can use it to schedule services and manage their appointments. With this app you can also send reminders about whatever services you offer, from cut and color to hot stone massage and salt cave sessions, to assure that they arrive on time. You can also use the app to:- Promote products and services;
- Promote upcoming events, i.e. mother/daughter spa day for Mother’s Day, etc.;
- Share information on time-specific sales or discounts;
- Create and manage a loyalty program; and
- Offer referral discounts.
Auto Repair and Body Shops
Similar to the other industries, great auto repair and body shop service delivery begins with scheduling an appointment. Whether the car is coming in for routine maintenance or dent removal, the owner needs to drop the vehicle off to get things started. With an app, you can:- Schedule the drop off;
- Send an estimate;
- Record the receipt and acceptance of the estimate;
- Keep the owner updated on the status of the work; and
- Inform them when the car is ready to be picked up.
Bottom Line
A mobile app delivers great benefits to a wide variety of industry businesses. Take advantage of an app to grow your customer base and deliver exceptional customer service.Related Articles
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