1 EVERYONE’S DOING IT
As cliché as this may sound, your competitors and their competitors are all producing apps for their retail location. It’s no longer just larger companies like Best Buy and Starbucks but small to medium-sized businesses as well. Consumers are more likely to shop at retail stores that have mobile access than those that do not, simply because going in store and looking for products is one-dimensional. Your customers want more. Mobile is becoming increasingly important for small business growth. If you want to keep up in the race, it’s worth looking into.
2 IT’S FUN
A mobile app allows consumers to be more interactive with your brand. Cosmetic giant Sephora allows app users to test their products without putting any real makeup on using the “Beauty Board Feature”. Denim Industries created their app, “Denim Industries”, which lets you earn rewards while you shop. It notifies customers of sales and events while allowing them to accumulate “Denim Dollars” to use on their next purchase. Just for signing up with the app, consumers receive 10% off all regular priced items, and can be added into random prize draws just for shopping at one of their locations. This provides a fun and enjoyable experience at your store, giving your brand a personality.
3 INCREASING LOYALTY OPPORTUNITY
Coupons are great tools that provide an incentive for customers to shop, and an app makes the hassle of clipping out a small piece of paper from flyers and newspapers a thing of the past. By simply offering 20% off exclusively through the app to customers who have taken the initiative to download it, will give them the benefit of exclusivity. First access to sales is another way both your business and your customers feel the bond of loyalty. Customers will think “I must be a valuable shopper if they are sharing sales with me first.” Denim Industries has seen a great increase in customer satisfaction since implementing their mobile app as it gives customers exclusive discounts and coupons while allowing them to accumulate “Denim Dollars”. Not only will customers be more confident that they have received the best deal, you still keep them coming back with the incentive of more “Denim Dollar” earnings.
4 IT’S EXTREMELY CONVENIENT
Customizable search engines allow users to find exactly what they’re looking for anywhere, anytime. For those who need to go in and out of the store more quickly, Denim Industries provides the incredibly convenient “New Arrivals” function. The app tells you exactly which products have recently arrived in store to make shopping a breeze. Target gives customers the option to ship items directly or pick up at a nearby store. Offering a merchandise feature through your app that suits your customer’s lifestyle can enhance their shopping experience and boost your sales as a result.
5 CUSTOMER SATISFACTION INCREASES
People like to hear from other people – it’s human nature. So naturally, we want to know how others would rate the product or service we’re interested in purchasing. ULTA, a chain of beauty stores in the United States, offers a mobile app which promotes customer feedback and has thousands of reviews of their products right there for you on the app. Features such as a forum can help create a community around your company too, driving a positive association and dialogue that takes your brand from good to great. Features such as these help to create a connection between your business and its customers resulting in a much higher degree of customer satisfaction.
Here is one business we’ve worked with to go mobile. Watch this video about Denim Industries:
Interested in getting your own retail mobile app? Click here for a free demo.