Why Chatbots are Essential for Businesses

by | Nov 8, 2016 | Software

Chatbots are those things you see that pop up on sites asking you if you have questions or need additional help.

Sometimes, there is a real person on the other end of that chatbox, but most often, these are bots that are programmed with responses based on frequent questions or algorithms.

These bots aren’t just another bit of code to add to your site. They can actually have a big impact on your success. Here’s why:

Users Actively Engage with Them

Chatbots aren’t typical pop-ups that annoy users and send them searching for ad blockers.

Users actually engage with these bots and rely on them for information. Many have reported that they feel like they are working with their own personal assistants on the site to find the information they need or achieve their goals, such as finding the right car to buy or the right couch to have with children around.

Bots end up improving the user experience on the site, which makes people feel better about your brand and be more likely to return. Bots also help people find exactly what they need, which means that you are helping to solve their problem and potentially earn a customer.

Think about how bots can help users find information on your site and incorporate them effectively. Make sure you set up the design to show users how they can be helpful, and include information encouraging them to engage with the chatbot in a way that shows this usefulness.

They Don’t Require Downloads

Users are very leery of downloading software or information on their own computers, especially from sites that they have just started using.

Bots don’t require that users download anything, which means that people are much more likely to use them. Therefore, you will get more usage, which increases your chances of generating a lead or making a sale.

Since bots don’t require a download, they also put less strain on your coding and hosting capacity.

Bots are Optimized for Mobile

Mobile marketing is the focus of the future for all brands. There are now more mobile searches than there are desktop searches, and mobile users are growing constantly.

If you want to remain relevant, you have to develop a strong marketing plan for mobile users. That includes optimizing your design and your content for these smaller devices.

Bots are optimized for mobile without you having to do anything else to make them that way. Bots were used on mobile devices for many years, so their design has already been perfected for mobile users. You can be sure that they are helping you to capture more of this important demographic for your site.

They Have Minimal Cost

Unlike developing a dedicated app, bots have a very low cost. You won’t have to spend thousands of dollars to incorporate them into your site.

Bot platforms have created the basic infrastructure for creating bots, so you don’t have to hire a team to do all the extensive development required for building a program from scratch.

In addition, bots require minimal maintenance, so you won’t have to make a big investment of time or money to keep your bot up to date or secure.

Not only do you not have to pay a lot of money to get or maintain a chatbot, but you will get a huge return for having one on your site. Users will feel more engaged, you’ll get more leads, and you’ll make more sales as a result of having the bot on your site.

They are More Popular because of WhatsApp

WhatsApp is a popular messaging platform that allows users to send messages without using a texting service. People can instantly send messages without having to pay for an additional service or without using the data on their plan.

Because more people are using WhatsApp, they are comfortable with these kind of messaging services and are more open to using them. That means that when they see the chatbot on your site, they are going to be more willing to engage with it.

They are going to understand that they can communicate easily and without being charged for the privilege. The more they use the bot, the more likely they are to get the information they need and to become a lead or a paying customer.

The more you can include on your site to increase user engagement or to promote sales, the more successful you will be. If you are not already using chatbots on your site, it is important that you look into how to incorporate them and start developing one.

You may find that a simple bot that answers frequently asked questions is enough to get the results you need, or you may find that you need multiple bot models depending on the user and the device. Either way, you will find that the investment is well worth it.

Top Apps of 2015

by | Jan 11, 2016 | Marketing

What were the top apps of 2015?

Nielsen, the same company that produces statistics for TV viewing, has released a list of the top smart phone apps for 2015 based on the number of average unique users.

Perhaps not surprisingly for many, the entire top 10 consists of apps put out by Facebook, Google, and Apple. The list reflects the growing influence of both social media and smart phone usage.

Nielsen also said that the use of smart phones grew to 80 percent in the United States at the end of the third quarter of 2015. ComScore still shows smart phone penetration at 78 percent, but the difference is negligible. It is important that online marketers embrace mobile marketing if they are to continue to be successful.

Here’s a look at the top 10 apps and Nielsen’s findings:

Facebook

The Facebook app had the most average unique users, coming in at 126.7 million.

That’s 8 percent more people than were using the app last year.

Marketers already know that Facebook is a great way to reach customers, but this data shows that marketers should also be targeting them through the mobile app and not just the main site or even the mobile site.

YouTube

Parents already know how great the YouTube app is for the phone. But many others use the app to watch music and catch up with viral news.

The app draws in 97.6 million average unique users, which is 5 percent more than last year. YouTube continues to show that it is a force to be reckoned with in digital marketing.

Facebook Messenger

Facebook made waves when it required users to access their messages through this separate app instead of offering it as an option.

Yet users quickly adjusted, and there has been little discussion about it since the change was made.

Likely because of the required change, the Facebook messenger app saw the most year-over-year growth, at 31 percent. The app has 96.4 million average unique users.

Google Search

Google is already the search king, but the app has made it easier for people to perform a quick search without having to open their phone’s browser and type in the search engine’s URL.

The Google search app had just over 95 million average unique users, which was an increase of just 3 percent over last year.

