youtube.com - shopkick launches the first instant rewards on smartphones, supported by Visa. Any retailer in America can join this program within a day, without any...
Most of us are familiar with apps. It starts with the astonishing growth of Smart Phones. They had quite a bit of momentum before the iPhone and android sales exploded on the market. The future of Smart Phones include nanotechnology changing things like smaller, thinner, bigger screens, water proof and improving the user experience. Smart Phone sales are well over 500 million world wide. So now many shoppers leave their home with a super smart shopping helper - Apps.
There is of course the apps from the stores like WalMart, Target, Best Buy and Macy's which let you shop on-line to find the best deals while in the store or shopping in a mall. There is Shopkick.com started with Visa that rewards you with points for shopping in 1000's of stores. Talk about an incredible customer loyalty program!
Businesses - It's truly an upside down world. You need to be wherever your customer is; they don't need to be where you are!
Here are my Top 10 Mobile Apps that are changing shopping...
10 Mobile Apps That Are Changing the Shopping Dynamic for Retailers and Consumers:
1. AisleBuyer - AisleBuyer combines mobile self-checkout with intelligent shopper functionality such as product barcode scanning that returns information, customer reviews, and recommendations. AisleBuyer uses a consumer's shopping history to deliver individual coupons, offers, and discounts, and it also stores a user's receipts and shopper loyalty cards. AisleBuyer is one of the first mobile apps that enable consumers to use their smartphone as a self-checkout device, enabling consumers to pay for purchases on their iPhone or Android-based smartphone and completely bypass the checkout line.
2. BooYAH! MyTown - BooYAH! is a social web and mobile entertainment company that has taken a game-based approach to mobile marketing. Their app, BooYAH! MyTown, is a location-based social gaming platform with more than 2.8 million users in the United States. MyTown enables players to check in to real places, buy virtual properties, and collect rent. MyTown's product check-in allows players to scan barcodes of real-world products using the iPhones camera and unlock points and earn virtual MyTown items. BooYAH! MyTown's is geared toward a young, wired user with its integration of music and social media channels, making it a dynamic platform for youth-oriented retailers that are looking for ways to weave their brands into the app. Brands can also create real-life scavenger hunts to increase brand discovery and engagement. BooYAH!'s MyTown is currently available exclusively for iPhone and iPod touch users.
3. eBay Mobile (RedLaser and Milo.com)- eBay has become one of the biggest players in the mobile shopping space, and the company's global mobile sales exceeded $2 billion in 2010. eBay made several key acquisitions in the last couple of years that includes Critical Path Software, a leading mobile application developer, and RedLaser, a mobile barcode scanning application. They recently purchased Milo.com, which provides real-time product inventory. eBay has combined Milo's local shopping results with RedLaser's barcode-scanning capabilities into a single application for both iPhone and Android-based smartphones. With the integration of Milo, shoppers using RedLaser can immediately find out, through a single scan, which nearby retailers currently have a product in stock and who has the best local price. The combination of RedLaser and Milo provide shoppers with instant comparison-shopping on the go. eBay's RedLaser app is available for free download in the iTunes App Store and Android Market. Milo local shopping results are available immediately in both the iPhone and Android versions and online at Milo.com. The RedLaser Software Development Kit (SDK), which is already being used by more than 100 third-party iPhone developers and select retailers, will soon be available for the Android platform.
4. Google Shopper - Google's Shopper app enables users to use their smartphone's camera to locate product information. The app is capable of recognizing books, CDs, DVDs, and video game packaging and can also scan product barcodes to access Google's product database. The app also has voice recognition that allows users to speak the name of the product they're looking for. Google's Shopper app stores a user's history directly on a user's phone so product and price information are always available even if there's no cell service available. The app includes a browser that lets users visit a retailer's website and find the nearest location, and it includes social media access to Facebook, Twitter, GMail, and instant messaging. Google's Shopper app is available for Apple's iPhone and Android-based smartphones.
5. JiWire Compass - JiWire Compass is a location-based mobile advertising platform that combines real-time product information and availability with additional services such as a Concierge service that enables users to find the location of the nearest retailer and reserve a product for pick-up. JiWire's platform lets advertisers identify and deliver ads to audience segments based on a person's physical location while taking the venue type and brand into account. The Compass platform also allows retailers to integrate their product catalogues. Compass currently provides more than 3 million unique products across the U.S. from over 200,000 retailers and product manufacturers. Compass is currently available for Apple's iPhone and iPad platform.
