In today’s age, smartphones have become ubiquitous in society and integral to our daily lives. Because of this, businesses have needed to adapt to suit the new climate. Thus, mobile apps have emerged as a means of fostering customer engagement and building long-lasting customer relationships. They revolutionised the way businesses interact with customers with their ability to provide personalisation, convenience, and streamlined interactions. This article will delve into the impact of mobile apps on customer engagement and how implementation influences their effectiveness.
Personalised Experiences
One of the key advantages of mobile apps is the ability to personalise user experiences. By using mobile apps, businesses are able to much more easily get a hold of relevant customer data which translates into a much more personalised experience tailored to the individual customer. Armed with this data, apps can provide relevant recommendations, exclusive offers, and customised content that resonates with users.
This opens up a tricky area with user data. Many people will wholeheartedly agree to the terms and conditions without a second thought as to how it pertains to their data privacy. It is important that businesses incorporate intuitive privacy settings into their apps. Furthermore, data collected should be the least intrusive it needs to be. Let people know what data is being tracked and they may accept the personalisation it brings.
Seamless User Experiences
Compared to a website, a mobile app provides a more streamlined user experience. A well-designed mobile app eliminates the need for users to sift through multiple web pages. This results in faster and more convenient interactions.
Simplicity and ease of use is the motto of the current era. Between simplification of brands and user interfaces, the world is leaning towards a more minimalistic aesthetic; at least in the Western world. Cluttered interfaces deter users from using a mobile app and that defeats the purpose of the mobile app in the first place – engagement.
Social Media Integration
The seamless integration of the digital world into the physical is another trajectory of society. Social media has become an integral part of many lives alongside regular media and social interactions. Linking a mobile app to a user’s social media opens up opportunities for more engagement. Suddenly, the mobile app serves as a means of advertisement through its users. People are keen on sharing exciting moments with others and this positivity can reflect nicely on your brand.
Furthermore, integrating social login options eliminates the need for users to create separate accounts making things more seamless. However, proper social media integration falls flat without things for customers to share. Encourage users to share their latest purchase or current loyalty ranking on social media.
Loyalty Programmes and Gamification
Speaking of which, loyalty programmes increase engagement. Mobile apps allow loyalty programmes to be implemented in more ways than would traditionally be feasible. Mobile apps are capable of keeping track of many variables and data. For this reason, it is essentially able to make a game out of itself.
But this is not what “gamification” refers to. Games, particularly video games, have been mastering the art of engagement for decades now. While there are many factors that contribute to one’s engagement with a game, progression, reward, and achievement are some of the important keywords that can be applied to loyalty programmes, even if only aesthetically. See, people like to feel like they are progressing, even if it is through the lens of a game. It’s why loyalty stamp cards work on some level. Seeing the stamps accumulate over time is a rewarding feeling. Mobile apps can turn those stamps into piles of gold that represent loyalty points.
It’s not so much the functionality that needs change, just the presentation. That’s why making customers feel accomplished through loyalty milestones is important.
“You’ve been with us for a whole year? That’s great! Here’s a free monthly trial of our premium service. Would you like to share this on social media?”
Push Notifications and In-App Messaging
Mobile apps enable businesses to communicate directly with their customers. Push notifications and in-app messaging provide a powerful way to inform customers about new products, promotions, and events, driving them back to the app and, by extension, you. The more customers are reminded about the business, the more they will engage, even if its to fulfill their daily loyalty “quest” or something simple like that.
However, there is a fine line between informing or reminding and pestering. By leveraging user data, push notifications can be personalised to the individual customer, but too many can annoy customers and leave a sour taste in their mouths. A bad mobile app is one which users are motivated to delete or disable.
