Smartphones - worth the hype?

There has been a lot of publicity about Smartphones over the past few years. Smartphones are expected to overtake PCs as the most commonly used web-access devices worldwide by 2013. Consumers of all ages are increasingly using their smart phones to find directions, check the latest news, sports scores & fixtures, weather and sports, order food, research products and compare prices while shopping using their instant mobile access. Many of our customers including Dealer Principals, Marketing Managers and Salespeople are now using Smartphone – it’s like having a mini computer in your pocket. Several of us at AutoBase have iPhones and they have quickly become indispensable business resources. Following are the main benefits we have found with having a Smartphone (iPhone):

Email, Diary and Calendars

Synch your work email and calendars to your iPhones in order to check emails and meeting schedules and reminders when out of the office, without the need to pull out a lap top or phone into the office to check.

Contacts

You can synch all of your personal and business contacts to your iPhone. Every time you add a contact to your Outlook Calendar at work, the contact’s details will synch to your iPhone so that your contacts are always captured, and up to date.

Internet

Access the internet whilst mobile to look at your company website, Twitter, Facebook, competitor’s websites and product reviews, videos or comparisons. Also access WIFI spots via your iPhone. Many companies also have ‘mobile websites’ - websites which are ‘shrunk’ to fit to portable and wireless devices like Smartphones, for better visibility and usability.

Lead Management

When Salespeople and Account Managers are on the yard or out on the road, they use their iPhones to check and respond to emails efficiently without missing a message or leaving a prospect hanging. The last thing you want is a prospect going to a competitor who may provide them with the information they want faster. Also add customer contact details such as email address and phone numbers straight into your iPhone directory, and book in a meeting or follow-up call straight into your calendar so that you don’t lose that lead or let it fall through the cracks.

Social Media

Access and manage your company Facebook and Twitter accounts while mobile, keeping your customers up to date with your latest news, share latest photos and videos of your vehicles and promote specials offers and services.

Google Maps and GPS

Access to maps, directions and GPS make it easier for your staff to get to their meetings on time. Look up best routes by car, foot or bus with an estimate of the time it will take to travel.

iPhone Applications (aka Apps)

iPhone Applications (aka Apps) are 3rd party software programs specifically designed for iPhones which are downloaded directly to your iPhone and are generally free or less than $US2. There are 1,000s of iPhone Apps available ranging from Apps for checking the weather or looking for local movie sessions to checking into your Air NZ flight or games. There are many iPhone Apps now designed for car buyers, car enthusiasts, vehicle owners, car dealers and automotive industry professionals. We use an App for our company CRM system which enables Account and Sales Managers to update their leads and opportunities while out visiting our customers. For car buyers, Trade Me have an App enabling people to search inventory on their iPhone, satisfying the public’s ever growing need for instant gratification –search for what you want, when you want it. Unlike mobile websites custom made iPhone Apps are fast and provides more functionality over a mobile site by utilizing the features such as Location Services, Maps, Local & Push Notifications and rich graphics.

In America individual dealers are going further by getting iPhone Apps built specifically for their dealerships, where they can load their inventory for customers to access real-time information easily, and quickly search, scan, upload, send and share their listings. The Chrysler Group has new Smartphone Apps that provide vehicle operation, maintenance and warranty information, product feature video demos, connections with fellow owners via their Twitter and Facebook sites, access to customer care and 24-hour road-side assistance. Toyota built an App that lets car buyers window shop its makes and models of vehicles with more than 130 color options, take pictures of a vehicle identification number or VIN to get specific information about a car, and the ability to find the nearest Toyota dealership. There are also Apps for dealers to get instant information for their wholesale buyers, both in-house and when traveling. They can quickly appraise vehicles and determine retail market values in real-time. The opportunities are endless!

Access Podcasts

All iPhones have iTunes, which is a free music directory which organises and plays your digital music and video on your Mac or PC computer, iPod or iPhone and also purchase music, iPhone Apps, videos or live podcasts. Podcasts are a method if streaming audio, video or other media over the internet. You can access or subscribe to podcasts covering a huge variety of media from Sky Sport and local radio to the BBC’s coverage of Formula One.

To stay competitive stay on top of the tools your customers are using, and use any tools available to you to make running your business easier and more efficient. Our experience is with iPhones, but there are many other great Smartphones available on the market such as Androids, Blackberries or Windows. It’s something worth looking into.