It has been demonstrated that people who use retail mobile apps while shopping in stores visit the store more frequently, spend more time in the store, and spend more money. 39; money. So, how can retailers make the impact of their mobile application even more important?
Working with dozens of major global retailers, I could see for myself just how much mobile customer experience has an impact on the success of any and all. business. In this article, I will share the biggest opportunities of retailers, and present five features of mobile apps that retail brands with mobile customer experiences have introduced to increase sales, loyalty and retention.
The power of mobile applications for retail
A Weft Study found that on average, shoppers who use retailers' apps visit brand stores once again per month . Kohl has shown the highest increase in customer visits by those using their app, with 86 percent more visits than customers who do not use their app.
What can retailers do to gain a greater competitive advantage using mobile? In our experience, retailers who create positive customer experiences – with mobile in mind – see the greatest impact on their business as a whole.
Five tactics to enhance the mobile customer experience
The commitment to getting your mobile customer experience from good to great will have a positive impact on everything from LTV loyalty, brand reputation and business turnover.
Here are five mobile application features that retailers can consider introducing to enhance their mobile client experience:
1. Build "store mode" in the functionality of your application.
A handful of retailers have apps designed for in-store purchases (like Target), but creating an app with an integrated "store mode" can create a better experience for customers because they are not required to download a separate application to facilitate their in-store shopping experience. By consolidating all of your consumer needs into a single application, retailers can create a streamlined customer experience that makes life easier for their customers.
2. Replace manual chores with digital solutions.
People are busy. Applications that save time for consumers are expensive, so it's a good idea to create features that replace manual chores with digital solutions.
Walgreens gives a good example of how to do it right: it has replaced the manual (and subordinate) chore of calling in a refill with the ability to request a recharge directly via its app mobile by scanning the barcode on the bottle of pills.
3. Implement integrated messaging to the application.
As mentioned in the example above, people are busy and often do not have the time to call customer service or their pharmacist with questions. The flexibility of in-app messaging allows customers to contact brands when it's convenient for them and allows businesses to define their expectations as to when they will respond to requests.
Walgreens acknowledged the inconvenience of phoning the pharmacy during opening hours, so that he created Pharmacy Chat for mobile app customers . Any customer with a question about his prescription can open the pharmacy chat in the app to contact a pharmacist directly.
4. Streamline the ordering process.
The introduction of mobile payment options opened the door to retailers to make the ordering process less cumbersome by eliminating the need to withdraw credit cards for every purchase.
Amazon and Kohl are the most notable for their investment in mobile payment capabilities. One-touch payment functionality of Amazon is as simple as possible. And Kohl's recently launched "Kohl's Pay" application feature simplifies the payment process by automatically adding discounts and reward points when scanning the integrated credit card.
5. Invest in a functional search in the application.
Often overlooked, a functional search in the application helps customers find what they are looking for. A bad research experience can lead to lost sales. According to Google Mobile Search is a key signal that consumers are interested in buying. It revealed that 92% of consumers who searched for a product on a mobile device made a related purchase.
Retail is undergoing a change, and investing in a better digital experience is absolutely crucial to adapt to changing consumer expectations. Although there is a wide range of features that retailers can integrate into their mobile applications to enhance their customer experience, improve search in the app, introduce mobile payment options, implement integrated messaging, create a "store mode" and perform digital tasks. we have seen working well for retailers with successful applications.
Whatever features are right for your customers, investing in a better mobile customer experience can help increase sales, adoption of apps and customer engagement, and you to take full advantage of the benefits of mobile applications. to offer.
Robi Ganguly is the CEO of Apptentive, the easiest way for companies with a mobile app to listen, engage and retain their customers.