As mobile technology continues to become more integrated into consumers’ daily lives, more and more retailers are focusing their efforts on developing a true mobile strategy. In fact, 90% of smartphone owners have at least one subscription to access coupons, promotions, and special discounts, according to the Proxbook Report.
Mobile commerce has been around for several years, which has given consumers time to embrace the new channel. Now that consumers are comfortable using mobile apps to buy, the number of people who are doing so is increasing rapidly. A recent study reveals that 88% of consumers use retail mobile apps and 55% of people that use retail mobile apps said they use them while shopping in-store. Now that so many purchases are made via mobile apps, retailers need to make sure their mobile experiences are living up to in-store expectations.
New technologies such as Geofences or Bluetooth Beacons enable Mobile Retail Apps targeting based on a person’s precise location, meaning an offline store could alert a consumer to check out the new collection or best price offers. It allows retailers to send location-based notifications to consumers’ devices and collect valuable data on how consumers move through stores.
Retailers should find a way to connect online behaviour with offline sales.
Here you have 3 different example campaigns to drive consumer engagement and boost conversions through the mobile channel:
Let users know about new clothing, collections or top looks available at your store. When a user enters to your store is the perfect moment to capture their attention, so by connecting retail apps with user's location, you can send location-based notifications to remind them to use a coupon or discount previously sent days ago. In this way, you are influencing users to do some actions when they are in the store.
Let users know about new app functionalities to increase its usage. Let's see an example... Imagine that your app has recently released a scanner to enable users to add items directly to the app. So, you can send a location-triggered message to notify them about this new feature and encourage them to try it while they are in the store.
Promote and encourage users to engage in social networks. For example: As a mobile user gets out the cash register zone, a proximity campaign can be sent to encourage her/him to share their new look using a specific hashtag.
Including new retail technology tools in your mobile engagement strategy will enable you to influence consumers and increase your offline and online sales.
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