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Both Apple's iOS App Store and Google's Play Store are flooded with millions of apps. Any good idea is rapidly cloned. This dissuades people from downloading them. It also stops entrepreneurs from creating new ones. But progressive web apps (PWA’s) live outside the app stores. This allows them to be promoted individually and distinctly. This thereby create a great business opportunity.

The trouble with app ideas and useful business information is that they are easily copied and repeated. Once an app appears on a store, cloners leap in and mercilessly repeat the idea. They rapidly flood the store and rob the app of any distinction. Only a few apps are lucky enough to get first-mover advantage and enough traction to stand out.

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For example, take a look at Flappy Bird, a simple idea of a game that was cloned more than 1,000 times. What’s more, many of those copies launched within days or a matter of weeks. Your business idea might be higher brow than a few avian pixels in a game. However, the news of rampant copying certainly put off a few people from launching on the app store. Progressive web apps, however, dissuade imitators. Thus, they help to promote your business and ideas to a fresh audience, keeping them engaged.

The Power of Progressive Web Apps

With a progressive web app, you can keep the app on your own site. In this way, you direct only customers or prospects to it. Your app can remain focused on your own business audience or market. This gives you total control over discovery and keeps your app largely free from prying eyes.

A progressive web app is a hybrid of website and app. It can be easily developed using a template-based service. PWA’s can feature all the best parts of apps. This includes stores, ordering, data sharing, messaging, and push notifications. In other words, you’ll be able to keep in touch with your audience easily.

PWA’s offer a range of benefits, including an offline mode. Therefore, your user doesn't need to be connected all the time. PWA’s don't take up as much space as a full app, either. That’s because they have basically a zero install size. Therefore, people are more likely to keep your app on their device even when space is tight.

But their key benefit, whether you develop the app yourself or use a builder service, is there's no need to go through the lengthy app store approval. Nor will you need to deal with updates and other hassles. What’s more, your business can develop the app using templates with no need to go to an outside agency. This will keep your costs down and speed up changes and adding features.

The Modern Way to App

Progressive web apps have been around for a few years now. However, web technology in the guise of wider HTML5 adoption is finally here. This makes progressive web apps suitable for prime time, supported on both iOS and Android devices. Whether your business provides information services or needs a concierge or booking service, a progressive web app is the right way to reach your audience and maintain loyalty.

Most users will not recognize the difference between an app and a PWA. However, your business will gain benefits that include greater stickiness, better response, higher conversions, and reduced bounce rate. What’s more, your website can flow easily into the app.

These benefits are vital to business. As mobile web use continues to grow, it will outstrip desktop use. However, people are becoming wary or tired of apps and app stores. Even relatively young users are getting fed up with searching for new apps. Instead, they stick with a few useful tools and social media.

Stay in Closer Touch with Your Customers

Check out this infographic for some impressive statistics to see how a PWA can directly affect you and help your business. From a marketing perspective, PWA’s allow you to keep a close eye on your users. You’ll get feedback on their interactions and be able to reach out with push notifications.

Furthermore, if your business is in the realm of providing information, then you can easily update the PWA template. In other words, you can tweak it to sell more or different types of information. And remember, you can do all of this without having to go through app store approvals.

More Benefits and Features

PWA’s offer a wide range of key benefits for startups and small businesses. For example, there's no need to learn coding. There are no additional costs. And you don’t need artistic skills. Content can come directly from your website.

Extra features that can help make your PWA more engaging include useful tools like calendaring. Plus, you can add rich media to show off your company content, and you can link to social media. You can also add online payments for in-app purchases or direct sales. Loyalty features like coupons or money-off vouchers can help keep customers coming back to your store. And you can easily encourage new prospects to sign up.

PWA’s Work Well with Both Apple and Android

Now that Apple supports PWA’s in WebKit as part of iOS 11, both iOS and Android devices provide fertile ground for your business’s growth. What’s more, with a PWA you retain immediate control. Thus, you can protect your apps and ideas from the ravages of the traditional app stores.

The post Progressive Web Apps: A Repeatable Business Opportunity appeared first on Business Opportunities.

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I'm a serious Francophile, especially when it comes to French movies. Cheese, baguettes, wine? Those are all icing on the cake! Recently I convinced some friends of mine to commit to a trip to France. I was planning to take some time away from my business. And I found some great prices for plane tickets that depart in two months. However, I don't speak French. Therefore, I wanted to learn how to speak a new language fast.

