A big problem that so many businesses face is staying on top of what is new in the niche. But just because something is hard does not mean it’s not possible. Generating new ideas often comes after a good hard look at what’s on the horizon. An easy and effective way to do this is with a close examination of what is trending in your business’ market.
Those of us in the mobile business face great challenges when it comes to following trends because technology is changing so fast. As soon as one idea becomes popular, it is quickly washed away — only to be replaced by something newer, faster, smaller, and more portable. That is unless you dig deep and find what is on the horizon.
Here are six eye-opening mobile trends for 2016. By looking at them, you can help yourself think through your next mobile venture.
Keep Your Eye on These 6 Mobile Trends in 2016
Invest in Smart Phone App Development
Smart phones will soon be to future generations what rotary phones were to the “Happy Days” generation, and the numbers support this growth. This means that the demand for applications for these phones will be on the rise.
Investing in smart phone app development will certainly yield profit. In fact, Android’s market grew 65 percent in 2015.
Whether you are considering investing in an app for your business or you are tossing around the idea of starting a white label app development company of your own, you are certain to generate some income and stay current with the market trends.
Knowing How to Use Data Driven Decisions is the Key to Marketing
If your business is not using data to make decisions, it’s a good bet that you are close to (if not already) a failed venture. You have to use data as the backbone of your decisions — especially if you are in the mobile industry.
Data acquisition in 2016 isn’t the challenge that it was years ago. It has become much easier to collect and much easier to sort. If you want numbers, you can get your hands on just about any type of numbers you want. The key is what you do with those numbers.
Your goal should be to use the data to make connections with potential clients. So what if you know that Mrs. Smith visited Store XYZ seven times in the past month on her mobile device. The trick is finding out how Mrs. Smith’s visits to store XYZ can help your mobile business.
The first step in the puzzle is assuring that your IT department and your marketing department has clear lines of communication. A solid plan for sharing the information is the first step to utilizing the data you collect.
From there, you need a good team that can actually interpret the data. Ultimately, your goal in any mobile venture is to find a way to simplify the lives of users. Your team of data analysts needs to be able to interpret the data and supply it to your marketing department.
After your marketing department is given numbers and statistics that are easy to understand, it needs to take creative and innovative risks based on the numbers. The more you learn about mobile users and their patterns of use, the easier it will be to simplify their lives.
Of course, there are always going to be people who are just able to follow their gut when it comes to innovation and creative thinking. If you have one of those guys on your team — you know the type, anything he touches turns to gold — don’t dismiss him.
But for the most effective and practical solutions, look at the data and invest in a team that can interpret the numbers to mean something beneficial to your mobile business.
Say What You Need to Say — 2016 Technology Has Your Back
Don’t hold back what’s on your mind. In fact, in the near future, you will be able to speak it right to your computer. The best part — it will understand you. Many of the industries biggest and brightest are battling with young and innovative start-ups to see who will figure out the best and most effective way to use voice computer interfaces.
Most computers come equipped with some type of voice recognition software, but as we journey into the future, these software applications will become much more innovative, which will allow computers to become even more involved in our day to day routines.
Your desktop is not the only form of technology that is listening to what you have to say. Most mobile devices are already equipped with some sort of voice recognition. Mobile devices are also jumping on board to develop voice recognition apps. Companies across the globe are looking to develop the most responsive voice apps to stay abreast of the changing trends in the mobile market.
While we are not reaching “Jetsons” status just yet, there are several companies breaking ground in this niche, and it is certainly something to pay close mind to.
“Push” Those Ads — It’s the New way to Spread the Word
Push notifications are a great way to get information into the hands of your customers, and the numbers support it. First of all, 2/3 of the population owns a smart phone. And that 66 percent of people check their phones approximately 46 times per day.
That means that you have 46 opportunities EVERY. SINGLE. DAY. to send push notifications to people who chose to download your app.
With modern technology, you can use radiused and geofenced push notifications to offer promotions to consumers when they are near your stores. To top off the benefits of the push, the best part is there are character limits, so you can say what you need to say in a short and sweet notice. There’s no need for elaborate and creative copy.
SMS Marketing is the New Social Media
The social media craze has made its mark in advertising — there’s not doubt there. You have to have a strong social media presence so your customers can engage with your brand. They virtually do the legwork for you by sharing what you have to say. But, it’s time to look past social media. You need to look for even faster and more personalized ways to reach people.
In the past, this was called telemarketing. Today, telemarketing is a good way to upset people and get called a name or two. But, this is largely because people are engaging less and less in phone conversations and more and more in text communication.
Phone calls are a thing of the past. Heck, you don’t even need to call to order a pizza or make a hotel reservation anymore, you can just text your request. In fact, the research shows that 73 percent of people text. Of those 73 percent of people, 55 percent of them send over 50 text messages each day. As SMS messaging becomes the preferred means of communications, it makes sense to use it to advertise.
SMS marketing lets your customers engage with your brand on a personal level. In fact, app developers are making messaging platforms that are starting to rival the built-in texting applications that come with phones. Products such as Handcent, Chomp, and Hoverchat, are dominating the Android market.
What this means to you is that you virtually have a direct line to your consumers pockets. You can tell them everything they want to know about your product.
Let Millennials and Generation Z Guide Your Thinking
Gone are the days of, “If you will build it they will come.” Today, app developers have to build apps to simplify the lives of their users. Simply put, this means that you need to look at the subsets of consumers who have technology needs that need met. Enter Millennials and Generation Z users.
These guys are the ones who are filling the social media feeds with their thoughts, and they are the ones advertising their every move online — and they are doing it from their smartphones.
This means opportunity for you. What are they talking about? What do they need? These kids put it all out there. Use this to your advantage. Find out what they need based on what they are saying, then build it.
Conclusion
If you want to compete in the mobile industry, you have to do your homework. This means looking at the past and learning what has worked, and what has failed. It also means looking at the data and trying to predict what is needed in the future.
By paying close mind to what’s trending in the industry, you can set yourself up for a successful mobile venture. These six eye-opening trends should get your wheels spinning. Look to apply them to what you know about the business and with some hard work, you can develop the next must have app in the store.
Using Smartphone Photo via Shutterstock
[“source-smallbiztrends”]
