SmallBusinessNewz

We've talked before about what smartphones (specifically the iPhone) can do for your business, and why some businesses may want to consider having their own iPhone apps developed. Does your business have an iPhone app?

"The iPhone and its many varied applications have given businesses the opportunity to reach existing and new customers on the go, but many lack the resources, knowledge, or budget to create mobile apps in-house," says Magaly Chocano, CEO and founder of Sweb Apps, a company that creates apps for businesses that don't have the engineering team or budget to create a personalized mobile app.

There is another aspect to the iPhone (and other smartphone) apps that businesses should consider though. Whether you have an app or not, you don't want to ignore these things, because many people are using them (at a rapidly growing pace), and they're using them as an alternative to websites in many cases.

People use apps to search, and all kinds of things, and if there are apps that are relevant to whatever it is that you offer, you better:

a. know about them
b. be able to be found there.

This is a topic discussed by Cindy Krum in the following WebProNews interview:

More WebProNews Videos

It's about visibility, and it never hurts to keep in mind that smartphone users are not only a growing group, but a group that has access to their phones' apps at all times of the day. No matter where they are, they have their phone on them. If there's an app that your business could be found in, you need to make sure you're taking the right measures to be there.

Optimize for relevant apps.

If your business does have its own app, or it you intend to have one created, you also need to make sure you're optimizing the app itself to be found. And we're not only talking about in the search engines.

Krum does note that she has seen apps appear in Google results (through possible testing) in universal search-like fashion, but app owners should make sure they are able to be found in the actual App store (or other smartphone equivalent).

One more interesting takeaway from Krum's interview, is that with an app, you should try to utilize as much of the phones' capabilities as possible. She talks about a Nationwide Auto Insurance app as an example, which utilizes the phone's camera, GPS, lets users easily make calls and/or submit material to the company.

Finally, promote your app. Don't just expect people to find it.