Google Play

Google Play is the app store for Android users, and it is the place to get movies, TV shows, games, music, and more.

It’s not surprising that the app was one of the most popular for the year. It had 89.7 average unique users, which was 7 percent more than the previous year.

Google Maps

Google Maps quickly toppled Mapquest after it came out, and most people use it as their de facto GPS locator.

That’s partially due to the fact that when you search for a business or other place on Google, it provides the directions through Google maps. You have to copy and paste the address to get directions from a different provider.

Google Maps had 87.78 million users this year, up 8 percent.

Gmail

Not surprisingly, Google products dominate this list.

Google has become the authority on the web, and most products that it introduces succeed.

Gmail was one of its early offerings, and it has continued to be one of the top providers of free email. The app has 75.1 million users, which was up 4 percent from the previous year.

Instagram

Instagram exploded onto the scene when it was introduced, and it has become a mainstay in social media.

The app had 55.4 million average unique users, which was up 23 percent over the previous year.

Apple Music

Everyone loves to listen to music on their smart phone or to stream it through their car stereos.

The Apple Music app had an average of 54.55 unique users, which was up 26 percent from the previous year.

Apple Maps

Finally, Apple Maps came in at Number 10, with an average of 46.4 unique users.

The app grew 16 percent over the previous year.

By paying attention to the trends in app usage, you can identify new advertising strategies for your brand. These apps cover the market, so you can reach every niche with one or more of these apps.

In addition to in-app advertising, you can look into mobile marketing on other websites that are popular among users.

It is important that you do not put money into the mobile version of a site when the app is more popular. For example, most people access Facebook through the app not by entering the URL on their phone.

Make sure you understand the audience you will be reaching and how that compares with your other options when putting together your advertising strategy. Working with a consultant can also help you identify the right advertising opportunities and create the most effective campaign.

Software Monetization Solutions You Should be Using for Your Business

by | Aug 12, 2014 | Monetization, Monetization News

The software can be a powerful product to promote for your business. Whether software development is the primary focus for your business or an ancillary product that provides additional value for your customers, it can create a strong revenue stream to help you grow your business.

However, selling software isn’t the only option for making money on it. Just as you can monetize your website, you can also monetize your software to generate some strong passive income. Your success depends on the monetization options you choose and how well you employ them. Here are a few software monetization solutions you could be using for your business:

Smart Installer

The speed of your software’s download is essential to its success. If the software takes too long to download, customers will abandon it, and you will lose a sale. One way that you can ensure the process is a little faster and easier for your customers is by using a smart installer. This technology helps guide the installation and speeds it up.

A smart installer is also one of the top software monetization solutions. It displays offers to customers while they are downloading your software.

Advertisers may pay you just to show these ads, or they may pay you based on the clicks that the ads get. It doesn’t really matter which option you choose. What matters the most is selecting offers that are relevant and useful to your customers. The more useful they are, the more likely that your customers will click through on the ad. High conversion rates will inspire confidence in advertisers and will generate more income for your company.

Browser Extension

One of the offers that you may show customers during the installation process is for a browser extension. These tools are displayed just under the current web address that a person is looking at, and they provide additional functionality like quick bookmarking or monitoring data. They are useful tools that can enhance the browsing experience for your customers.

You can make money from browser extensions by showing ads with them. The extension can include display ads, text ads, or pop-up ads, depending on its design. Just like with the smart installer, showing relevant ads is key to their success. You can increase the exposure for your browser extension – and make more money – by promoting it in your smart installer for your software.

Bundle Deal

You can get more exposure for your software and monetize it by creating a partnership with another business and offering a bundle deal. With a bundle deal, you offer your software with another software package (or several), and you offer a lower price or some other incentive for downloading them together.

You make money by charging the other business for the opportunity or by earning a commission for each sale. You must select a partner software package that enhances your own and adds value for your customers.

The key to success with bundle deals is having enough clout to make other businesses want to partner with you. You should already have a large customer base and a strong marketing plan in place to be as attractive as possible to partner businesses.

Search Feeds

You’ve probably already seen search feeds on websites. These little tools make it easy to search without having to leave the site you’re on. In addition, they offer website owners monetization opportunities since these owners earn a commission each time someone conducts a search in the feed.

You can use the same strategy for your software. You offer your customers additional value by allowing them search capability without having to leave the software, and you’ll make money at the same time. It’s a win-win situation for your customers and your business. You can also customize most search feeds so they look like they are organic to your software.

Advertising

Advertising is perhaps the most common way to monetize any online or digital property. You can add advertising to your software in several ways.

You can include display ads, text ads, pop-up ads, start-up ads, and more. The key is to ensure that these ads seem organic to the experience and do not distract from the software. If they do, they can be intrusive and cause customers to form negative impressions of the software.

When you are ready to start making passive income with your software, you should consider a wide variety of software monetization solutions. The more solutions you employ, the more revenue potential you have. Employ solutions that enhance one another while also offering additional value to your customers.

With the right choices and the right marketing, you could even generate even more money from your advertising than you do from the software. Make the right choices, and you could have passive income coming in for years.