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Mobile Development

How Much Does an E-Commerce Online Store Website Cost? Depends on What You Really Need

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As an E-Commerce Development company, many bricks-and-mortar retailers always call and ask me this question before anything else is discussed- “how much will an e-commerce website cost me?” And I always reply with the same response, “What do you need?”

An online store can go from simple to complex, because its functionality can vary. Are your customers local or national? Do you sell to consumers or wholesalers, maybe even dealers? Do you drop-ship? Will your site be public or private? Those are just a few questions that I pose to retailers looking to get online, and the answers are different each and every time. For a few hundred dollars, you can get an online store up. Yahoo, Godaddy, and template based websites give you E-Commerce sites for cheap. BUT do you really want to give your customers the impression that you are a run-in-the-mill company? Will you be comfortable knowing your online store will look like thousands of others?

Imagine this: You are walking down the hallways of your local shopping mall. On one side you have Coach, which is a store that stands out, exudes class and brand. On the other side, you have a ROSS store (no offense to those who love that store), a location that looks like a low-end clearance store. Which store you think will appeal more to your customers? Visualizing that scenario should give you an idea of what it takes to create an Online Store.

There is so much functionality that can be done. An Online store can be customized in two ways- look and feel, and functionality. The way your online store looks is vital. The homepage must be an attention grabber, similar to what you experience when walking into a retail store. Also consider that 46% of local searches are done on mobile phones now, so if your business has a local reach, a “responsive” design, which has both a web and mobile version, should be considered. Functionality will really determine your overall investment. A simple store will allow categories, product detail pages, and checkout. But what if you want to add more?? Coupon codes, social media sharing, posting reviews, price comparison, filters, and other options are add ons, but for many retailers, must haves. Those development tools are functions that you should consider in order to realize an adequate budget.

As you see, an online store takes considerable planning. You must determine who your target customer is, what you want your visitors to experience, and how unique you want your online shopping pathways to be to your visitors. Once you figure out what exactly you need, you will be able to fetch adequate quotes with options that are ideal for your business.

 

Yelp Has Replaced Google Places on the new iPhone 5 Maps App – The Good and the Bad For Your Business

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The highly anticipated iPhone 5 has come with several new features; a bigger screen, faster operating system, lighter design, and a list of other new tools and gadgets.  As a business owner though, one thing you might of noticed has or will catch your attention sooner or later- Yelp is now the main source of business information on the new Apple Maps tool! Gone is Google Places, which has been the most targeted network for local businesses the last 10 years.  What does that mean? A lot if you never considered Yelp important, which no one has recently since Google Places launched a few years ago.

So how does this impact your business? Well, for starters, if your business is not listed on Yelp, you should do it now! When someone searches for a business address, phone number, or location information, Yelp is now fully integrated in the new Apple Maps app.  Google is now not only not integrated in Apple Maps, it is also not providing driving directions on the phone itself.

Is Yelp a good thing or bad thing for your business?? Well, for many business owners, including myself, Yelp is both a plus and a minus, depending on your experience. For starters, anyone can leave a review on your Yelp listing, good or bad, with no consequences.  I have had a lot of clients who had an ex employee or even a competitor write a damaging review and Yelp cannot remove it, as per their “guidelines”. Why? Well Yelp isn’t really a business directory, its a social network. Since people run Yelp, the company does not oversee or approve both good and bad reviews.  It has an automated system that regulates reviews and wants to show “balance”. So, even if you have 4 new customers write great reviews about your company, the bad review will still show on top in order to show the reader a fair analysis. But, as you have read, there is no filter for bad press, so if you run into this situation, it can be damaging for your business.

Now thats not to say Google Maps and Places was all fair. There was and still is a lot of bad practices and similar bad tactics used. But, unlike Yelp, Google has a special team that eventually hears and settles complaints from business owners. There has been no indication from Yelp that they are going to legitimize their business listings as of yet.

I see it as a personal attack on Google considering the current Apple vs Samsung patent lawsuits going on.  As you may have read, Apple is suing Samsung, which has smartphones running on the Android OS, the arch rival of the Apple OS, over similar features found in their phones.  I have to suspect that alienating Google from one of the most used iPhone apps is a direct hit to Google in order to strut their muscle. For business owners, it may be a time to either panic or become more active in this new trend that is surely going to affect every local business.

What can you do? Well, taking a strong and new approach to Yelp is key.  Regulating and cleaning up your Yelp page is the number one priority.  Many have said that if you become a paying Yelp customer, it is easier to get the Yelp team to help you with negative reviews. That, to me, makes sense. The first step is to CLAIM YOUR LISTING. you do this under a free Yelp business account, not a regular account. Go to http://biz.yelp.com to set it up.

You must monitor your Yelp account constantly now, as much as your Google Places accounts.  Yelp is now positioned to re-emerge as a strong local search player, so stay up to date on new tools that they are surely to deploy soon.  Most importantly, get new clients to write positive reviews, because sooner or later you are going to run into a situation and you do not want the negative marks to hurt the ability to product business!

Contact us if you need help setting up your Yelp Action Plan today.

How iPhone applications can help your business

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Who doesn’t have or know about an iPhone nowadays? It seems Apple has its own Internet niche and platform, especially with the popularity and dominance of the Apple iPhone and iPod Touch (not to mention the iPad that was released this month). The web experience on an iPhone is quite different than any other mobile device with web browsing capabilities. It seems that iPhone-based mobile websites have a different feel compared to other wireless websites- They look, feel, and are experienced differently.

Because of this superiority in how a mobile website can be experienced using an iPhone or iPod, Apple iPhone application development is extremely popular to corporations and businesses alike. the Apple iTunes store has become dominant as compared to other Internet giants, namely Google, Blackberry, and Microsoft. People are more likely to spend money on an iPhone app than to use a free wireless application offered by other service providers. This exudes Apple’s dominance, and therefore businesses need to understand this and develop an iPhone application for their products or websites aside from any other mobile initiatives. It seems have a “Apple” plan of action is an area now that is completely independent from all other online initiatives. This is powerful stuff.

As a business owner myself, and an iPhone app developer too, reliance on Apple’s web audience is both important and essential to success and long term planning. Everyone expects Apple App development to continue to grow, so a business that relies on e-commerce of Internet exposure as an arm to their growth needs to implement an iPhone app initiative to remain ahead and competitive in their market. But, what kind of iPhone app should you develop? This intriguing question can result in either spending a few thousand dollars, to upwards of $50K+ in development.

Realizing what you want your iPhone website to do is important. Its it what you want the app to do that matters. There are two main distinctions in development:

1) Do you want it to be an extension of your web content.

or

2) Do you want your iPhone app to accomplish a task or function with your customers? For example, sell, execute a task, or store data.

Such a distinction is important both financially and strategically. Some retailers do not have the capability to sell on mobile devices, so, rather then develop an iPhone app with that capability, it will not be feasible in the foreseeable future. Therefore, developing an iPhone app that triggers web traffic and promotes products is just as valuable and important. But, for those companies that do have the ability to afford mobile sales and iPhone database development and execution, being realistic in expectations and studying competitors is also crucial.

Remember, iPhone app development is exciting but it has its limitations. Many developers are frustrated that Apple only gives limited code access and manipulation, therefore limitations exist. Also, once you develop your app, getting it on the App store requires much work and PR initiatives, as well as rules and guidelines.

For more information on app development and marketing, my company would be glad to be of service. You can write me at info@rgpacific.com with your specific questions or call me directly to discuss your project ideas. Apple is now important to business strategy on the web, how will you apply it to yours?

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