iPads have become a force within the business world, with Apple selling more than two million units in two months. My business is now a well-oiled machine, thanks to the functionality of iPads. I used to be hesitant because I considered them inferior to laptops or PCs, but sometimes you have to take a risk, or you’ll remain stagnant. Are iPads good for businesses?
iPads are good for businesses because they help to understand current market apps. They improve communications with apps like Slack and allow for conference calls and interactive presentations. As a point-of-sale device, they enhance customer service and provide the ability to work anywhere.
There are a great number of benefits to using an iPad for business; we’ll explore the practical benefits regardless of the nature of your business and market-research benefits. It also offers an advantage over competitors because you can see the consumer’s experience first-hand. Let’s explore every avenue and highlight why iPads are an excellent choice for all businesses.
Are iPads Good For Businesses?
While an iPad will likely not replace your work PC, it will almost certainly be a valuable business tool. With the right accessories, applications, and proper functionality, an iPad will help you work more efficiently.
As a significant consumer gadget, you’ll use it to relax by watching movies, swiping images, or playing games. The key to utilizing the iPad for business is approaching it as a business device.
iPads and applications have grown in popularity among business users and clients. Consequently, working with iPads and applications is essential in keeping businesses informed and participating in the current market.
If your responsibilities require you to create or change web pages or tools, you’ll need an iPad to test them on. The tablet boom shows no signs of slowing down; depending on your industry, iPad and iPhone users may eventually constitute a sizable portion of your consumer base.
You need to be familiar with the user experience to ensure they have a positive experience with your items and to stay ahead of your competitors.
Knowing about next-generation technologies and business tools is part of thriving in your firm. How can you tell what iPad applications are available unless you spend time in the field? An in-depth understanding of apps and what makes them valuable will equip you to expand your business and that of your clients.
Businesses Can Use iPads For Improving Communications
The iPad allows you to interact with colleagues no matter your location. Its built-in FaceTime video-calling feature or third-party Skype program provides far more freedom than a conventional phone call.
Conferencing tools like WebEx allow you to have a full-fledged conference call with an Internet connection from any location. Apps like Basecamp go much farther, providing a full array of communication and project management features.
Slack Ensures All Team Members Remain On The Same Page
Slack is a fantastic tool for keeping your team connected, updated, and on the same page regarding current projects.
It allows you to communicate with your team, establish multiple channels, send direct messages (DMs), and hold video and voice conference sessions. Slack also has an iOS app that works on desktops and across all operating systems.
iPads Are A Powerful Presentation Tool For Businesses
The iPad is perfect for client presentations because it’s compact and mobile. Its available VGA and HDMI adapters allow you to connect the tablet to a big screen, making it suitable for presentations in large settings such as lecture halls.
Furthermore, software like Apple’s Keynote performs professional presentations directly from the tablet. Once your presentation is complete, the iPad fits quickly and neatly into a backpack or briefcase, allowing you to open up the presentation for questions.
Get Your Audience Involved
iPads are excellent engagement devices for conferences, client pitches, corporate meetings, and creating a positive and dynamic interaction with your demographic.
You can add more detailed analysis to your presentations with features like surveys, slide sharing, and interactive polls. Using these features will boost engagement and guarantee that your desired message remains evident throughout the presentation.
Using audience response software also allows you to collect consumer data analytics from the event that will gather data to help you enhance and improve future presentations.
iPads Are On-The-Go Computers For Getting Work Done
Microsoft’s office suite mobile apps allow you to kit your iPad with your favorite professional tools, such as Word, Excel, and PowerPoint. Of course, having an office suite on your iPad is a massive boon that saves you from carrying a laptop.
In particular, Microsoft Outlook and OneNote are also downloadable on your iPad for seamless integration across platforms and devices.
Whatever the type of your business, an iPad offers the necessary apps to allow you to work on the go. Apps like Sketchbook Pro and OmniGraffle allow designers and marketing personnel to generate everything from artwork to infographics using the iPad’s intuitive touch screen interface.
There are tablet-friendly versions of Apple’s office apps available, with Pages and Numbers providing the device with word processing and spreadsheet capabilities.
The possibilities for you and your staff are endless; staying productive and fruitful can become part of the work ethic within your business with the right software.
IPads Help Businesses Improve Customer Service
The iPad enables you to better support your clients by allowing you to manage service tickets and access customer data on the move.
Furthermore, payment processing tools like Square Register allow you to accept consumer payments directly from your tablet. The app also includes a free card reader that plugs into the iPad’s headphone jack, so you’ll never have to risk an upset customer by making them wait for a transaction to complete.
Businesses Can Utilize iPads As A Point Of Sale (POS)
iPads can complete tasks that usually need bigger, heavier, and more expensive equipment – like a cash register. – by letting you take mobile payments from anywhere as a point of sale (POS) system.
By acting as a point of sale (POS) system, iPads can perform functions that would typically need larger, heavier, and more costly equipment, such as a cash register.
For instance, did you ever visit a market and a tablet made it possible to tap your card on the screen when you wanted to pay? Perhaps you paid for something and quickly put your signature on the tablet screen with your finger or the stylus? It’s simple to assemble, lightweight to move, and elegantly stylish.
There are several methods to use your iPad as a POS system. Downloading a POS app, for example, allows you to input inventory using a touchscreen or scanner.
You may also take credit card payments using a magnetic card reader. Some card readers easily plug into the audio socket and require no further setup, while receipts work by sending them via email or to a Bluetooth printer.
Conclusion
iPads are fantastic devices for business; your employees can share information and updates to stay on the same page, and you can use them as presentation devices thanks to their VGA and HDMI connections. Customers will appreciate the point-of-sale benefits, and your experiences will give you insight into what consumers need or want regarding applications and services.
Resources
I wrote this article mostly based on my own experience. I’m in the mobile gaming business and I write, design and develop games. I also own a couple of blogs and my iPad plays a big role in both my businesses (game making and blogging). If I just talked about how I use the iPad I would have missed some amazing opportunities for other people like using an iPad as a point of sale system.
While searching for more usage ideas I found this set of websites as being incredibly helpful and used them as part of my research process. Credit where credit is due.
- https://www.americanexpress.com/en-us/business/trends-and-insights/articles/5-good-reasons-to-buy-an-ipad-for-your-business-1/
- https://learn.g2.com/ways-to-use-ipads-in-business
- https://www.businessnewsdaily.com/6105-how-to-use-ipad-business.html
- https://smallbusiness.chron.com/advantages-ipad-62728.html
