These are the Friday “High Five” stories in the digital product innovation space during the week of 4/16/2016 to 4/22/2016 we noticed were trending.
———
1) Skype Bots Compete with Facebook Bots
Last month, Microsoft hosted its annual Build Conference, and they made some major announcements. First and foremost, they introduced their new bot framework, which would integrate with Microsoft services such as Skype and Outlook.
Not long after this event, Facebook held its own F8 Conference, announcing their own major updates. Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg introduced the new Messenger bot framework, which would give developers the ability to integrate their own bots for the platform’s 900 million users.
When Skype bots were released, some considered the service to be more “practical” than inspiring. When compared with Facebook, Microsoft’s bots offer more utility than entertainment, giving users the ability to search the web or find resources. Facebook bots support more business communications with customers through Messenger, which can be a better opportunity for company outreach.
We at Stuzo have been developing our own experience and expertise in the Facebook bots framework. We have a technical analysis of its usability and potential that demonstrates our commitment to this new means of business-to-consumer (B2C) interaction.
Contact us today to discuss how we can build a Facebook Messenger bot for your business.
2) IoT Brings Indirect Enterprise Savings
In a recent study by TECHnalysis, participants demonstrated a high commitment to IoT development, which gives businesses a better understanding of how the industry is growing.
The most important finding of the study was that businesses accept the fact that IoT development doesn’t reap immediate rewards. Companies understand that focus should be on the process rather than the rewards.
If your business wants to join other IoT innovators, contact us to learn how we can get you into the industry in an effective, powerful way, using our services.
3) The Digital World and Reaching a Younger Audience
Is your business growing with the times? By now, you should know how crucial it is to build your business through technology advancements. Younger generations are growing more and more tech-integrated, so your business cannot afford to fall behind. Keep in mind that the tech-involved generations are quickly becoming the majority population on the planet.
The most essential changes your business must adapt to are the switch to mobile technology and customer engagement. You can no longer depend on your website and advertising to get consumers’ attention. It’s time to bring your business to the engaged, mobile world.
Do you want to grow your business in a way that adapts to younger consumers? You need to know the why and how, and we can help you with both those questions. We can build you a mobile presence that appeals to your younger consumers, so you’ll see more engagement and loyalty from them.
Your next step is simply to contact us at Stuzo to schedule a consultation. We’re here to help your business stay current and effective with the changing times.
4) Mobile Payments vs. Traditional Payments
There’s been a lot of talk about mobile payments, especially with the increased competition in the industry. For instance, you’ve probably heard of Apple Pay, which allows people with iPhones to pay using their mobile phone at checkout.
With mobile payments becoming more appealing for manufacturers in the industry, it makes one question what will happen with traditional payment methods, such as credit cards and cash. In the UK, for example, the use of mobile payments has grown substantially within only a short period of time. Between 2014 and 2015, the use of mobile payments grew by 10% in just that on year.
Although it’s unlikely wallet payment methods will die out anytime soon, it’s still likely that mobile payments will continue to grow in popularity. Mobile payment manufacturers are building upon their methods, making them more appealing and effective, but the likelihood of it canceling out cash is low.
You do have an opportunity here as a business, and that’s if you build your own mobile app to help customers with the transaction process. You can build a mobile loyalty app that gives users an interest in earning rewards and receiving discounts and coupons. If you build an app that works at checkout to make the process quick and smooth, you’ll grow a more loyal and interested customer base.
We know how to build a mobile loyalty app, and we can build one for you. Contact us today to set up a meeting where we can discuss your ideas and our methodologies together. We’ll build something great for your business.
5) How Merchants Can Benefit From Wearables
Do you question whether wearables are a potential business opportunity? Many do. Some don’t think the industry is growing fast enough, or they think customers are unlikely to adopt a merchant-based wearable app.
According to IDC’s worldwide wearables market forecast, between 2014 and 2015, wearable shipments increased by 173.3% that year alone.
“We expect smart wearables, those capable of running third party apps, to take the lead in 2016. Smart wearables like the Apple Watch and Microsoft’s Hololens are indicative of an upcoming change in computing, and the transition from basic to smart wearables opens up a slew of opportunities for vendors, app developers, and accessory makers.”
Jitesh Ubrani
What does this mean for your business? It means you have an opportunity here to give your customers a new, increasingly popular way to interact with you. As a merchant, you have three benefits at minimum:
- Faster checkout
- New ways to contact users with offers and customer service
- Better ways to personalize the customer experience
If you want to become a more effective merchant for your digitally-integrated customer base, it’s time for you to build your own mobile app, which would be developed to work on wearable devices as well. Contact us today to discuss what your needs are and how we can help you achieve your digital business goals.
———
These trending topics cover five key industries, all of which could be business opportunities. At this point, it’s up to you whether you want to be an innovator (growing with the times) or a laggard (falling behind).
At Stuzo, we are always innovating and staying ahead of the game. When you’re ready to get involved with the digital space, contact us to set up a consultation so that we can work together on achieving your goals.
