“Our exhibitors aren’t using our event app.”
Expensive badges, a flashy app, and… they’re still all trading cards like it’s some sort of business-to-business Pokémon game.
Why aren’t your exhibitors using your app?
Before I tell you why, here’s my credentials.
I’ve built event apps from scratch. Tractus started as an app to track leads at trade show booths. It was an app for iPhone and Android. And a NIGHTMARE to maintain.
This brings me to the reason one why exhibitors won’t use your app.
- It’s too complicated.
“Make sure to load it from the App Store.”
And you’ve lost 50% of your audience.
Not joking.
Back when our app had to be installed, we ran into cases where they:
- Didn’t know their iCloud password
- Was on a locked-down corporate phone that didn’t allow apps
- Had never used an app before
Loading an app sounds simple. To your average rep, it’s a show-stopper.
When clients bring me on to run trade shows, my staff and I run around the floor making sure every exhibitor is good to go. We’ve taken phones out of their hands and make sure the app works for them.
By the way - if you’re NOT doing this, you should.
97.5% of exhibitors will not read their app instruction email.
Go run around the trade show floor and get the app going on their phones. It’ll make a huge difference. (Or hire my team and I. We do all that plus more.)
This brings me to reason two why they won’t use your app.
- Even if you install it for them, it’s still too complicated.
Exhibitors need to capture 3 pieces of info at their booth.
- Name
- Email/phone
- Notes
They need to do this FAST.
Most event apps are slow.
Screen after screen before you can save.
Frustration. The phone gets tossed, out come the cards. Back to 1984.
Most apps are coded by people who have never been on the other side of the booth.
Back when I made apps for the construction industry, I made a point of going in the field. I shadowed staff.
I wore the same protective gear. Thick gloves, goggles… the lot.
It’s hard to use an iPhone when it’s -20 outside with sleet coming down, and you’re wearing thick winter gloves with construction gloves over those.
The coders before me hadn’t experienced that when they coded at their warm desks. I changed how the app worked after that.
But you can have the easiest app in the world, but it still won’t get used. Because…
- It’s too expensive.
Charging for lead retrieval sucks.
Exhibitors paid big bucks for their booth. They shipped a ton of stuff to the show. They’re sending their best staff for a few days to drum up business.
What message does it send when you’re charging them MORE MONEY to get access to the one thing they came for?
Charging for lead retrieval is a gigantic “f*ck you” to exhibitors.
Without your exhibitors, you don’t have a show.
If you want exhibitors to use your app, make it easy to use, make sure you help them get it working on their phones, and stop charging for lead retrieval.
Or hire my team and I. Your call!