But Black Friday isn’t what it used to be. For many people, the mere thought of fighting their way through massive crowds to get their hands on the latest “doorbuster” offers, is enough to keep them at home. The only place these people will be flocking to this Black Friday is their smartphone.In 2017, more than 40% of online transactions on Black Friday came from mobile devices. This represents a staggering 11 percent growth on the previous year. For retailers hoping for a strong start to the holiday season, the smartphone is prime retail real estate.It’s Not Enough to Have a Mobile Responsive Site or a “Secret” AppWith so much competition for an app store like Google Play isn’t enough to attract new business.Why should consumers seek your retail business out when they know exactly how to find the likes of Amazon or Walmart?You don't win in retail by being the "best-kept secret." Your mobile shopping strategy needs to be pushed to the very front of people’s minds and placed firmly and securely on the home screens of their mobile devices.Pre-Loading Puts Your App Front and CenterA pre-loaded app is the only way to guarantee your retail brand is front and center of people’s minds this Black Friday.Consider This: The average American checks their smartphone every 12 minutes. That adds up to 80 times per day. Millennials are even more obsessed by their devices and can check them upwards of 150 times per day. Imagine someone walking past your storefront 150 times every day.By placing your retail app on the home screen of thousands of targeted devices, you are essentially opening your door to increased brand recognition, improved rates of new customer acquisition, enhanced customer lifetime value, and, let’s not beat around the bush, bigger profits. This is a real opportunity to position your retail app favorably against some of the biggest names in online and offline retail.A One-Time-Only Marketing CostA pre-loaded app represents a one-time-only marketing cost. There are no hidden fees, meaning you get to keep more of the money your app makes once a customer becomes engaged and starts buying. Think about how your bottom line could be improved without these nasty acquisition costs.And because your app is likely to stay on a device for many weeks, months or even for the entire lifespan of a device, your opportunity to drive new sales doesn’t end when your marketing budget dries up.A Time for GivingBecause many Black Friday purchases are intended as gifts for the holiday season, app developers can expect to see engagement increase dramatically towards the end of December. As new smartphone owners unwrap and explore their devices, your pre-loaded apps become part of the unboxing experience. It’s as if your app is an integral part of the device.You may be focused on the Black Friday and Cyber Monday sales events – but your pre-loaded app will still be firing on all cylinders come Boxing Day and the end-of-year sales.Get Smarter This Black FridayThere is still time to pre-load your app on new devices delivered over the Black Friday weekend but hurry, time and premium inventory is limited.To make the most of the Black Friday sales opportunity and beyond, sign up here to speak to one of our pre-loaded app experts today
