10 Tips for Retailers to Develop Compelling Mobile Experience
In the age of globalization with the changing technology and advancement, people have reduced the usage of computers and laptops and are more dependent on smartphones. Today we can access almost everything with the help of a smart phone. Now ordering groceries, booking a table at your favorite restaurant, shop for latest collection of dresses after virtual trial, is just a click away. The taste of mobile users has evolved over the time and they demand experiences that are more engaging but are constrained by limited screen real estate, time, and capabilities. The main challenge ahead of retailers is to create an engaging mobile experience through developing cool mobile apps with interactive UI/UX interface and wow features. So, here are 10 essential tips on how retailers can develop compelling mobile experience.
Retailers to Develop Compelling Mobile Experience
#1 KISS – Keep It Short and Simple
As the sizes of the screen vary from gadgets to gadgets, try not to fill all the details on the same screen. The interface should look simple yet interesting and catchy to the customers. Usually the mobile users are impatient. So, don’t complicate the content which makes it difficult for them to find out necessary information. Display only those contents which are most important so that users can reach the desired content with minimal clicks possible thus delivering compelling mobile experience. Don’t make your user wait for longer time. Long loading time is the major reason for page abandonment.
#2 Customize according to Devices and Environments
Provide the flexibility to the customers to view the content in different environments. While developing a mobile website, keep in mind that users can access the same from varied devices, so understanding your audience’s preference is critical. Also, remember different applications need to be created for different platforms. For example, an application build for iOS device cannot be used on android device. Mobile users always expect a compelling mobile experience, so focus more on designing a polished interface with dynamic features. To start with, search for the applications which are mostly used by the users and try adopting the features. Also, don’t try to reinvent what is already considered as the best practice. Try to mimic simple features such as sliders, buttons etc. Once the user finds the environment similar, he/she will engage immediately. Whenever you try to build a new mobile application or website, make sure it’s highly visual, interactive, clean and simple.
#3 Replicate your Online Storefront
Mobile environment should be optimized for the mobile device but at the same time it should also follow similar structure like that of the website to make the cross-channel activity seamless. If the mobile environment is familiar to the customers, and the buying process is also easy, then mobile engagement will be more. Although the mobile environment and website share the same core structure, you cannot simply shrink current website to fit the mobile environment. Instead, use analytics data to find out most popular categories and expose those on the home page. While doing this, place the most popular product first and accordingly the other products. Also, make sure your catalogue is searchable and provides compelling mobile experience to the users.
#4 Make it User-Friendly
Helping users to achieve their goals in minimum steps possible is the key to create a compelling mobile experience. Design the interface in such a way that it is more usable, convenient and accessible. Enclose enhanced features such as auto-correct, search button and “did you mean?” prompts to make it easier. User also deals with screens in small size and the awkward mobile keypads. Allow enough space, so that user can tap the screen with fingertip. Make sure buttons are not arranged too closely. The mobile interface must offer real- world features such as “add to favorites”, GPS connection etc., which will be beneficial for the customers. Creating efficient features makes it look out of the box and distinguishes the mobile interface from its competitors.
#5 Let Users be Socially Connected
Mobile and social go hand in hand and as we know users are socially more active through mobiles than other platforms, so enable users to share their reviews about the products by integrating social capabilities. Enable users to share their reviews and wish lists instantly to websites such as Facebook and Twitter. Add free Facebook plug-ins to help users easily share posts related to products and services and get recommendations from friends. Also, making the social content navigable and searchable throughout the website will provide a compelling mobile experience and boost the conversion rate.
#6 Provide Personalized Experience
Don’t let the user get frustrated with the promotions that are not targeted to his/her interests. Instead in limited time engage mobile users, take up valuable screen real estate and showcase personalized offers and relevant products. Mobile devices are 24*7 with the users, so reconsider your traditional online promotions to engage users on the go. With the help of hyper personalization tactics, tailor the information with respect to user’s context. As a result, the products, content and the services will be more relevant to the user, which will result in higher conversion rates. With the help of data analytics retailers should continuously update the environment according to the user feedback.
#7 Smooth and Crisp Checkouts
Most of the people face a problem when they check out from an ecommerce site as they have to go through a lot of steps. Ensure that mobile interface has a prominent checkout button available whenever an item is added to the cart and auto-populate the customer’s data such as credit card details, shipping address etc from online store so that transactions are possible on one click. Make sure that the mobile app and the website are in sync so that users can review the past purchases or wish lists and can even complete the transactions later using their mobile device. This way it also enables customers to use mobile device as an in-store product comparison tool.
#8 Improve Customer Retention
Entice the customers by creating loyalty programs, exclusive offers so that they visit the mobile website or application again and again thus deliver a compelling mobile experience. When looking for a loyalty program, seek for programs with an interactive loyalty initiatives which blends in-store, online and mobile elements. One of the ways is QR (quick response) codes which allows mobile users to scan the bar-code and retrieve the information about the respective product or services. The more codes are scanned, the more points are rewarded in terms of membership points, free gifts etc. With this the customers also get targeted coupons and perks pushed to their mobile devices. The ultimate goal is to motivate customers for comeback by converting them into brand advocates.
#9 Cross-Channel Engagement
Today, mobile users are more robust, empowered, interconnected and demand a compelling mobile experience. Through the mobile environment, customer needs, behaviors, search history and even their location can be identified, which eventually helps in building a customer persona. The knowledge thus obtained, can be leveraged to provide a more compelling mobile experience and an improved cross channel user experience.
Few examples:
- Use GPS features to provide location-based offers to users in and around the store.
- Provision to scan bar-codes and conduct transactions via mobile devices, bypassing queues at billing counter.
- To increase the sales, give customers the ability to read user reviews, compare prices or survey using mobile devices in store.
#10 Work on Customer Feedbacks
Take immediate actions on the data being provided by the customers in the form of feedback. Based on feedbacks, the mobile environment needs to be aligned with the experience that the customers are demanding. So, analyze the trends well to fine tune the user experience for the customers. Any emerging channel requires extra check on how the users are interacting, tracking this information as early as possible results is a long-term success.
To sustain in the competition, your mobile environment must be compelling enough to draw the customer’s attention and pursue them to rebuy. Know the needs of your target audience and with reference to that create an application with features that streamline the user experience, capture their attention, and keep them engaged.