MobileAppLoader Reveals Disruptive Tech and Prices at ATD/Nada Expo in Las Vegas

by Ruth Littmann, Marketing Director
www.MobileAppLoader.com

What happens in Vegas – contrary to the hype – doesn’t actually stay in Vegas. As of last week’s Vegas-based ATD/NADA Expo, the word is out: MobileAppLoader offers the richest Mobile Apps at the most disruptive prices.

With non-stop traffic to the MobileAppLoader booth, CEO Zvika Ashkenazi explained how his company can afford to provide full-featured Mobile Apps at 1/5 the cost of competitors.

“We’re a Silicon Valley tech company with more than 1,000 live apps in the iTunes App Store and Android Market. Of those, more than 350 are car dealership apps. Our experience in the automotive industry has opened our eyes to just how pricey everything is for dealers. A lot of our competitors want to charge them an arm and a leg for mobile apps. The truth is: You just don’t have to pay that much,” he said.

Don’t reinvent the wheel.

AutoRetailNet Editor William Diem (on left) speaks with Zvika Ashkenazi (right), CEO of MobileAppLoader.

Ashkenazi explained to hundreds of dealers who visited MobileAppLoader’s booth that many developers will charge for duplicating what already exists on Facebook, YouTube and other web-based sites. This adds significant cost to the app; it also locks dealers into a dependency on the app provider.

“Use what you already have. We boost your ROI by creating the functions you still need,” Ashkenazi said. “Our Apps embed specialized features like Push Notifications, Free One-on-One Customer Chat, VIN/QR Code Scanners, and more … but for functionalities like videos, we link to your existing resources. We also empower our customers with full freedom to update their apps whenever they want for free.”

For more information, visit: www.MobileAppLoader.com
Or email: contact@MobileAppLoader.com

Minutes before the start of a busy day 3 at the ATD/NADA Expo: Ruth Littmann, marketing director

Dealership to Discuss Mobile Apps

Award-winning dealership, using MobileAppLoader Apps, reveals how to retain customers, market and grow with the latest mobile technology

(Hey Blog Readers! We’re at the ATD/NADA Expo … Here’s our latest press release. If you’re in Vegas, visit us at the LV Convention Center (Central Hall, Booth #3559)

February 3, 2012 – MobileAppLoader, #1 Mobile App provider for automotive dealerships, will feature a dealership representative at its ATD/NADA Press Conference on Saturday, Feb. 4, 2:00-2:45 p.m. in Room N233.

Mike Stupeck, systems director for the award-winning Henry Brown Auto Group in Gilbert, AZ, will discuss how auto dealerships are using Mobile Apps:

“Mobile Apps have benefitted our dealership by offering our customers a friendly alternative means of contacting, scheduling and receiving instant storewide communications,” Mr. Stupeck says. “Smart devices have changed the way we are all doing business and staying connected out to our customers.”

Founded in 2008, MobileAppLoader builds customized Mobile Apps for businesses. It leads the market with 1,000+ LIVE apps in the App Stores, more than 1,000,000 downloads, and the lowest prices/richest features to increase ROI and customer retention.

For more information:

- Visit our ATD/NADA Expo Booth #3559
- Attend our Press Conference: Saturday, February 4th, 2:00-2:45 p.m. in Room N233 of the Las Vegas Convention Center
- View our Web Site: www.MobileAppLoader.com
- Blog Posts: http://mobileapploader.wordpress.com/
- Email Us: contact@MobileAppLoader.com

Hope to see you at the show!

MobileAppLoader CEO Addresses Automotive Group of 500

Ruth Littmann
MobileAppLoader.com

The founder and CEO of MobileAppLoader, Zvika Ashkenazi, addressed 500 enthusiastic members of the Rydell Automotive Group last week. The two-day event, held January 11^th and 12^th in Minneapolis, Minnesota, showcased new ideas and best practices for running automotive dealerships. Mr. Ashkenazi was invited to speak by Alex Boen, who uses apps from MobileAppLoader to market his dealership, Lunde’s Peoria Volkswagen.

“This group wants to be on top of technology. They’re looking to support their customers in the friendliest and most effective ways possible, which led them to learn more about Mobile Apps,” said Mr. Ashkenazi.

