Return on Marketing Efforts: Previously when your practice had new information to share with clients you may have posted it to your website or blog, but what happens then? What is the return on the time spent updating your website, how many new visitors did the new design deliver and how many of your visitors actually returned to your site? Every time you post important information or new promotions how many people actually take notice? Instead of trying to answer those questions let’s take a look at how effective a mobile strategy built around a customized application could be for your business:

Offer Clients the Very Best in Customer Service: Todays mobile applications give you the ability to immediately and drastically improve your businesses customer experience. By creating a mobile app you are consolidating all your customer service efforts into one easy to access interface for your clients. All the information needed to take advantage of your services can be placed directly into your clients pocket for them to access at their own leisure or when you remind them to. The below facbook post clearly demonstrates how one clinic improved their customer service in an emergency situation.  A client sharing this experience with over 1500 fans and friends is invaluable to any business.

The Mobile Web is the New Standard of Convenience: If you found knew that the percentage of visitors to your website from a mobile device would soon be greater than the number of visitors coming from a pc or laptop, would you invest your marketing dollars differently?  Today’s consumer spends nearly as much time engaged with mobile applications as they do watching TV. That same consumer spends half that time on the internet daily. In order to best reach your targeted demographic you must invest in the ease of use that an application provides for your customers in the mobile environment. Consumers have turned to mobile applications for one main reason, convenience. Today’s biggest businesses are investing huge money in the development of custom mobile apps designed strictly for client convenience. Staying at the forefront of mobile will prove a game changer for some businesses, while others that wait to witness the success of mobile will have only fallen further behind.

Social Media Isn’t Limited by Mobile: Facebook has set restraints on the number of fans your posts and updates will actually reach, generally the average post today only reaches about 14% of your followers. This issue can be solved by integrating our state of the art social media portal into your app. The social portal has been designed to let clients directly interact with your clinics Facebook, twitter, youtube, pinterest, and WordPress pages. The results being increased client engagement, increased interaction from your clientele and the potential to reach new clients with a strong social presence. By integrating your social media strategy into your mobile strategy you are substantially increasing the accessibility of your social pages and  the number of impressions your fan pages receive.

In Conclusion: Being an innovator in the mobile field will pay off for businesses and prove to be a huge advantage in the long run. Development of a solid mobile strategy will prove effective as competitors fall behind and consumer loyalty begins to be driven by convenience.

To learn more about THE VET APP,  go to  www.petvetapp.com

In today’s consumer market we are all looking for extended levels of convenience. What better way to do this then offer QR code links that will guide clients directly to your App’s download page in the stores? For those of you unfamiliar with “QR Codes”, this stands for Quick Response Code. So a QR Code is basically just an image (see above picture) generated by a web page that lets a smart phone with the correct software quickly scan the image and view the specified page.

Although QR Codes can do much more than just redirect a potential client to a web page, you also have the ability to create codes that will bring clients directly to your Facebook fan page, your Application in the App store, your twitter feed or blog and many other options. Over the course of one month during 2012 14 million smart phone users scanned QR Codes, and it is has been rumored that QR Code readers will be native to your phone’s camera application soon.

How is this going to be effective for my clinic though, and on top of that how will this technology help drive downloads and usage of my app? The key to an effective QR Code based marketing campaign is making sure you are bringing your customers or potential customers to information that is relevant and or adds value to their experience. A good example of this would be creating a QR Code to bring clients directly to their respectable App stores where they can instantly download your clinic’s App.

QR Codes are an extremely useful marketing strategy in todays mobile environment. Not only can they be beneficial for a business attempting to grow, but they also provide the client with a link between their daily out-of-doors life and the web creating for a more informed and knowledgeable consumer. The benefits to QR Code marketing goes on and on, but the most important tactic to highlight is creating codes that will give clients direct access to download your app. This will make it easier for clientele and potential clientele to locate your app, and will also add directly to the whole mobile client experience at your business.

Todays smartphone users are increasingly using applications to take care of daily activities in a quick and simple matter. As we are exposed to more and more applications making our lives simpler we have begun to crave this feature from all our business interactions. A client happy with their mobile banking application is going to want to replicate that experience with as many interactions as possible. Creating a personalized, yet simplistic and overall useful experience within your application will grow customer loyalty and directly affect referral numbers.

Recent studies done regarding specific aspects of smartphone usage indicate that consumers now spend as much time on mobile applications as they do communicating via email, text, and instant messaging. This isn’t to say that consumers no longer value traditional forms of communication by any means though. In fact todays mobile application should make communication via phone, email, text, or web even easier. Clients will return to an application each time they need info if they know it is readily available.

