Smart phone applications that can help you boost sales, manage customer relationships and practically run your business are getting better and more plentiful by the day.
And business owners are embracing these apps with gusto. Mobile payments – just one of the many functions your phone can perform – are expected to grow 50 percent annually over the next five years.
Here are some great mobile apps for taking payments and managing customer information.
Processing payments
• Apriva Pay from AT&T takes the software used in traditional credit card terminals and puts it on your mobile device, simplifying card transactions and transforming your phone into a powerful business tool. AprivaPay Professional lets you perform credit card transactions, both in or out of wireless coverage areas.
• wCharge Credit Card Terminal allows businesses to process and refund credit cards using a mobile phone and a merchant account. Use your existing phone – no additional phone line or equipment is needed. It provides instant authorization, which helps avoid over-limit or other problems that can occur with manual-swipe devices.
• MediMobile from HCi Intelligence is a specialized app for health care providers. With MediMobile’s turnkey medical charge capture solution, medical providers are discovering a new way to manage patients, appointments and bills. MediMobile will integrate with hospital and billing systems, allowing for a seamless charge-capture process.
Manage customer information
• Handheld Contact offers two-way wireless syncing between your ACT! database and your smart phone. Handheld Contact manages your contacts, activities, calendar and notes and histories from your BlackBerry, iPhone, Pocket PC or Treo Smartphone.
• SalesForce Mobile puts customer data and business applications at your fingertips. View and edit your key Salesforce records (accounts, opportunities and other records). Log sales or service activities, such as e-mails, phone calls and in-person meetings.
• Nice Office CRM turns your BlackBerry or Windows Mobile Smartphone into a virtual mobile office. Manage your e-mail, calendar, contacts and tasks. Store forms and documents online and send them directly to your customers. Track sales and lead activity by workflows and status levels. •
Daniel Kehrer can be reached at
editor@business.com.