Mr. Boen, who co-presented with Mr. Ashkenazi, listed demographics that make Mobile App Marketing a wise business decision:

• -  Smartphone households earn $22K more than the average U. S household
• -  61% of mobile app users have a bachelor degree or higher *
• -  The largest percentage of smartphone users are between 18-24 and 35-44 *
• -  The average smartphone user spends 9% more time using mobile apps than the Internet on his/her phone *
• -  In 2012, searches on smartphones will surpass searches on PCs
• -  8 of 10 customers use their smartphones to shop for vehicles
• -  44% of auto shoppers use their device for price comparison on the lot
  
  For more info, visit: www.MobileAppLoader.com
  Or email: Contact@MobileAppLoader.com                                                                                                                                     *Data from the U.S. Census Bureau, Flurry Analytics, and NADA

App-Happy! Signs indicate the New App Economy continues to ramp

By Ruth Littmann
Marketing Director, MobileAppLoader.com

January 13, 2012 – There are SIGNS all over the place, and they indicate just how popular mobile apps are becoming among the masses. When MobileAppLoader CEO Zvika Ashkenazi left San Francisco for a speaking engagement in Minneapolis this week, he saw advertisements – SIGNS everywhere – promoting everything from mobile Apps that let you upgrade inflight seating to Apps showcasing automobile dealerships.

That’s no surprise to Ashkenazi, who started MobileAppLoader three and a-half years ago with the foresight to know that Mobile Apps would quickly replace the Internet.

It’s happening … fast.

This is a good SIGN for owners of mobile apps, including MobileAppLoader’s 1,000⁺ trailblazing client mix of auto dealerships, hair salons, realtors and other business owners, who are poised to stay competitive in this New App Economy. Early adapters are profiting (and will continue to profit) from the easy-to-use features of apps. Some of the most popular features are: Push Notifications, one-on-one customer chat, location finders, VIN scanners, QR Code readers, one-touch calling, and more. With mobile apps, businesses have found affordable ways of reaching customers where they are:

On their mobile phones, of course.

CTIA estimates that Americans own nearly 100 Million smart phones, and the number is ramping. In a couple of years, all phones will be smart phones. Flurry Analytics reports that people spend more time on Mobile Apps than on the Internet. That’s why mobile marketing will play an increasingly vital role in building strong relationships with clients.

As Ashkenazi points out:

• Mobile Apps are the new URL
• Phone screens are the new home screens
• Push Notifications are the new email blasts
• Mobile Coupons are the new mailers
• App shopping is the new online shopping

And that’s a clear sign that mobile apps are not just a novelty, but rather a must these days.

For more information, visit: www.MobileAppLoader.com

And/or email: Contact@MobileAppLoader.com

Take a Look!

Toy Drives to Test Drives … Scroll down to see a gallery of Push Notifications, showing how car dealerships, hair salons, realtors, and other businesses are reaching out to their customers with Mobile Apps. Notifications are easy to send and fun to receive.

Does your App support Push Notifications? If not, take advantage of MobileAppLoader’s Holiday Deal on Apps and Upgrades. Email us at: contact@MobileAppLoader.com

Do you have questions about sending Push Notifications?
Simply email us at:  contact@MobileAppLoader.com
Or visit: www.MobileAppLoader.com

Enjoy!!!

Push Notifications: Sailing the Seven “Cs”

How new Mobile App technologies are giving businesses a second wind

By Ruth Littmann, MobileAppLoader.com

Economic times are tough but your business can succeed amidst the storm. Now more than ever, new technologies provide companies with cost-effective ways of staying afloat. By taking advantage of low-cost and no-cost mobile marketing strategies, your company can reach solid ground and grow.

Why mobile marketing? Three reasons:

1. It’s hot
2. It’s cheap
3. It’s effective

HOT

Try the following test: Type your company’s name into the search box of the iPhone App Store and/or Android Market. If you have an App, it’ll pop right up. Now type the names of your competitors into the search boxes. If your competitors aren’t there yet, they will be soon. “Business Week” magazine recently declared that we’ve entered “The New App Economy.” Consumers are spending more time on their mobile phones, and they’re downloading Apps at an ever-accelerating rate. The fact is, Mobile Apps comprise the “New Internet.” Businesses wouldn’t dream of operating without a web site, and now they’re realizing they also need Mobile Apps to stay visible & competitive. Mobile Apps put them where their customers are: on their mobile phones.

