A few months ago, I was featured on YogaPeople.io with tips on how to successfully market yoga retreats, and I shed some light on how difficult it can actually be to start your own yoga class nowadays, with the market being so congested. The article discussed the many things one should consider, such as the audience you’re shooting for, where your event is going to be held, and the theme of the retreat. Much of these come into consideration when you’re planning an event, but when it comes to building your brand and generating a following, you may want to focus on one more thing: getting your information out there.
While a good website is essential to any business nowadays, it’s even more important for your website to be accessible via mobile. According to the company that runs Pocket Fruity, growth in mobile internet is among the most powerful trends on the internet landscape, with more and more people now accessing the internet via their mobile phones than through any other channel. While most websites can now be optimized for mobile phones, many marketing experts claim that mobile apps are the better choice, as they give your users easy access to dedicated information regarding the services you’re offering.
An article on Forbes explains one of the most important reasons why businesses should invest in mobile now:
“A recent report by Google showed a major growth of 411 percent in mobile searches for last minute hotel and accommodation bookings from June 2011 to June 2012, while desktop searches decreased 79 percent. eBay accounted for a staggering $5 billion in mobile transactions in 2011 and expects to see $10 billion in mobile transactions this year. With nearly as many mobile devices as people in the world, and more iPhones being sold than babies born in the world every day, the mobile commerce revolution is just getting started.”
Other research has revealed that as much as 66% of users who did mobile searches visited businesses, but 76% of users left websites when they took too long to load on mobile. When you create a mobile app, it means potential customers have to do less to find information on the services you’re offering, and through e-Commerce options they can even book your services. Potential features of your app could be event calendars, interactive maps, galleries and access to testimonials from previous participants.
The best part about the mobile app industry is that it’s become so popular that there are many resources available to you should you decide to develop an app for yourself. There are services such as Appy Pie and Como, which allow business owners to build apps simply by inserting content into templates. These are good for basic apps, but if you want a bit more functionality, you may want to build your app from the ground up.
According to Formutus, figuring out the costs of mobile app development is easy, and many agencies have already released mobile app calculators where you can choose the features you want, and see how much the app will cost. Now, you don’t have to hire an agency to be able to create your app, but most agree that it’s best to get a designer. The designer will be there to help you conceptualize and execute your app, with you simply providing the content and graphics. Blue Cloud Solutions outlines the process of app creation quite well, saying that most table-based apps will cost somewhere between $1,000-$4,000.
It seems like a big cost, but with all the potential mobile apps have, those who want to begin their own yoga retreats should definitely consider launching their own dedicated apps.