Tiny Optics is a web development agency, based out of South Africa. Their client, Foy's Pet Supplies, is an online store selling food and accessories for a wide range of pets.
Austin Le Roux, Co-Director of web development agency Tiny Optics, was searching for a way to help his client Foy’s Pet Supplies build a mobile app.
After one bad experience, and a struggle finding solutions that fit their needs and budget, he came across MobiLoud, which turned out to be the perfect fit for what they wanted to do.
Read on to learn about Austin’s journey to launching mobile apps for his client, and how you do the same.
The Challenge
TinyOptics was working with Foy’s Pet Supplies, an ecommerce site built on BigCommerce, handling web development, SEO, content and more related to the company’s online presence.
They were given the task to launch mobile apps for their client, which was identified as a great opportunity to grow the business.
“Our client wanted to make apps for two reasons, the first one being push notifications. They have seen that these were better than sending emails or other marketing campaigns. They wanted to get into the push notifications space and apps were the natural way to do this.”
“When there are new products or promotions, it's so easy to send notifications to specific users in a certain region or the ones that have purchased specific products.”
Aside from push notifications, Austin’s client saw mobile apps as a great way to boost retention, getting customers to visit more often, in a more effective way than just bookmarking the website.
The big challenge came from the fact that mobile app development fell outside of Tiny Optics’ area of expertise. If they wanted to build an app for their client, they would have to look for an external solution or hire outside help to get it done.
Searching for a Solution
Neither Tiny Optics nor Foy’s Pet Supplies had a massive budget to build an app. This kind of project can cost in the area of 5-6 figures, but they figured there was a way to get this done cheaper.
The first option they looked at was promising, until it fell through and they were left holding the bag.
“The company we used was a relatively new company based in Texas. We had to pay about $300 upfront, on top of $600 for setup fees. Then we hit a wall when we tried to get in touch with them and ask how things were going, what requirements they needed, and they just stopped responding. We were left without any help.”
Other options gave them more confidence, but fell outside their budget for launching an initial version of the app.
“We talked to one company that was very well established, they had a good number of apps in the app stores plus a few case studies, but they wanted around $4,000 upfront which was too much for us and our client to afford.”
Finding the Solution
Austin’s search centered on tools or services that could convert BigCommerce sites into mobile apps. These were hard to come by at first, with most results focused on WordPress only, until he discovered our content on the topic.
“I initially saw that you did WordPress site conversions, but then I saw you do BigCommerce sites too. I figured we would be a good fit given that both WordPress and BigCommerce are PHP based.”
He got in touch with us, talked with a project manager and decided to move forward. It turned out to be the perfect fit, with the capability to turn their site into an app, within their budget, and best of all doing it fast and with clear communication.
“When we found MobiLoud, you were affordable, fast and you were able to get the job done. We called you and you made things happen, which we are very grateful for.”
Results
We did what we said we would, and helped them launch apps for iOS and Android, on time and on budget.
This delighted both Austin and the client, not just by being able to launch the apps as planned, but doing it in a way that synced the website with the apps, making it easy for their team to maintain without bringing mobile app developers on board.
“Our client is happy with the launch of the apps, and I’m ecstatic that we are able to integrate new templates on the website that syncs with the apps, so overall our experience was great.”
MobiLoud: The Best Way for Brands and Agencies to Launch Mobile Apps
Contracting a freelancer, agency or service to do work for you requires a certain level of trust. And unfortunately, Austin saw how this can go bad with their first attempt at building an app.
“The first company was the worst possible scenario. We reached out to another company, another company, and nothing happened.”
It wasn’t until he worked with us that he was able to ship the project, within budget, and look good in front of the client.
The best part for Austin was the peace of mind he got from our clear, prompt communication, keeping them in the loop (allowing them to keep their client in the loop as well).
“The experience has been quite phenomenal. I'd advise anyone to jump in with you. Communication with you guys is so clear and on point, you provide clear deadlines, and deliver as expected.”
If you want to convert your site into mobile apps, don’t wait around any longer. No matter what your site is built on - WordPress, BigCommerce, Shopify, or even custom-developed platforms - it’s easy and affordable to do so with MobiLoud.
We give you the most effective way to access the benefits, such as increased revenue, retention and brand image, of launching your own mobile apps. This goes for brands and also, as you’ve learned, for agencies helping clients maximize their online and mobile presence.
Get in touch with us now for a free demo and consultation about the easiest way to launch high-quality mobile apps.
Tiny Optics is a web development agency, based out of South Africa. Their client, Foy's Pet Supplies, is an online store selling food and accessories for a wide range of pets.
