How can retailers use apps to improve customer experience?

Apps have become the pinnacle of the digital world for retailers. There are so many ways to use an app, so many features that can be added, and the benefits for the customer are endless.

Retailers have the opportunity to use apps to their advantage, not only for gathering customer data (apps are great at this by the way), but also to help the customers to have the best experience possible. If an app is successful, they can “increase favourability of brand attitude and purchase retention” (Bellman et al, 2011). Giving huge benefit for the retailer, after all who wouldn’t want customers coming back for more?

 

App-solutely brilliant

So we know that apps can increase popularity of the brand and hopefully get customers to return and buy more, but in what ways can retailers ensure this is the case? Guarana (2015) list some key points for companies to consider.

  1. Perfect digital experience

Entice your customers into your brand through your app. These are a great way to gain customer attention and then keep them interested by communicating to them regularly – not too regularly though, no one likes being swamped by notifications. Send them news, product information or even just your updated opening hours. Handing them all the information they could possibly need in a well-organised manner will mean their online experience is perfect. But what if they encounter a problem on the app? Add an online representative in a live chat. Cover your back by enabling customers to complain, but also give them solutions right at their fingertips.

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Source: Software Advice. (2015) Improve the Customer Experience Through Better Mobile Support IndustryView | 2015. [Online], <http://www.softwareadvice.com/crm/industryview/mobile-support-report-2015/> [Accessed 22nd April]

  1. Customise information

Providing customers with deals, promotions and recommendations is a great idea, but to make it even better it needs to be relevant. Women aren’t going to be interested in beard dye and men certainly won’t be interested in female hygiene products. It needs to look like the brand knows what you want before you even know yourself. Algorithms are the perfect way to do this, gathering personal data to provide a set of recommendations that are worthy of looking at. Personalisation is a key insight, which requires a lot of thought, check out my previous blog to read more about it.

  1. Reward loyalty

Congratulate your most loyal customers by giving them freebies and discounts. I’m personally all for a bargain so that would incentivise me to stay purchasing with a brand if I knew I was going to get something back. The most basic example of this is Starbucks or other coffee shops that give you your 10th coffee for free. Simple as that, yet effective when you see those little star stamps building up on your ‘loyalty’ piece of cardboard that often gets lost in your purse or wallet… Now it has gone digital. But don’t worry; the stars are still there.

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Source: Apptentive. (2013) How a Mobile App can Boost Sales and Enhance Customer Experience. [Online], <http://www.apptentive.com/blog/mobile-app-boost-sales-enhance-customer-experience/> [Accessed 22nd April]

  1. Boost points of sales

Tablets have revolutionised many retailers in the last couple of years. Bouncepad (2016) actually write a perfect article of how tablets can change the customer experience in-store. Connecting the customers from their own smartphone app, to table top tablets in store is the bridge between isolated research and a connected brand. The individual can use apps, and so can the brand. For example, Virgin Holidays have uploaded their brochures onto tablets in store to connect digitally with consumers. Restaurants are now using their apps for menus and paying the bills. The possibilities are endless.

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Source: BouncePad. (2016b) Virgin Holidays Puts Tech at the Heart of Concept Stores. [Online], <https://www.bouncepad.com/projects/virgin-holidays-puts-tech-at-the-heart-of-concept-stores/> [Accessed 22nd April]

 

From app to store

A few more thoughts from the point above… The customer is always right, so enhancing your app to benefit them, gives them less reason to complain. For example, Target in the USA has developed their app to offer the customer a ‘my list’ section, helpful for shopping lists as well as item availability within store (Intelliware, 2015). To take it further, they’ve even included a shelf locator for the items you’re looking for, how handy is that? No need to search high and low for that cushion you saw online. For a retailer this is a truly innovative idea, and provides a seamless experience from app to store.

 

Who does it well?

E-Consultancy (2015) gives an excellent review of several brands that have got their customer experience down to a tee.

A prime example is Disney, who have ensured that the magical adventure is a smooth process from start to finish; use your phone to check into your hotel room and save queuing, use it as a door key, park entrance ticket, and as a tab for your food and drink. This is a perfect example of how apps can be used to improve the overall customer experience.

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Source: Walt Disney World. (2015) Magic at Your Fingertips. [Online], <https://disneyworld.disney.go.com/plan/my-disney-experience/mobile-apps/> [Accessed 22nd April]

 

Make sure you stay connected at all times

Some retailers run the risk of apps coming back to bite them. In order for them to be a success you need to make sure that you’re keeping an eye on the data collected and the movements of your customers. Noticed that someone hasn’t opened the app in a few weeks? Send them a push notification to remind them of what you can offer, or better yet, give them a discount code for their recently bought item. Retailers need to cradle their customers like a baby as any bit of neglect and they’re off to the dark side (competitors to you and me). “Smartphone penetration in USA and UK reached 44 and 43 per cent respectively in 2012” (Taylor & Levin, 2014). That is a huge segment of customers, so make sure you don’t lose customers because you’re too busy focusing on other things!

Customer experience is just one key to success so don’t overlook it! After all, there’s an app for that right?

 

References

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