Ensure the Launch of Your App Is a Success with These Marketing Tips

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A lot of people spend around six months building an app, yet they don’t even spend five per cent of this time planning the app’s launch. If you don’t spend a lot of time and effort planning the launch and your marketing efforts, your app is going to fall flat, and all of your hard work will have been pretty much wasted. So, with that being said, read on to discover some tips you can use to launch your app successfully…

Before the app goes live, use promo codes – One technique that is not used as regularly as it should be is the sharing of promo codes for an application that is not yet live, but has been improved. This enables you to invite your target audience to look at the final, app store version of your application before it has become available to anyone else. This strategy is successful because it enables press contracts especially to review the application should they want to do a piece on it before the formal launch.

Have a support system ready to go – A lot of app creators do not think about the customer support aspect of marketing. This is a massive error. While you should not just help your users because you deem it a marketing activity, you will give yourself a big marketing boost if you provide outstanding customer service, and so it does go hand in hand.

Make the most of app short links – There will be a number of vital links that you will need to share on social media and send contacts. All links are going to be very long, aside from the one for your website itself. This is why you should use a service like Bit.ly or Branch.io, the latter of which is more app-centric, to shorten and clean up your links.

Put together an app press kit – An app press kit is recommended because it makes it a lot easier for anyone to write about your application. At a minimum, this kit should include app store links, the app store description, app icon, and app store screenshots.

Use a professional service – Last but not least, if you are worried about launching your app and you do not have any experience in marketing, why not use the services of a digital marketing agency? This is a great way to benefit from the peace of mind that your app is going to be launched successfully and that effective marketing methods will be used. Not only this, but analytics will help you to understand improvements that can be made going forward.

So there you have it: some useful tips on how to make sure the launch of your app is a success. You can build the most exciting app to have ever hit the Google Play Store or the iStore, but if you do not market it properly, what’s the point?

Non-Verbal Customer Communication: It’s More Important Than You Think

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When we think about communicating with customers, our focus is usually on establishing the right things to say. However, as any communications expert will tell you, there is far more to getting your message across than just words. According to lots of different studies, non-verbal communication is a lot more important than you might think – in fact, it represents up to 50 percent of the message you are trying to get across.

Some of this non-verbal communication is obvious, of course. We all know that talking to a customer with a smile on your face is a lot more effective than doing it while looking at the floor or slouched behind a desk with your feet up. However, there are a lot more aspects of non-verbal communication that are incredibly subtle, and if you don’t know what to look for, you could be giving off the wrong signs. Let’s take a look at everything you need to know.

Appearance counts

How you look and what you wear is a lot more important than you can imagine. Simply put, if you aren’t dressing properly with clothes that are in excellent condition and smart, you will lose custom. Make sure your employees are aware of the impact of how they dress, and also that they have good hygiene habits!

Your business appearance counts, too

But it’s not just your appearance that counts. It’s also the cleanliness of your vehicle or the state of your store. If customers come into spend money with you, they want to see a clean environment. You need to take care of tidiness and ensure that your business premises are free from dirt and mess. Good ventilation, concern for excessive environmental noise – it’s all important and has an impact on your customer’s opinion of your business.

Make it easy

Not all customers want to have a chat with your employees. For example, shoppers who come into your store on a lunch break may just want to pop in, make a purchase and leave as quickly as possible, not get drawn into the finer points of your industry. So, it’s vital that you communicate well with these people, too. Signage plays an important role here, so consider using visual cues – not just text but images, for instance. Hang displays from ceiling magnets, defining each area of your premises. Guide your customers with arrow symbols. And make it easy for them to get what they need without talking.

The importance of eye contact

Finally, as humans, we talk to each other face to face. We do this because it is a better way of establishing intent and, therefore, trust.  For example, if someone is going to punch you in the nose, you will usually be able to ascertain their intentions beforehand because you will see it in their eyes. So, if you and your employees are avoiding looking your customer in the eye, the simple truth is that they won’t trust you – even if it’s only subconsciously. It’s a sign of indifference and bad manners, too, and it will cost you in customers and sales.

Is Your Business As Eco Friendly As It Could Be?

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Running your own business can be incredibly tough. When it comes to acting as the leader, all the responsibility is put on you, and sometimes you can doubt your ability to handle it. However, that doesn’t mean it isn’t worth it! There’s no need for you to worry, there’s a lot of advice out there about how to operate best as a self owned business, and how to take your company higher and higher in today’s world.

And if you want to keep on operating for the world of tomorrow, you’re going to have to make sure you’re working with the future in mind. In other words, it’s time to be as eco friendly as possible. But that doesn’t have to be as hard as you might think! Here’s some tips on making sure you’re as operating as energy efficiently as possible.

Change How the Office Works

Changing how the office operates is a lot easier than you might think, and implementing new rules bit by bit is going to allow people to adjust smoothly. So first of all, start buying reusable items to use at your desk, such as pens whose ink can be refilled, and a recycling bin underneath every station to make sure the waste is thrown away in the right place.

At the same time, try to send everything digitally, and only print when it’s absolutely necessary for someone to have a hard copy of a record. You can keep all of your own records on the cloud on a secure server, and thus it’s going to be rare you’ll actually need to use the printer. Cut down on both wasted paper and the couple hundred dollars you can lose on ink each month.