6. Placecast - Placecast's ShopAlerts is an opt-in, location-based mobile marketing solution that delivers targeted information customized for each user based on their location, time, and user preferences. Placecast's services helps retailers by expanding their reach and increasing local foot traffic to physical stores. ShopAlerts is offered as a white-label mobile marketing solution that allows retailers to create custom-branded apps that connect with their customers via SMS messages and through social networks such as Facebook and Twitter. Once a user's ShopAlerts is activated, the service automatically alerts customers about a brand's local sales, special events, or other relevant information based on their location.
7. Point Inside - Point Inside provides indoor destination maps for major malls and airports across the United States and Canada. Point Inside's maps lets users quickly find stores, gates, kiosks, restrooms, elevators, escalators, and other guest services in more than 800 malls and airports. The app is available for Apple's iPhone and Android-based smartphones. Point Inside's app enables retailers to drive additional foot traffic by providing special offers and discounts along with location information.
8. Shopkick - Shopkick's mobile app is available for Apple's iPhone and Android-based devices and provides consumers with rewards and offers simply for walking into stores, for scanning products, and for signing up their friends. Shopkick's concept combines social media sharing with on-the spot location-based rewards that help retailers build buzz and customer loyalty. Shopkick users collect "kickbucks" and bonus offers by checking in at participating retailers and by scanning product barcodes at major US retailers that include Macy's, Crate & Barrel, American Eagle Outfitters, Best Buy, Target, Simon Malls, Wet Seal, and The Sports Authority. Shopkick users can even donate their kickbucks reward points to charitable causes.
9. Sundrop Mobile's Reward Card Wallet - Sundrop Mobile's Reward Card Walletenables consumers to store loyalty cards information on their Apple iPhone or Android-based mobile device. Sundrop Mobile's services include push notification that can increase foot traffic to participating retailers with the ability to broadcast special offers and deals to customers via SMS when they are nearby. Reward Card Wallet is location-aware and allows the consumer to check for deals near their location, which feature deals from merchants as well as Groupon, Living Social, and other services.
When consumers download Reward Card Wallet their existing loyalty memberships automatically appears in the application as part of their registration process. Adding additional loyalty cards such as grocery, convenience, motor club, etc. is easily accomplished using a smartphone's barcode scanner. When users make their next store visit, they simply show their phone's screen to a cashier. The cashier can then scan the on-screen barcode representation of their plastic loyalty card. Reward Card Wallet frees consumers from having to carry multiple reward cards and helps retailers to increase participation and effectiveness of loyalty card programs.
10. WHERE Deal Alerts - WHERE Deal Alerts is an opt-in, location-based mobile marketing solution that delivers personalized alerts for coupons and discount offers to a users' phone based on their preferences and location. Customers that opt-in to WHERE's service can set up a user profile that enables the service to send automated Deal Alerts via text message. Consumers simply select proximity, day of week, time of day, and content categories such as restaurants and shopping, and WHERE will automatically send coupons via SMS based on preferences. WHERE's services helps more than 4 million mobile users discover, save, and share local places on their mobile device by recommending the most relevant content and integrating money-saving special offers from local merchants.
The apps and services included above could have easily been extended to more than double the number we have listed. The mobile shopping space has expanded rapidly and we encourage you to explore further. Other areas to look at include mobile loyalty apps such as CardStar and Scanaroo. Mobile coupon providers such as MobiQpons, Coupious, and Coupon Shera offer an array of options for retailers to connect with consumers.ShopSavvy's barcode scanning and shopping tool provide an alternative to RedLaser. Mobile payment platforms such as Bling Nation, PayPal, and Checkout by Amazon are changing how consumer transactions are handled at the point-of-sale. QR Codes providers such as Microsoft's Tag and JagTag are allowing mobile phone users to capture information on the go, connecting the physical world with the virtual world.
If you are a bargain hunter, this is a must read article:
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2011/11/26/MNQ81M3FIM.DTL
And now for INNOVATIVE TIPS by Dave Presher:
Digital Media Advice: Find trusted sources in similar positions to yourself. It's tough to stay on top of everything. Develop a Personal Board of Directors to help your company, your brand and yourself.
Innovative Idea: People like points, games and fun. How can you change the internal and external culture to engage your customers and staff. Mirror the games that exist or come up with very simple ideas...cash, points, upgrades. It's old hat to people that travel...do you have a customer loyalty program that is simple, on an app and fun?
Digital Remedy: If you or someone in your family feels ill, go to a very sophisticated and trusted source. But like in business, it's always good to get a second opinion on major medical issues. So if you can, go to www.mayoclinic.com...they have the top of the line technology.