I want more than anything to be able to communicate in French just as I've seen in all my favorite French flicks. Plus, for some reason I have a reputation among my friends that I can speak French. This was totally not true. I certainly never pretended to know how to speak French. I just love the language and culture.

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Maybe I’m Not Good at Learning a New Language

In preparation for my trip, I downloaded a highly rated French language app. Although the animations were cute, it felt more like entertainment. Plus, it wasn't very informative. After a couple of lessons, I decided the app wasn’t going to position me to communicate with French speakers during my trip. I guess on some level, I also thought perhaps the failure was on me. Perhaps I'm just not very good at learning a new language. In any case, I abandoned the app.

Enter OptiLingo

A few days later a friend recommended OptiLingo. My friend explained that it uses an effective learning method called ''guided immersion.'' I gave the program a try. Within the very first lesson, I was speaking French. Unlike the other app or other language programs I've used in the past, this process is much more intuitive. The lessons are laid out so that I learn new words not just by their definition, but by when and how they are used.

Since I love the French culture, this program is right up my alley. As I study my lessons, I get to learn a new language and dive deeper into the culture that I love so much at the same time.

How It Works

OptiLingo uses a unique five-day study plan in which you learn new material and review the oldest previously learned material each day. In this way, I'm able to continually refresh my memory on lessons the program has already introduced. I never feel pressured to commit any words to memory. That’s because I know that I'll have a chance to review the material again down the road. This lightens the mood during each lesson. I feel free to simply enjoy the material. And since so much of the content is framed around everyday French culture, I feel like I'm already getting a taste of what's to come when I do finally embark on my trip to France.

And Now, Bonjour!

The other day, I watched one of my favorite French movies, The 400 Blows. I surprised myself with how much I understood! I'm so happy I decided to go with this program. I now think I'll be in a good position when it comes time to say, ''Bonjour!'' in France.

Update: The folks at OptiLingo are extending a special offer to our readers. Follow this link to get started for just $9.99.

The post How I Started Learning a New Language in Only a Few Weeks with OptiLingo appeared first on Business Opportunities.

Do you need to borrow money for your business? Are you trying to cover some cash flow gaps? In either case, it is essential that you follow certain steps to get your business loan approved.

Here we discuss some essential tips that will help you get your business loan approved quickly.

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1. Assess Your Need for Getting a Business Loan Approved

Before getting in touch with the lender, do your homework. Invest time in assessing the extent of your need for financing. Lenders want to see your need defined clearly. Therefore, be able to put forth this information to your lender during your initial meeting.

2. Know Your Credit Score

First, you need to keep one thing in mind. Every lender has different requirements when it comes to their borrowers’ credit scores. However, if you have a high credit score, it will be easier for you to get your business loan approved.

Most lenders take both your personal credit score and your business credit score into consideration before granting a loan. Therefore, you need to maintain both of these scores at high levels. It is also vital that three major credit bureaus approve your credit score.

3. Maintain a High DSCR

If you are eager to get your business loan approved, then you have to maintain a good debt service coverage ratio, often referred to as a DSCR. The debt service coverage ratio evaluates the amount of cash flow you have for paying your obligations.

Try to maintain a DSCR of about 1.25. This will increase your chances of getting your business loan approved.

4. Ensure You Have Sufficient Cash Flow

When you apply for a business loan, most lenders require you to make a down payment of about 20% to 25%. You should have this amount in hand when you apply for your loan. Additionally, lenders want to ensure that you have regular cash flow as well. Therefore, give your lender sufficient evidence that it won’t be a problem for you to make your monthly payments.

5. Conduct Adequate Research

Before applying for the loan, you should find out the lender’s requirements. Learn all you can about how the lender will process your loan application as well. The smart approach is to shop for loans from different lenders. In this way, you can get your hands on the best deal.

As a borrower, you need to keep one thing in mind: The lender is taking a risk by granting you the loan. As a responsible borrower, try to evaluate the loan risks yourself. Then try to perceive how the lender will view those risks.

The benefit of this practice is that you will more easily develop a level of comfort with your lender.

6. Pinpoint Your Business's Strengths

You have to live by the rule that honesty is the best policy when applying for your loan. You must paint a truthful image of your business in your meeting with the lender. Ideally, you should reveal the strengths of your business without exaggeration.

Conclusion

Follow these guidelines and you'll have a much better chance of getting your business loan approved.

The post Get Your Business Loan Approved: 6 Golden Rules to Follow appeared first on Business Opportunities.