CHEAP

Mobile Apps can be purchased for as little as $8.99 per month (plus a one-time set-up fee). Many killer features embedded in mobile Apps are free – like Customer Chat and Push Notifications – both help businesses stay in touch with their clientele and build relationships. Other cost-free features include loan calculators, VIN scanners, QR code scanners, and appointment scheduling, which facilitate sales and make the process of doing business seamless and more convenient for everyone.

EFFECTIVE

This brings us to the “7 Cs of Push Notifications.”

Push Notifications are known as the “Killer App” of mobile marketing because they are – in a word – lifesavers.  They are proven to help extend the buyer/seller relationship, building repeat business and loyalty.

Push Notifications are easy to send and receive. They’re simply text messages – that can appear as full color graphics – and they arrive directly to your customers’ smart phones … So, they’re literally in the palm of their hand. Studies have shown that nearly 100% of Push Notifications are opened and read by recipients. Contrast this with the huge percentage of emails that get ignored or lost to spam filters, and it’s little wonder why Push Notifications are considered today’s killer app.

Let’s set sail across the “7 Cs” of Push Notifications and take a look at how businesses are using them to land profits like never before:

#1: Coupons
Businesses of all sorts – hair salons, car dealerships, restaurants, towing services and more – are sending coupons directly to their customers’ smart phones. Here’s one example of many:

#2: Community

Businesses are also sending their customers news of community events.

#3: Charity
At this time of year, many businesses are using Push Notifications to raise awareness of food drives, toy drives and more.

#4: Causes
Push Notifications are a great way of sending customers or group members breaking news about different issues of interest.

#5: Cancellations
Don’t lose money when clients cancel on you. If a timeslot opens up, alert your other customers by sending a Push Notification. You’ll fill that space in a flash.

#6: Changes
Has your company changed locations, phone numbers, or inventory… Use Push Notifications to tell your customers the news.

#7: Check-It-Out!

Push Notifications are a hot way of sending announcements of new merchandise, launches, Grand Openings and more.

No matter what your business, Push Notifications can help you reach out to clients and succeed. While certain services, like Groupon, might help bring one-time business, Push Notifications are designed to bring repeat business.  A caveat: Not all Mobile Apps can support Push Notifications. Click here to learn more: MobileAppLoader.com

Santa has a Smart Phone

Your customers do too. Are YOU on their home screens? 

By Ruth Littmann, Marketing Director, MobileAppLoader

If anyone is “going mobile” these days, it’s Santa. We’re guessing he has an iPhone, iPad or Android device – complete with email, GPS and (of course) an App to make his gift-giving business more efficient and successful with his pint-sized clientele.

Tis the Season to Go Mobile!

Is your business “smart” like Santa? Whether you’re a car dealership, hair salon, realtor, towing company, bookstore – if you represent any consumer-facing enterprise – your business strategy must include a mobile component.

IBM reported this week that 15 percent of U.S. consumers who browse retail web sites will do so from their mobile devices. That means: Holiday shopping has gone mobile. Have you?

For business, going mobile means creating a mobile web site AND a mobile App. A mobile web site renders your existing online information more viewable on mobile devices. But it’s not the end of the story…

Mobile Apps are an essential part of any successful mobile marketing strategy because only Apps win you increased exposure in increasingly critical ways:

1. Your business appears on your customers’ mobile home screens
2. It appears in the App Stores
3. You can send notifications, a.k.a. announcements … better than e-mail. They don’t get stuck in spam folders. *
4. Apps are always accessible, even without an Internet connection *

* It’s important to note that only Native Apps support notifications. Web Apps do not. Furthermore, only Native Apps are always accessible. Web Apps rely on an Internet connection. Before buying an App, be sure to ask for a Native App!

Car Dealership Sends Notification of Halloween Festival

’Tis the time to reach out to your customers with good deals and GOOD WILL. Apps can do just that. For instance, one of our customers – an auto dealership – used notifications to announce a Halloween party last month. You can do the same this upcoming holiday season. Send notifications of:

1. Toy drives
2. Book drives
3. Test drives
4. And other events that spread cheer AND bring business

Santa’s making his list – and checking it twice. Have you made a point of reaching your increasingly mobile clientele with an App? It’s not too late. MobileAppLoader can upload an Android App the same day you order it. Apple’s approval of Apps takes only one week. To order the most affordable, feature-rich Apps on the market, visit: www.MobileAppLoader.com

Auto Dealers & Mobile Apps

More car buyers are on their cell phones – shopping.
That’s why more car dealers are buying Apps.