I hope you enjoyed reading my blog. We welcome you to share this blog with your friends and colleagues. And if you haven't already done so, please sign up to receive our Involution Digital blog (www.involutiondigital.com). And if there is anything I can do to help grow your business in the digital media, social media, or traditional media worlds, please contact me. Let's chat.
Cheers-
Dave Presher
There is of course the apps from the stores like WalMart, Target, Best Buy and Macy's which let you shop on-line to find the best deals while in the store or shopping in a mall. There is Shopkick.com started with Visa that rewards you with points for shopping in 1000's of stores. Talk about an incredible customer loyalty program!
Businesses - It's truly an upside down world. You need to be wherever your customer is; they don't need to be where you are!
Here are my Top 10 Mobile Apps that are changing shopping...
10 Mobile Apps That Are Changing the Shopping Dynamic for Retailers and Consumers:
1. AisleBuyer - AisleBuyer combines mobile self-checkout with intelligent shopper functionality such as product barcode scanning that returns information, customer reviews, and recommendations. AisleBuyer uses a consumer's shopping history to deliver individual coupons, offers, and discounts, and it also stores a user's receipts and shopper loyalty cards. AisleBuyer is one of the first mobile apps that enable consumers to use their smartphone as a self-checkout device, enabling consumers to pay for purchases on their iPhone or Android-based smartphone and completely bypass the checkout line.
2. BooYAH! MyTown - BooYAH! is a social web and mobile entertainment company that has taken a game-based approach to mobile marketing. Their app, BooYAH! MyTown, is a location-based social gaming platform with more than 2.8 million users in the United States. MyTown enables players to check in to real places, buy virtual properties, and collect rent. MyTown's product check-in allows players to scan barcodes of real-world products using the iPhones camera and unlock points and earn virtual MyTown items. BooYAH! MyTown's is geared toward a young, wired user with its integration of music and social media channels, making it a dynamic platform for youth-oriented retailers that are looking for ways to weave their brands into the app. Brands can also create real-life scavenger hunts to increase brand discovery and engagement. BooYAH!'s MyTown is currently available exclusively for iPhone and iPod touch users.
3. eBay Mobile (RedLaser and Milo.com)- eBay has become one of the biggest players in the mobile shopping space, and the company's global mobile sales exceeded $2 billion in 2010. eBay made several key acquisitions in the last couple of years that includes Critical Path Software, a leading mobile application developer, and RedLaser, a mobile barcode scanning application. They recently purchased Milo.com, which provides real-time product inventory. eBay has combined Milo's local shopping results with RedLaser's barcode-scanning capabilities into a single application for both iPhone and Android-based smartphones. With the integration of Milo, shoppers using RedLaser can immediately find out, through a single scan, which nearby retailers currently have a product in stock and who has the best local price. The combination of RedLaser and Milo provide shoppers with instant comparison-shopping on the go. eBay's RedLaser app is available for free download in the iTunes App Store and Android Market. Milo local shopping results are available immediately in both the iPhone and Android versions and online at Milo.com. The RedLaser Software Development Kit (SDK), which is already being used by more than 100 third-party iPhone developers and select retailers, will soon be available for the Android platform.
4. Google Shopper - Google's Shopper app enables users to use their smartphone's camera to locate product information. The app is capable of recognizing books, CDs, DVDs, and video game packaging and can also scan product barcodes to access Google's product database. The app also has voice recognition that allows users to speak the name of the product they're looking for. Google's Shopper app stores a user's history directly on a user's phone so product and price information are always available even if there's no cell service available. The app includes a browser that lets users visit a retailer's website and find the nearest location, and it includes social media access to Facebook, Twitter, GMail, and instant messaging. Google's Shopper app is available for Apple's iPhone and Android-based smartphones.
5. JiWire Compass - JiWire Compass is a location-based mobile advertising platform that combines real-time product information and availability with additional services such as a Concierge service that enables users to find the location of the nearest retailer and reserve a product for pick-up. JiWire's platform lets advertisers identify and deliver ads to audience segments based on a person's physical location while taking the venue type and brand into account. The Compass platform also allows retailers to integrate their product catalogues. Compass currently provides more than 3 million unique products across the U.S. from over 200,000 retailers and product manufacturers. Compass is currently available for Apple's iPhone and iPad platform.
6. Placecast - Placecast's ShopAlerts is an opt-in, location-based mobile marketing solution that delivers targeted information customized for each user based on their location, time, and user preferences. Placecast's services helps retailers by expanding their reach and increasing local foot traffic to physical stores. ShopAlerts is offered as a white-label mobile marketing solution that allows retailers to create custom-branded apps that connect with their customers via SMS messages and through social networks such as Facebook and Twitter. Once a user's ShopAlerts is activated, the service automatically alerts customers about a brand's local sales, special events, or other relevant information based on their location.
