Every year, mobile technology is playing a bigger role in how people find the services they need and make purchase decisions.

Last year, the volume of mobile searches finally surpassed desktop- people are using their phones more than computers to search. According to the latest Mobile Path to Purchase report, consumers consider mobile their most important research tool for purchase information. These searches are also more likely to be for urgent buying decisions -- 42% of mobile searchers on the go are planning to make a purchase within the hour.

Needless to say, it's high time businesses large and small take note of this trend and adopt mobile technology for their own marketing purposes.

And the impact can be great for small and medium businesses as well as big brands. According to recent research, the top 25% of small and medium businesses that adopted mobile technology are seeing two times the revenue growth and eight times the number of jobs created.

Despite the obvious benefits for small and medium businesses, adopting mobile technology can be quite a challenge for them. Developing a designated mobile app or mobile-optimized website can be expensive, for one. Developers say app development can cost $6,453 on average, not to mention the cost of maintenance and updates when needed. And many small business owners just don't have the knowledge and resources to effectively compete on the mobile market, especially against businesses with huge mobile and SEO budgets.

This is a problem that mobile technology SerCle is seeking to change.

SerCle is an all-in-one service app that connects consumers with small business service providers. Users just tell the app what they need done, and it will connect them with the right business, whether they need auto work, a math tutor, legal services, and more.

The service is all about highlighting small businesses in a mobile environment, helping connect skilled workers with their demand and driving the local economy.

There are no better examples of the impact of the on-demand sharing economy than services like Uber and Airbnb. Uber began as a transportation solution, but is now widely used as everyone's personal driver and delivery service. As a shipping and logistics service for urban environments, it's valued at an impressive $70 billion. Meanwhile Airbnb has managed to expand their user base to become one of the top global players in the hospitality industry, after humble beginnings connecting customers with short-time rentals

In a short amount of time, both businesses have reshaped how people seek transportation and housing, largely thanks to mobile technology.

We live in an age where convenience and saving time are valuable commodities, easily deliverable through the information device many of us carry at our fingertips (our phones). Businesses that are able to make use of such platforms can leverage the technology for intense business growth.

At the same time, businesses that can't or won't adopt a demand-sharing economy will suffer compared to their competitors who do. Some say Uber, for example, has effectively destroyed the traditional taxi industry

For almost every type of business you can think of, the need to join the on-demand economy is great. And so far, much of the news you hear about the on-demand economy is the success of startups skyrocketing into multi-million dollar business ventures.

SerCle is poised as a solution for this, geared towards the small service providers who need the most help competing in a mobile technology market. It allows users to easily book appointments via chat messages, or cancel and reschedule. By offering 27 service categories, it's different than other on-demand service providers by promoting services for every need. In one single app, people can find a local financial advisor, carpet cleaner, or landscaping team. And all sorts of small businesses have access to the mobile technology they need to remain competitive in an on-demand market.

As connecting businesses with consumers continues to become more technologically complex, it becomes easier for big budget brands to take advantage of the market and push out smaller businesses. But with the help of on-demand business tools that spring up daily, this doesn't have to happen.

Contact:
Grant Douglas
[email protected]

Source Link: http://www.inc.com/aj-agrawal/how-this-startup-is-helping-small-businesses-adjust-to-mobile-technology.html