The key to creating an application that will improve any business’s customer service is to create an obvious level of customer usability. Once a customer can identify the app as potentially useful they are likely to at least download the application. The next step to capturing the new age of mobile customers is creating a simplistic overall user experience. The best mobile experience is only possible with a true mobile application, the mobile web is also key to capturing clients but its usage has already been surpassed by Apps. Simple and easy to access functions such as a tap to call button, directions, and appointment scheduling are just a few of the features that will directly improve your clients in-app experience and their loyalty to your clinic.

Your app is the gateway to all of your clinic’s services, a portal of sorts customized to your clients experience. Today’s consumer is looking for the ease of operation offered by mobile applications. It is then key to create a quality user experience with in the application to directly increase not only customer experience, but customer loyalty as well. Features such as push notifications, access to pet records, and pet photo sharing are working to personalize the app experience for users. Using these features to keep client’s up to date on clinic happenings, promotions, and updates will directly contribute to your customers experience and loyalty.

2012 was the year of photo sharing, a perfect storm of technology all leading up to a reshaping of the way we view our favorite social networks. With upgraded smart phones capable of capturing and sharing stunning images to the web in a matter of moments, the status update is dead. Text updates and notifications have taken a backseat to the newly created world of mobile media in which any one with a smart phone is now a photographer, cinematographer, and producer in their own right. Our generation has become extremely visual in regards to our social networking, we as a community prefer pictures, video, and other originally generated media as opposed to text driven status updates or shared articles.

The most important aspect of sharing and contributing to photo driven social networks such as; Facebook, instagram, pinterest, twitter, and many others is the generation of original content specific to your business. Taking all this into consideration in-touch MOBILE has created a photo sharing application within The Vet App called Pet-Postcards. With a fully customized template gallery and per-clinic branding on each template, it is as simple as taking a snapshot of your favorite pet and choosing one of the many sharing options included. All the while generating original content for your business and simultaneously populating your clinics in App photo gallery, where clients can view fellow clients Pet-Postcards.

As the leading provider of Mobile Applications for the veterinary industry it is the goal of in-touch MOBILE to help your clinic succeed. With constant updates and additions being made to The Vet App and the steady evolution of social media your clinic will not want to miss out on our exclusive offers for new clients during february. If you have any interest or would like to find out more about The Vet App for your clinic please sign up for an upcoming Webinar here. Please don’t hesitate to email icampbell@in-touchmobile.com or just give us a call at 303-282-4840 with any questions.

in-touch MOBILE: App Portfolio | Facebook | Twitter | Linked-in | Pinterest

The New Mobile App Economy:
Consumers and pet owners alike are now spending more time on their mobile devices than on their PCs, and yes this is true for pet owners! A direct result is mobile search for businesses has grown 130% over the past year and the mobile app industry raked in close to 18 million dollars in revenue in 2012.  Your clients are demanding accessibility and convenience and mobile is proving to be the most convenient channel for today’s consumers.  The Bayer Veterinary Care Usage Study results support this, the study reports that veterinary practices must make it easier for their clients to schedule appointments.

A Direct Communication Channel to Your High Value Clients:
A mobile app will give you another, non intrusive way to contact your clients.  It is likely that clients that downloaded your app are also loyal clients that want to be treated as such.  Loyal or VIP clients want to be kept up to date on your practices latest news, promotions and offers. A mobile app will be your direct communication channel to these very valuable clients.  Communication through your mobile app is not only non-intrusive but will allow you to communicate easily with your client base as a whole more frequently.

Push Notification’s will get your messages seen!
The first benefit your practice will get with the implementation of your very own mobile app is the ability to send out a Push Notification when you make updates to your clinics app. People spend most of their time with their smart phones. Therefore, when you post information to your news page, with a mobile app by in-touch MOBILE, a push notification is sent through the app to notify users that there is updated information for them to review. A push notification is opened 97% of the time compared to an open rate of just 10% with e-mail!  So even if only a segment of your clients use your app, you will realize a substantial lift in response rates from this segment due to the effectiveness of this communication channel.

Stay “in-TOUCH” with Clients Throughout The Year:
Functional features such as scheduling appointments or reordering medications are client tools that your mobile app must include, but  engaging and fun features are critical to keep your clients coming back! Here is why, if your practice sees a patient once or twice a year it may be only once or twice a year that your client uses your app.  Mobile applications that have fun and engaging features continue to grab your client’s attention throughout the year.  Some examples of fun and engaging features included mobile stores that offer pet owners the ability to purchase pet products such as collar, leashes, clothing, etc.  Pet photo sharing features are great way for your clients to share your services with their friends (look for next week’s post on the benefits of in-touch mobile’s Pet Photo Sharing feature).  Social media tools that link directly to your social sites within your clinics App in order to help increase client interaction on these networks.