7. Point Inside - Point Inside provides indoor destination maps for major malls and airports across the United States and Canada. Point Inside's maps lets users quickly find stores, gates, kiosks, restrooms, elevators, escalators, and other guest services in more than 800 malls and airports. The app is available for Apple's iPhone and Android-based smartphones. Point Inside's app enables retailers to drive additional foot traffic by providing special offers and discounts along with location information.
8. Shopkick - Shopkick's mobile app is available for Apple's iPhone and Android-based devices and provides consumers with rewards and offers simply for walking into stores, for scanning products, and for signing up their friends. Shopkick's concept combines social media sharing with on-the spot location-based rewards that help retailers build buzz and customer loyalty. Shopkick users collect "kickbucks" and bonus offers by checking in at participating retailers and by scanning product barcodes at major US retailers that include Macy's, Crate & Barrel, American Eagle Outfitters, Best Buy, Target, Simon Malls, Wet Seal, and The Sports Authority. Shopkick users can even donate their kickbucks reward points to charitable causes.
9. Sundrop Mobile's Reward Card Wallet - Sundrop Mobile's Reward Card Walletenables consumers to store loyalty cards information on their Apple iPhone or Android-based mobile device. Sundrop Mobile's services include push notification that can increase foot traffic to participating retailers with the ability to broadcast special offers and deals to customers via SMS when they are nearby. Reward Card Wallet is location-aware and allows the consumer to check for deals near their location, which feature deals from merchants as well as Groupon, Living Social, and other services.
When consumers download Reward Card Wallet their existing loyalty memberships automatically appears in the application as part of their registration process. Adding additional loyalty cards such as grocery, convenience, motor club, etc. is easily accomplished using a smartphone's barcode scanner. When users make their next store visit, they simply show their phone's screen to a cashier. The cashier can then scan the on-screen barcode representation of their plastic loyalty card. Reward Card Wallet frees consumers from having to carry multiple reward cards and helps retailers to increase participation and effectiveness of loyalty card programs.
10. WHERE Deal Alerts - WHERE Deal Alerts is an opt-in, location-based mobile marketing solution that delivers personalized alerts for coupons and discount offers to a users' phone based on their preferences and location. Customers that opt-in to WHERE's service can set up a user profile that enables the service to send automated Deal Alerts via text message. Consumers simply select proximity, day of week, time of day, and content categories such as restaurants and shopping, and WHERE will automatically send coupons via SMS based on preferences. WHERE's services helps more than 4 million mobile users discover, save, and share local places on their mobile device by recommending the most relevant content and integrating money-saving special offers from local merchants.
The apps and services included above could have easily been extended to more than double the number we have listed. The mobile shopping space has expanded rapidly and we encourage you to explore further. Other areas to look at include mobile loyalty apps such as CardStar and Scanaroo. Mobile coupon providers such as MobiQpons, Coupious, and Coupon Shera offer an array of options for retailers to connect with consumers.ShopSavvy's barcode scanning and shopping tool provide an alternative to RedLaser. Mobile payment platforms such as Bling Nation, PayPal, and Checkout by Amazon are changing how consumer transactions are handled at the point-of-sale. QR Codes providers such as Microsoft's Tag and JagTag are allowing mobile phone users to capture information on the go, connecting the physical world with the virtual world.
If you are a bargain hunter, this is a must read article:
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2011/11/26/MNQ81M3FIM.DTL
And now for INNOVATIVE TIPS by Dave Presher:
Digital Media Advice: Find trusted sources in similar positions to yourself. It's tough to stay on top of everything. Develop a Personal Board of Directors to help your company, your brand and yourself.
Innovative Idea: People like points, games and fun. How can you change the internal and external culture to engage your customers and staff. Mirror the games that exist or come up with very simple ideas...cash, points, upgrades. It's old hat to people that travel...do you have a customer loyalty program that is simple, on an app and fun?
Digital Remedy: If you or someone in your family feels ill, go to a very sophisticated and trusted source. But like in business, it's always good to get a second opinion on major medical issues. So if you can, go to www.mayoclinic.com...they have the top of the line technology.
I hope you enjoyed reading my blog. We welcome you to share this blog with your friends and colleagues. And if you haven't already done so, please sign up to receive our Involution Digital blog (www.involutiondigital.com). And if there is anything I can do to help grow your business in the digital media, social media, or traditional media worlds, please contact me. Let's chat.
Cheers-
Dave Presher
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