By Zvika Ashkenazi, CEO MobileAppLoader

Last week, Dealer Communications magazine covered a survey revealing a “jump in the use of mobile devices to shop for cars.” Citing results of this survey, which was conducted by Chrome Systems, the magazine wrote:

“Nearly 25% of consumers with Internet-enabled cell phones or mobile devices have recently used their device to research or shop for a car, almost double last year’s rate.”

Little wonder car dealerships are purchasing Mobile Apps. They need to appear where their customers go – and these days, they go primarily to the iTunes App Store and Android Market. App Store search boxes are becoming the new Internet search box, and dealers know if you don’t have an App, you don’t exist. (Can you imagine running a business without a web site? Studies show – for the first time ever – people are spending more time on their phones than online. The App Store, in other words, is close to becoming the new Internet.)

“The iPhone App is an important tool for marketing our services. Our business looks good by having a presence in the iTunes App Store, and our customers just love it,” says Tim Glockner of Glockner Toyota/Honda.

Mobile Apps enable inventory searches, one-one-one free chats between the customer and a dealership representative, embedded appointment scheduling, and – the killer App of Apps – notifications, which are full-color images (often used as Mobile Coupons) that dealerships send to customers with discounts on services and bonuses to build loyalty.

Notifications pop up on customers’ phones like text messages, and the viewing rate – unlike emails – is nearly 100%.

“Notifications are huge. You can send out a notification of a special or a special event and it goes straight to their phone. We use notifications quite a bit,” says Darren Fichter of Carl Black of Kennesaw, a Chevy, Buick and Pontiac GMC dealership.

In old-fashioned Internet parlance: Securing an App “URL” or “Domain” means buying an App with your dealership’s name. For example: Type the name “Carl Black Kennesaw” into the search box of your iPhone’s App Store. The dealership instantly appears.

Can you say the same for your business?

Mobile Apps: Essential, Excessive? You Be the Judge…

Does my Business Need a Mobile App?

By Zvika Ashkenazi, CEO at MobileAppLoader.com

“The New App Economy” is a recently coined term reflecting big changes in today’s world of business. It highlights the fact that mobile marketing strategies are vital to companies whose customers are increasingly on the go and on their phones.

Does that describe your customers?

If so, it’s important to note the hard data showing that people are spending more time with Apps than on the web. Fresh statistics reported by Flurry Analytics reveal that consumers now devote a daily 81 minutes to mobile Apps versus only 74 minutes to surfing the Web.

Businesses with Mobile Apps are winning exposure in “The New App Economy” – but those without are quickly becoming invisible.

Be Visible.
Be Accessible.
Be Successful.

Compelling reasons for buying a Mobile App include:

The Recession. Now more than ever, businesses need fast and affordable ways of gaining exposure. Businesses increase response rates by 50 percent when they add a mobile marketing component to their print and web campaigns. One reason: People are significantly more inclined to open text messages or “notifications” than emails.

Also, Mobile Apps that appear in the App Stores (Native Apps, not web apps) are easier, less expensive and more effective than direct mail campaigns and announcements in the mass media. They win businesses visibility by “being on the shelves” of the App Stores. Businesses without native Apps, don’t have shelf space.

“Smart” Demographics. By the end of 2011, more than 50% of the US population will be using smartphones, according to numerous recent reports. Customers between the ages of 25 and 44 comprise 50% of all smartphone users in the market. That’s why, if you’re a business that caters to this age group, the answer is clear: You need a Mobile App.

Apps – The New Web Site. A decade ago, if you didn’t have a web site, your business looked passé. Nowadays, if you don’t have a Mobile App, you’re not keeping up.

Features, Features, Features. Mobile Apps are all about winning repeat business with features that make your company

- more VISIBLE
- more ACCESSIBLE, and
- more INTERACTIVE

Engagement builds success. Here are some examples of affordable and effective features for building customer loyalty.