Make Use of Your Waste

Depending on the kind of business you’re running, you’re going to have different waste products by the end of the working week. But if you’re in the agriculture or hospitality sector, there’s a lot of waste you can reuse to help fire up your machinery if you have the right tools to do so. And as a small business, you have a better chance of implementing these energy saving techniques than the bigger companies out there.

If you’ve got both a lot of waste stuck at the bottom of the trash by the end of the day, and manufacturing or cooking equipment in the kitchen, it’s time to invest in a Briquette press. You can easily break down everything you throw away at the end of the day and then make it into a recyclable energy source when you’ve got the machine to do so, and it’s a lot more cost effective than tipping everything into a skip at the end of the day.

Your business can become a lot more eco friendly when you look into the different ways to optimize your operations. Don’t worry, these kinds of investments always pay off, and make your carbon footprint a lot smaller at the same time. Change today.

Why It’s Important To Stay Protected Online

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The internet has become an essential part of business management for numerous reasons. Primarily, it is an incredibly useful tool that enables any company to reach out to more people, conduct safe transactions, assess their processes, and source an immense range of tools and resources that can streamline your business management and grow your company. However, with the huge benefits that the digital age offers, there are also some significant risks. It’s vital for any company that is looking to improve and increase its reliance on the internet, to assess the possible risks and limit the chances of them happening. The reasons for this may seem obvious, but some of the issues may not have occurred to you, so here are the three reasons why you should be protecting yourself online.

The growing threat of cybercrime

It would be hard not to have noticed the prevalence of news articles and headlines that report on the latest incidents of cybercrime. Large and small companies are both at risk of costly and damaging cyber attacks, so it’s vital that you as a business owner are not merely aware of the latest threats, but also the reasons why protection is so important. The increasing sophistication of cyber attacks, in whatever form, means that you need to not only prepare yourself for the risks but ensure that your employees are as aware as you are. It is for this reason why staff training sessions on basic internet security are an essential part of your weekly business management.

It’s a business risk

One of the main reasons why you need to make a concerted effort to protect yourself from cybercriminals is down to the damage that they can cause. This is not simply a case of financial risk, although that’s certainly one of the issues that you need to concern yourself with. However, one of the primary targets of cybercriminals is not simply access to your bank details, but access to your data. That data, whether it’s that of you, your employees, your customers, or your suppliers, can be used in a number of nefarious ways, with identity theft and phishing targets the key issues to concern yourself with. The growing sophistication of hackers has led companies to optimize their security methods, with many opting to upgrade rather than update, and transferring to SonicWall firewall technology to create an extra layer of protection between the data that you hold and the criminals that want it.

Staying safe can grow your business in ways that you may not have considered. Having a strong security attitude is not only a good way to stress the importance of strong and secure internet use in your employees, but it can also become an additional selling point when it comes to attracting new customers. As consumers become ever more comfortable browsing and making purchases online, they are also becoming more aware of the risks when it comes to sharing their personal information. Having a robust security system in place is not only vital when it comes to protecting yourself; it could make the difference between a customer trusting you enough to click the transaction button or choosing your competitors.

Getting On The Right Side Of The Team

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A business is more than the brand or the products and services it sells. The business is also the people who make it and the company culture that forms as a result of their interactions, their cooperation or lack thereof. A business owner who gets on the wrong side of their team might still have the power in the relationship, but they can risk the future of the company by failing to use it responsibly.

Build a better environment

The physical workplace is just as much of an asset, too. The value of that asset is in creating a safe, comfortable, and motivating space for you and the team. By focusing too much on cost-effectiveness in designing your space, you can miss out on both the practical and mental needs that it needs to fulfill. Updating the surroundings, improving lighting, creating workspaces that allow for communication, and implementing access for employees with disability all create a much more positive office space.

Lead by example

You want your employees to be good members of the team, but to improve your chances of getting that, you need to be a good team member, too. For instance, you want employees to take responsibility for their successes and failures, so it starts with you. When a project fails, don’t pass the buck because it’s convenient. Similarly, don’t be afraid to hold others accountable without turning it into a public haranguing. By demonstrating the qualities you want to see in your employees, they are more likely to follow suit.

Ensure their concerns are addressed

Things don’t always go well in the workplace. Arguments, harassment and bullying do happen and are concerns you should be mindful of. Create a set of HR standards and practices with the help of lawyers that deal with employment issues. Ensure that your company policies are up to scratch and that your team has channels by which they can safely report toxic behavior in the workplace.

Develop your team

You want more than just a labor force. You want people who are willing to invest energy, thought, and creativity into the business. But if you’re not investing in them, why should they return the favor? The easiest way to invest in your team is to help develop them. Give them opportunities to try new responsibilities, offer training for them, and even consider setting up a mentorship program within the business.

Encourage and accept feedback

Just like you must be able to accept reports on harassment and other unacceptable behavior, you should be willing to accept feedback from the team, as well. Create feedback loops that allow employees to share their criticism of processes and standards, not just team members or personal interactions. You can encourage it by setting specific agendas for the team meeting taking a closer look at different aspects of the business.

Your people are your most valuable asset when used right and to use them right, you have to treat them right. Create a positive workplace culture and watch as motivation, engagement, and productivity soar.