Improve Social Media Results!
Is your practice struggling to get clients to engage with your social media marketing? have you hired a third party to manage your social media and are not seeing results?  By having a mobile app that incorporates your social media sites you will see more clients engage with your posts and clients will be more likely to proactively post to your sites. Also the most important part of posting to Facebook is the generation of original and engaging content such as; links, photos, and videos. The photo sharing feature of our application will help your clinic generate original content right within the applications template gallery.  Remember pet owners now spend more time on mobile than on their computers. If your app gives them a way to connect on mobile they will!

Repeat Business!
If you invest in a quality mobile app that makes it easier for clients to do business with you, it is likely they will do more business with you!  Whether it is ordering medications, viewing their pets records through your portal, participating in social media contests, or ordering pet products from your mobile store etc.  The proof is in the pudding, try contacting your practice from your smart phone doing each of the following:  1. Search for your practice from mobile web  2. Call information 3. Find your clinics information in your directory.  How many steps did each of these items require and how long did each take?  With a mobile app your client can be “in-TOUCH” with your practice at just the touch of a button!

During the month of February in-touch MOBILE owner and founder Mary Shields will be hosting three online webinars covering mobile strategy in the Vet Industry and the functions of The Vet App. The webinars will touch on everything from mobile marketing strategy and campaigns built for the vet industry, to the functionality and benefits of adding an application to your clinics mobile efforts. During the first three weeks in February there will be a webinar held each Thursday at 12 noon Eastern Standard Time, please follow the links below to register. Be sure to act quickly as spots are limited and webinars are filling up quickly. If for one reason all of the times listed below do not work for you please let us know and we will work with your schedule to set up a good time to sit down with you. Registration is completely free and we will be giving away the basic version our our Mobile application for FREE this month to those clinics that attend one of the upcoming webinars.

Webinar # 1: Thursday, February 7th @ 12pm EST – Sign Up Here
Webinar # 2: Thursday, February 14th @ 12pm EST - Sign Up Here
Webinar # 3: Thursday, February 21st @ 12pm EST - Sign Up Here 

*Email icampbell@in-touchmobile.com to request a different meeting time, we would be happy to set one up.

We are very happy to announce the official launch of  in-touch MOBILE custom mobile applications for veterinary clinics and the pet industry. Located in Denver, Colorado  in-touch MOBILE  is working with their first round of clients to create fully customized mobile applications for the iPhone and Android platforms. Working directly with the veterinary and animal clinics give us the ability to build a mobile application that is truly tailored to that clinics specific needs.

With options to do everything from book an appointment, re-order medications and get emergency information this application puts a pet owners every need in the palm of their hand. Not only does the application provide your clients with a new level of convenience but it also contains the fun and entertaining Pet Postcards feature. Pet Postcards is a photo-template gallery that promotes the sharing of funny and heartfelt photos through social networks and the “Send to Vet” option directly forwarding your pets photo to your Vet. Clinics are able to utilize the postcard function to build on their marketing programs as they can now simply send clients photos of their pets while they are in for a visit or stay.

Owner and founder of  in-touch MOBILE, Mary Shields put it plainly when discussing a business’s need to go mobile: “With the constant evolution of mobile technology in todays marketplace, it is essential for your business to adapt to this new lifestyle. Today’s consumer is mobile and looking for the highest level of productivity and convenience. The addition of a custom mobile application from In-Touch gives easier access to your clinic services by putting them right at your client’s fingertips 24/7.”

If you are a part of the Vet industry and would like to learn more we would love to hear from you, for more information e-mail icampbell@in-touchmobile.com. You can also head over to the iTunes or Google Play Store and test out our demo application by searching for “The Vet App”. This is what the application looks like with zero customization but should display the applications potential.

***To request a full copy of this Press Release please contact icampbell@in-touchmobile.com.***

]]> http://www.in-touchmobile.com/in-touch-mobile-announces-the-vet-app/feed/ 5 http://www.in-touchmobile.com/text-messaging-proving-to-be-extremely-efficient-in-veterinary-industry/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=text-messaging-proving-to-be-extremely-efficient-in-veterinary-industry http://www.in-touchmobile.com/text-messaging-proving-to-be-extremely-efficient-in-veterinary-industry/#comments Thu, 17 Jan 2013 22:02:35 +0000 ian_intouch http://www.in-touchmobile.com/?p=831 ]]> Who is using text messaging in todays evolving mobile climate? For starters we all know the younger generations use text regularly as their main source of communication. What about the elderly though? One would think that senior citizens would not care for too much for the mobile text platform, surprisingly though our initial research has shown us some surprisingly different results! Text messages can be sent out for any number of reasons; for appointment confirmations, 1-to-1 notifications for clients, surgery updates, lab reports, as well as vaccine and health reminders.