PUSH NOTIFICATIONS
This is the “killer App” of Mobile Apps. Push Notifications are like SMS or Instant Messages but they are capable of appearing as full-color graphics. Otherwise known as Mobile Coupons, they’re a great way of reaching out to your customers with deals.

* Studies have shown that 100% of instant messages are opened and responded to within 60 minutes versus only 5% of emails and 1% of direct marketing material.

* It’s important to note that only Native Apps can support Push Notifications. Web Apps, which don’t appear in the App Stores, do not support Push Notifications. Before purchasing an App, businesses should verify they’re purchasing a Native App.

* Car dealerships regularly use Native Apps with Push Notifications to send their customers full-color coupons for deals on oil changes and other services. Why? Because they know that keeping buyers coming back to their dealership for servicing needs will dramatically increase the likelihood of those same customers buying cars from them – not from their competitors.

FREE CHAT
Apps can help enhance communication between companies and their customers by enabling both parties to chat one-on-one with each other for free.

APPOINTMENT SCHEDULING
App-based appointment scheduling provides an easy way for customers to send you requests for appointments directly from your App on their smartphone. Some App developers even record appointments directly and automatically to the user’s iPhone calendar.

INVENTORY SEARCH

One of the most sought-after features of car dealerships, this feature enables car buyers to search the dealership’s stock directly from their mobile phones.

* According to Microsoft, mobile consumers (versus online consumers) tend to take more immediate action based on their mobile search experience.

ONE-TOUCH CALLING

Mobile Apps that offer one-touch calling make businesses instantly accessible to their customers. Customers don’t have to flip through their electronic phone books. They simply open the Mobile App and click “one touch call.”

AN INTEGRATED MARKETING PLATFORM

Mobile Apps often provide links to a company’s web site and social networking pages, like Facebook and Twitter. This helps extend the company’s exposure still further into their markets.

So, in answer to the question, “Does my company need a Mobile App?” I would say: If you want your company to compete – and succeed – in today’s New App Economy, the answer is clear.

For the most affordable and feature rich Apps on the market, visit: www.MobileAppLoader.com

Is Your Business Visible to Consumers Using App Store Search Boxes?

Be Visible To
On-the-Go Consumers

How the New App Store Search Box helps you compete in an increasingly mobile market.

By Zvika Ashkenazi, CEO MobileAppLoader.com

Current research shows that people are spending more time on their Smart Phones than on computers. They are becoming increasingly mobile and need ever-faster access to information. That’s why, when the iPhone’s App Store was launched, people began using it to search for businesses and services.

Conclusion: If a business does not have an App in the App Store, consumers won’t find it. They might, however, find Apps of the competitors.

Before I illustrate this point with a montage of “screen grabs,” I should mention that businesses spend thousands of dollars on Search Engine Optimization (SEO), purporting to make them more visible on the Internet. It should, therefore, be a no-brainer to invest $10-$15 in native mobile Apps, guaranteeing a presence in the App Store.

A picture is worth a thousand words. The following montage will visually prove my point:

1. Open the App Store on your iPhone or Android device.
         
2. Type these keywords into the App Store search box:  Toyota San Jose
3. Observe what comes up.
4. Now search for your type of business in your specific locale. Are you there? Are your competitors listed?• For additional examples of Apps – of car dealerships, realtors, salons, and towing services – scroll down.
   • To learn how to choose the best App for your business – with all the questions you need to ask before purchasing – click here.

Car Dealerships:

 

If you’re a realtor, do you appear in the App Store? Do your competitors? To find out, type your business name and location in the Search Box. It might be time to buy an App.

• To learn how to choose the best App for your business – with all the questions you need to ask before purchasing – click here.

Real Estate:

If you’re affiliated with a salon, do you appear in the App Store? Do your competitors? To find out, type your business name and location in the Search Box. It might be time to buy an App.

• To learn how to choose the best App for your business – with all the questions you need to ask before purchasing – click here.

Salons:

If you’re a towing service, do you appear in the App Store? Do your competitors? To find out, type your business name and location in the Search Box. It might be time to buy an App.

• To learn how to choose the best App for your business – with all the questions you need to ask before purchasing – click here.

Towing Service:

To learn how to choose the best App for your business – with all the questions you need to ask before purchasing – click here.