Mobile tech has taken nearly every industry in America by storm; technology companies, retailers, and service professionals have all been swept up in the portable whirlwind. Larger corporations were among the first to create apps for smartphones, tablets and other mobile devices. Smaller businesses have been slower to respond to the trend, partially because of app development costs and other hurdles. However, potentially lucrative benefits await small businesses that take the tech plunge.
Is mobile tech really that big a deal? In short, yes it is. Mobile devices are not only commonplace in modern society; they're actually replacing laptops and desktops. Consumers are now more likely than ever to choose a tablet, a smartphone or even an e-reader over a notebook or a desktop computer.
Mobile tech is convenient for consumers, particularly individuals who lead busy lives. Internet hotspots enable online access in airports, bus stations and other public places. Commuters use their smartphones to surf the web on trains, planes and sometimes in automobiles, too. When small businesses tap that market, they gain access to a valuable new source of revenue. So why aren't more small business owners jumping on the wagon?
The answers are fairly simple, and many of them revolve around cost, or the perceived cost, of app development. Mobile apps usually look very slick, so unless they're familiar with the design process, many small business owners assume that apps are terribly expensive to create. Actually, however, mobile app development is not necessarily beyond the budget of the average small business owner. It's also worth noting that when businesses adopt mobile tech, apps often pay for themselves fairly quickly.
Another common hurdle small business owners face on an almost daily basis is a serious lack of time. Many simply don't have the hours to explore new ventures because they're tied up in essential day-to-day management tasks. As a technology professional, therefore, it's in your best interests to deliver information to small business owners in a helpful, succinct way. If you can package the potential advantages of mobile tech support in a straightforward manner, you're much more likely to gain a new client.
The advantages of mobile tech support go far beyond straight sales. Consumers use apps to locate stores, contact businesses via email, peruse products, compare prices, share ideas and much more. So ironically, when small businesses take advantage of mobile tech, they often also end up expanding their face-to-face customer bases.
To survive economically, businesses need to go where their customers lead them - especially if they're small businesses and don't have a major presence on Main Street. Because consumers now spend more time on the go and less time at their desks, embracing mobile tech for small business makes sense as a means helping them enjoy continued success.
Photo courtesy of Chaloemphan at Freedigitalphotos.net
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