Is the iPad Worth Buying For My Business?

As time goes by costs for new technologies like Apple’s iPad go down. It’s just the way economics work. The more successful a product is, the more competition will come in for a piece of the market. Competition keeps prices down (among other things). That said, when it comes to the iPad, some business owners are still debating if they should purchase an iPad for tablet marketing.

Businesses large and small have to make the decision on which tablet to use to help achieve their tablet marketing goals. Small businesses who need one or two tablets have to shell out anywhere from $500 – $900 for two iPads, which is a decent cost for a small business, especially with such a new trend like tablet marketing for business, when most business owners still are unsure what type of value this new strategy will bring. For large organizations, one might think those costs are nominal. The difference however is that a large organization usually needs many, many more devices than just one or two, thus the costs are all relative. Many large organizations are putting iPads into the hands of sales reps, and for some, that could be thousands of iPads. So the question still remains, “Is the iPad worth buying for my business?” Let’s explore that a little further…

5 Reasons to Buy An iPad for Your Business

Tablet marketing, especially in-store tablet marketing, is coming to a business near you very, very soon. The tablet is the bridge connecting the real world activities with digital engagement. It’s the perfect tool for engaging consumers with digital content at a physical location. Here are our top 5 reasons why you should buy an iPad for your business.

1. iPads generate attention and interest from consumers – Next time you’re somewhere that has an iPad on display or where someone is using an iPad, take a second to notice how many people seem interested in what is going on with the iPad. For some reason, iPads draw people in. For businesses, this is a very nice secondary benefit provided by the iPad.
2. The costs of buying an iPad for your business are not as high as you think – Above we discussed that the costs for an iPad can be prohibitive for companies. That said, I think the current issue business owners on the fence about buying an iPad for their company lies with the perceived value to cost ratio and them being unsure how successful they’ll be using an iPad in their store. It is my opinion that all of that will go away for business owners who plan creative tablet marketing strategies to execute for their business. The iPad is an incredible tool and once business owners see that, they will realize that they spend much, much more money on other business tools that offer way less value than the iPad.
3. Run digital marketing programs at a physical location – Never before since the Internet started being used by businesses for marketing has there been an effective and efficient way to run digital marketing programs in a real world setting. Think about it, except for data that might be collected, companies have never before been able to see how consumers are reacting to their digital marketing programs because the consumers’ interaction with digital marketing programs used to take place at their home or some other location away from the business. Tablets provide the window into those interactions and businesses can learn a ton if they pay attention.
4. iPads provide the opportunity to change the retail experience – The iPad has flipped a ton of major industries on their heads with it’s utility. From healthcare to the food industry, and now retail and other consumer goods & services companies, the iPad has the potential to totally change how consumers interact with companies in the retail setting. Whether you’re a doctor who has an office you see patients in, or a department store, the iPad can alter how consumers interact with you and your products and services while they are at your location. The opportunities to engage your consumers, educate them, collect information from them, turn them into customer loyalists, and even generate more sales from them are almost limitless (or will be in the near future) with the use of the iPad for business.
5. iPads can help generate sales for your business – It was only 18 months ago when it seemed like the only companies actively using iPads in-store were the very early adopters, who were far and few between. Now, it seems like every day more and more businesses large and small are starting to use iPads for marketing. When you put an iPad in your store, you can actually impact sales. Companies are using iPads in their stores to offer coupons and discounts only found through the iPad while a consumer is in the store. Companies are running contests with the iPad in-store to increase sales. Companies are using iPads to showcase new products and services to consumers who visit their location. All of these tablet marketing tactics are helping to generate more sales for the companies who are taking the leap of buying an iPad for their business.

Hopefully some of the five reasons to own an iPad for your business has resonated with you and you can truly see the value that using an iPad for marketing can bring. Hopefully that value will outweigh the costs of purchasing an iPad for your business. Go ahead. Take the leap. Try it out. I can almost guarantee you that if you take the time to plan out a creative way to use the iPad for your business, you will find success!

Once you do find success, we hope you’ll share it with us and our readers by leaving a comment describing how you are using iPads for your business, and what successes you’re having. Cheers and good luck!