7 Emerging Mobile Trends
7 Emerging Mobile Trends And How You Can Cash In On Them
Mobile devices have been changing the world in meaningful ways ever since they hit the market in 1983. Back then, mobile phones were bulky and unwieldy, far removed from the sleek phone of the 21st century.
Well, we can all agree that they’re awesome, but why do they matter to retailers?
Mobile devices are thoroughly integrated into your customers’ lives. This gives you an unprecedented channel of access to your customer base. A virtual goldmine.
This has staggering implications that all stem from one simple fact: technology is constantly evolving. As mobile devices become more advanced, and newer devices make an appearance on the market, you need to keep up and make use of every channel of customer engagement available to you.
Because if you don’t, you’re going to be left staring at the backs of those who are more willing to innovate. Let’s take a look at the top 10 mobile trends and how you can take advantage of them.
1. IoT Interconnected-Ness
The next few years will be the perfect time to ride the wave of innovation that the Internet of Things (IoT) will bring. You can use IoT to create more cohesive experiences for consumers and even to create new avenues of revenue for your business. This technology has the potential to add a lot of value to both the company and your customers’ lives. Provide innovative solutions and people will take note, leading to greater reach.
Image Source: geralt
IoT is steadily building momentum and will soon become a full-blown revolution. As this happens, it affords you the valuable opportunity to get in on the ground floor and use IoT in novel ways to engage with your target audience.
2. Wearables Take Off
Both mobile hardware and software will continue to develop rapidly and in tandem. This is going to result in many breakthroughs as devices continue to evolve.
Most notably, we will see wearables hit the mainstream market and catch on. This opens up a whole new world for you to work with. You will be able to get closer to your customer than ever before.
3. Tap Into Big Data
Analyzing the data your customers generate will allow you to provide them with personalized experiences that are adapted to the nature of their digital footprint. By doing this, you can give them a consistent omni-channel experience across all platforms.
The advent of wearables and big data comes with a catch, though. Consumers are already concerned about their digital security and privacy. As technology continues to grow, this concern is going to grow with it. Assuring your customers that their data is safe with you, and will not be abused, will go a long way towards building trust and brand image.
4. Sensory Overload
Technology like Facebook’s Beacon and Apple’s iBeacon will revolutionize the way you interact with your customers. These technologies give retailers more control over what consumers experience.
For example, the Facebook Beacon allows retailers to dish out location-specific advertisements, and Apple’s iBeacon functions like a mini-GPS and allows retailers to track customer location within the store. This can be used for targeted advertising and prompts based on their in-store location. This tech has a host of exciting potential applications for you to explore.
5. The Power Of Contextual Marketing
While contextual marketing was restricted to the physical world in the past, it has a greater and far more effective reach today because of mobile devices. Using a combination of big data and emerging hardware developments, retailers will be able to take contextual marketing to the next level.
Besides location-specific advertising, retailers can also provide consumers with content that is relevant to their prior behavior and purchases. This sort of service is a great value-add to a business, and can vastly improve customer engagement if done right.
6. Insights On The Go
Retailers will also benefit from being able to use smartphones for integral processes like real- time inventory management.
Customer complaints, and other on-site requirements can also be addressed in real time thanks to mobile devices.
7. One-Stop-Smartphone
Since smartphones are quickly becoming hubs for almost everything, retailers can get in on the ground floor and prepare for the day when a customer will be able to preorder and pre-pay for an item before they even reach the store.
It will soon become common practice to pay with your phone instead of your credit card. Smartphones can also easily replace loyalty cards, giving the consumer more of a reason to sign up for incentives like rewards programs.
Bottom line: you gotta go mobile!
References:
http://www.accustore.com/learning-center/top-10-mobile-trends.aspx
http://www.retailtouchpoints.com/features/executive-viewpoints/top-5-mobile-trends-in-retail
http://www.computerworld.com/article/2485049/mobile-payments/why-apple-s–indoor-gps–plan-is-brilliant.html