Since the beginning of our text messaging program it has proven itself to be a successful tool for client to clinic contact strategy. With opt in rates of up to 98% for the text messaging program we are seeing clinics save time and money as the automated messages do their work. With appointment reminders clients can reply immediately to the reminders eliminating the need for clinic call backs, using our new text messaging program we have seen clinics reduce their client call back time by over 50%.

Overall clinics have been reporting high levels of customer satisfaction with the initiation of their text programs, and with such high opt in rates more and more clients are choosing text message reminders each day. Not only is this a great benefit to your client as you provide them with hassle free reminders, but it can also help improve efficiency and productivity in your clinic by reducing call times and no shows.

Example of a Typical Text Conversation between Clinic and Client:

• Clinic: Bella has an appt 12/17 @11:00am. Fill out forms@ www.yourclinic.com
• Client: Thank you for the reminder
• Clinic: Great News! No eggs found in Ozzy’s fecal sample and giardia is negative. Call with questions.  303-282-4840
• Client: Thank you very much!!

According to the 2012 CDC Wireless Substitution Report , 35.7% of American homes no longer have landlines. That is a 30% increase since 2010 reports sighting only 5% of families had dismissed land lines and gone mobile.  As daunting as this may sound it is actually great news for your practice.

Utilizing  your practices staff to contact clients at home and remind them of an upcoming appointment or  services is costing your clinic money, and is not a productive use of staff time. These cold calls to clients have a very low success rate by nature, when trying to reach clients at their home phone, approximately 6 times out of 10 times your team is forced to leave a voicemail message. A recent uReach Technologies study shows that 20% of voicemail messages are never picked up and an additional 30% may not be picked up for days. In summary, placing calls is a large investment in your clinics time and resources and is probably not yielding the results that a well thought out mobile campaign would.

So with that said you’re now forced to contact clients using their mobile phone.  Hurray! This is great news because according to the Mobile Marketing Association our cell phones are within 3 feet of us 98% of the time. Although this doesn’t mean your client will pick up or even listen to your voice message. At  in-touch MOBILE we have solved this issue with the help of text reminders. Text reminders are non intrusive, visual, archivable and have virtually a 100% open rate. Today’s smart phone users do not want to be interrupted by a phone call during their busy days, text messaging creates a visual message that will physically remain in the clients inbox. With that said it is important to understand just how effective text reminders can be. On average, text messages are opened within 4 minutes of receipt with the option for clients to quickly and easily reply.

To clarify some of the effects this may have had on your business. Initially, you may have seen the effectiveness of your reminder program down a few percentage points the past few years. If your reminder strategy included making past due reminder calls to your client’s home line there could many potential reasons you aren’t making connections. 1 in 3 american homes today do not have a land line in comparison to almost 99% of the population using mobile phones. Contacting a client on their mobile phone solves this problem while sending text message eliminates the possibility of a client not receiving your message.

Below are several tips to help your practice adjust to your client’s new communication patterns:

Tips:

1.  Be Sure To Capture The Clients Mobile Number First!  Mobile phone numbers and email should be the first information you capture for todays client. E-mail and mobile have become the most common forms of communication and can prove to be a very valuable asset for your practice.

2.  Utilize Text Confirmations and Reminders: With todays new paradigm of communication, text message reminders are proving to be the most effective and efficient way to get important information to your clients and be sure that your message is received.

3.  Mobile Mobile Mobile: Build a relationship with your practices clients on the channel they use most and prefer! The Vet App, a fully customized mobile app by  in-touch MOBILE gives your clients easier access to your services with convenient features such as: schedule appointments, reorder medications, tap for emergency and to call, clinic directions and so much more!

The Big Creek Pet Hospital with two locations in Northeastern Ohio has been working with in-touch MOBILE over the past month to develop the first in a line of new Mobile Applications for the Vet Industry. Working closely with Big Creek Pet Hospital’s practice manager Ed Fegan we have developed an application to directly serve the needs of their client base. Big Creeks new mobile application includes everything from useful tools for the pet owner to a fun and engaging Pet Postcards feature where clients and clinics can share photos of their companions on a number of networks at the touch of a button. Working with local news outlets Mr. Fegan was able to have his groundbreaking mobile application featured in the local paper and on their website, to learn more about The Vet App and the Big Creek Pet Hospital please see the Full Article Here. in-touch MOBILE would like to thank everyone at Big Creek for all their help and dedication in being one of the first clinics to successfully launch their new Mobile Application. The Application can be found in both the iTunes App Store and the android based Google Play Marketplace just search the phrase: “Big Creek Pet”.

Full Article on Cleveland.com 

Big Creek Pet Hospital: Facebook | Twitter