Apitap combines and adapts traditional forms of marketing and promotion with new digital technologies to give merchants all the tools they need in one place to promote and build their business. Where once merchants used printed ads and word of mouth to help grow their business, digital marketing uses television displays, mobile apps, online websites, and real time, instant communication to deliver a merchant’s promotions faster and better.
Digital signage is a part of what we do, but not all. We feel that in today’s modern marketplace, just using digital signs isn’t enough. Merchants need to interact with and engage their customers to get their business. A sign may be great for getting a potential customers notice, but of you don’t engage them immediately somehow then you run the risk of losing them. Our digital signage combines with and is enhanced through our use of mobile apps and other tools to make sure that not only do you get a customer’s attention, but that you have every possibility to turn that into a sale immediately.
The correct question is “Why do I need Digital Marketing?”. Studies and proven sales statistics over the past several years have shown that digital marketing does increase sales, from 15% up to over 40% in some cases. In fact, some news is starting to come forward that businesses that don’t use digital marketing are actually losing business to competition that does. Businesses rely on their customer base to survive. As the market shifts to a more tech embracing consumer, merchants need to be able to gain their attention and build sales where these consumers are looking. With competition increasing daily, and the amount of money consumers have to freely spend decreasing, businesses have to make sure that not only do they get their customers notice today but that they keep their notice, and purchases, tomorrow. Our digital marketing platform provides merchants with a way to do that.
We designed our system to be as easy as possible to learn to use but, as with anything, there is a learning curve. However, it can be a small one. Think back to when you first started driving. Before you learned, it seemed like a huge obstacle and process to be able to drive. For some maybe it was easier than for others, but still there was a process they had to learn. Now, looking back, you regard driving as something easy to do in most cases. It’s the same with us. While the idea of our system at first may seem to be difficult, as you get used to it you will see it really isn’t. When you are familiar completely with it, you will find it so easy that you will wonder why you waited so long to start doing it in the first place. No matter what pace you follow, we will be available to help you every step of the way. We see our merchant customers as our partners because in reality that is what they really are. The more successful they become using our platform and services, the more successful we become.
Simple answer, they’re not. Yes, they may claim some aspect of their service or product offering to be free, and that one part may be. However, the rest of their system isn’t. Unfortunately, you don’t find out about it until after you have signed up with them. “Free” companies manufacture all sorts of hidden costs, expenses, and even penalties in some cases, in order to make their money. First and foremost, they are a business and a business needs revenue in order to survive. We are open and straight forward about our costs. We don’t believe in surprise costs and expenses when it comes to business. We don’t like them in ours and we are fairly sure that you don’t like them in yours. Anytime you see someone claim free, ask yourself this, “How are they staying in business and if I go with them, will they even be there in a couple months?”. Then read the fine print and ask some questions. You will discover in the end that they’re not actually free at all.
You know your business better than anyone else, so we leave full control over how it’s promoted in your hands. When you use our tools the way they are intended and to the best effort you can, then you will be giving yourself the best possible chance of growing your revenue. And of course, we will be there to help you do so.
We don’t promise anyone new customers. Yes, through using our system it can bring you new customers, however that’s not our focus. Our focus is to increase your sales. We help you get every available dollar from potential customers purchases that you can. If you have 200 regular customers spending $100.00 each month, and add another 100 new customers spending the same $100.00, is that really better than your original 200 customers spending now $150.00 each month instead? Yes, you have the same amount in total sales. However, of those new 100 customers, how many are going to become new regulars? Not all of them will, so actually increasing your existing customer spending is in the end more profitable. Yes, it is always good to have new customers, however what you really want is regulars spending more each month. If you add “new” regulars along the way, then profits just increase that much more.
Many of the promotional tools that use mobile or online related methods fall into the trap of thinking that reaching more people or getting more people to come by is a guaranteed way to make more money. Just because someone receives an offer and comes by your business does not guarantee that they will buy now or even come back the next time they are shopping. Many of the businesses that have tried these different promotional tools have discovered this. They found that for the month their promotion ran with those other companies, the merchant did have an increase. Once it was over though, the new customers never came back. That is why they all say that those companies don’t work.
Our system is different than these in one key way, we focus on growing existing business first, while spreading awareness of the merchant to new customers second. We know a current customer base is more important than new customers overall for one main reason; You already have their loyalty because they are regulars and you have already “sold” them on buying from you.
Everyone has businesses they choose to buy from for certain things. An ad from one of them will always catch that consumer’s attention faster and deliver a stronger message than to someone who has never heard of them before. That is why those other methods fail while we succeed. Its accepted now that most promotions and advertising should focus on existing customers to remind them that you are there and to let them know what new you are doing. It should also keep you in their mind and most importantly their purchasing routine. Customer loyalty brings word of mouth advertising which is always good for bringing in new customers too.
Apitap developed a platform designed to answer the primary concern with electronic transactions and identities, access to and theft of the data. We do not share private or transaction data with merchants except where it’s needed to complete a transaction. We only tell the merchant the approval number and the information related information so they can complete the sale. We never share a consumer’s credit card data directly with a merchant, so there is nothing to be stolen or hacked. By using our system for online, mobile, and in-store transactions our system can even remove the merchant from several data handling related “scopes” or requirements that can prove costly for the merchant to implement.
We are constantly developing, expanding, and growing our platform to always provide merchants with the best all-in-one tool for their marketing and promotions. We keep an eye on new and growing technologies and methods for commerce and integrate them into our platform for our merchants, as they become available. By using Apitap for their marketing needs merchants can be confident that they will be on the leading edge of tech tools for developing and growing their business.