Retaining customers is a primary goal of any growing business, but it’s not easy in an era when brand loyalty among web users is scarce, choice is seemingly endless, and offers and discounts abound.
One program that can help businesses retain customers is a comprehensive mobile strategy.
Indeed, now that mobile penetration rates are hitting 101% in North America and an amazing 129% in Western Europe (according to the U.S. Census Bureau, Internet World Stats), most people have access to high-speed broadband through a device in their pocket, and consumers are much more familiar with the online shopping process, increasingly turning to mobile to buy everything from groceries to holiday gifts.
So, if businesses want to capitalize on this new behavior, they must build an approachable and compelling mobile presence through apps and mobile-optimized sites.
This shift in focus might be obvious to many in business, but often there is a lack of understanding about the impact that a good mobile strategy can have on building long-lasting client relationships.
In this article, we’ll look at how mobile apps can boost return on investment, while cultivating a stronger bond with clients.
First, it’s important to know that apps are used more often and longer than mobile sites.
It might seem counterintuitive, but the way customers access a business online matters just as much as other key indicators like price and product range. A site can be mobile optimized and have some good functionality, but very often this is not the case.
An alternative is a dedicated mobile app. Recently, Adobe’s Digital Marketing Report stated that mobile app users are more loyal to a brand than those who visit a website from a mobile device. This is attributed to two factors:
Unlike web visitors who might land on your website by pure accident, the people who actually download your app are customers who already know your brand and feel they have a relationship with you.
When using an app, visitors tend to spend 3-4 times longer online than they would using a mobile site. In general, mobile sites are used to obtain quick information such as checking locations and looking up business phone numbers. Mobile apps often are preferred for prolonged activities or to access exclusive content and deals.
Prolonged app sessions translate into a great opportunity for brands to deliver marketing messages and consolidate customer relationships, while taking advantage of users’ high level of interest.
Offer Dedicated Content
Content is king. Yes, we’ve heard it a million times, but it really is true.
People turn to apps to satisfy specific needs they may have and to receive dedicated services they cannot find on a website. They want something that is truly engaging and quick to respond.
By creating dedicated sections inside your app with extra resources that can be accessed only by app users, you are encouraging interaction via an app over the mobile site. If you want to, you also can set a private log-in option to enable only certain users to access your exclusive contents.
This way, you will make your app users feel unique and give them more reasons to use your app.
A great example of this is the New York Times App, created to offer real-time access to the latest news of the world via app and integrate the services offered via website and hardcopy version.
The app can be downloaded completely free of charge. It allows users to read as many as 10 articles per month and browse freely across all of its content-rich media sections. Once the maximum of 10 free articles per month is met, users can either stick to the 10 free-articles-per-month formula or subscribe to one of the paid plans to gain instant unlimited access to app contents and enjoy a device-tailored version of the app.