How does mobile influence the customer journey?
There is not a single study that proves otherwise: mobile is becoming more and more important in the lives of consumers every day. According to recent research, 91% of the Dutch population owns a smartphone. In America, this percentage is somewhat lower, namely at 77% of the American population (Pew Research Center, 2018). And everyone, not a single age category excepted, uses his or her smartphone all the time (Global Mobile Consumer Survey 2018, Deloitte). This popularity has led the ShoppingTomorrow expert group Mobile as the new Storefront to provide insight into what the power of mobile really is.
With the advent of e-commerce, the need has arisen to make the shop window digitally available too. E-commerce initially manifested itself on larger screens, such as laptops and desktops. With the arrival of smartphones and the increased adoption of online ordering, creating a good (brand) experience on a smaller screen is becoming increasingly important. The use of mobile in the shopping journey is growing rapidly.
Today's consumers are often called connected consumers because they are always online. This can be via their telephone, but also via other devices, such as smartwatches and VR applications. Because customers are constantly online, the traditional customer journey is also changing. The current customer journey now has many starting and finishing points, including points that were previously not possible. As the customer and their mobile are inseparable, this customer journey over different channels and platforms can often be seamlessly connected via mobile.
Improved value propositions
Due to the rapid development of technology, all kinds of possibilities are arising, to improve or even completely revise the customer proposition. Many retailers, large and small, use loyalty systems that are increasingly mobile-oriented. Consider the digital customer or savings card. The introduction of mobile contributes to the convenience for the consumer, and at the same time to an improved brand experience and bonding.
Forward-looking statements
Mobile is therefore here to stay and the expert group is happy to present this as a fact. The power, and therefore the opportunities that mobile has to offer, to increase customer engagement, are obvious and will only increase in the future. The expert group takes a look at the (near) future, 2019 or 2020, but no further. It is that close, it goes so fast!
- Mobile is the omnichannel identity card.
- Mobile connects all steps in the customer journey.
- Mobile reduces friction in the customer journey, making it shorter.
- Mobile encourages impulse buying.
- Voice as an additional element of the storefront.
- Unconscious use of mobile gives marketers a free ticket to success.
- Mobile replaces the physical wallet.
The blue paper concludes with a number of practical tips. Tips that can contribute to improving the journey of customers on mobile and thereby increase engagement with a brand. The most important tip? Embrace mobile, because your customers have already been doing so for ages. Don't think about it, just do it! This expert group was led by Deloitte and Facebook.