5 Ways To Make The Grade In Mobile

By Alicia Fiorletta, Senior Editor 

What’s the first thing you do when you wake up in the morning? If your answer is check your cell phone, you’re not alone. I know I’m guilty of doing it. (Although after reading Thrive by Ariana Huffington, I’m trying my hardest to unplug when I can.) 

But the fact remains: 85% of people say that mobile devices are a central part of their everyday life, according to Salesforce Marketing Cloud’s 2014 Mobile Behavior Report.

This doesn’t just apply to your customers; it applies to your associates, as well. With more Millennials entering the workforce, retailers must understand that their prime employees have grown accustomed to – and expect – to use their mobile devices to complete tasks. 

We’re reaching a true mobile moment of truth. Retailers need to understand what tactics and best practices they need to implement to truly make the grade in mobile, leading to improved customer and employee engagement, and a boost in bottom-line results. 

Here are some tips to help you get started: 

1. Delight customers with beautiful and engaging apps: There have been many arguments around whether retailers should invest in a mobile-optimized site or app. To put it bluntly, you need both. A mobile-optimized site is imperative for improved search engine listings and to create a great experience for casual browsers. However, apps are key for your more engaged and loyal shoppers.

   Think about how you can incorporate valuable tools and services into apps to better educate and empower your shoppers as they browse and buy. Apps also are imperative for the associate-facing experience. For example, ALDO is using in-store mobile technology to create a more immersive brand experience. The retailer created a series of apps that provide fingertip access to items, trend and style information and even product recommendations based on consumers’ closets.

2. Create one-to-one browsing and buying journeys: In the current omnichannel climate, personalization has become the name of the retail game. As a retailer, you not only need to create a consistent experience across all channels, you also need to ensure these experiences are aligned with the unique preferences of individual customers. 

   Take cues from HauteLook, which sifts through a plethora of data across its e-Commerce storefront, mobile site and app, as well as social media and email to understand customer preferences. From there, the retailer can better understand what brands, categories and event types resonate with consumers. Then, HauteLook creates highly customized, yet automated, emails and campaigns. 

3. Re-personalize the store with clienteling: Many consumers still treasure the in-store shopping experience. Whether they prefer to touch and feel products, or simply enjoy interacting with associates, consumers definitely don’t want the store to go away. However, retailers can make the brick-and-mortar experience more fun and memorable by implementing mobile clienteling!

   Clienteling is an integral part of the Design Within Reach (DWR) experience. Selling high-end modern furniture and home decor, DWR sales reps use iPads and iPads to show presentations, enter new leads or opportunities and place orders. They also can access customer profiles, which include vital selling information such as the products they’ve browsed online. 

4. Connect retail operations: In order to remain competitive and drive customer satisfaction, retail executives need to keep a constant pulse on chain-wide sales, marketing campaigns and service inquiries. With the right software, mobile devices can extend real-time business data to all the key players, including store managers and employees. 
   
   Sprouts Farmers Market leverages the Salesforce Service Cloud to extend customer inquiries, questions and feedback sent across email, chat, phone and the web to stores. Reports are generated and updated in real time, so the executive team and store managers can improve store performance and experiences. 
   
   
5. Create and cultivate brand ambassadors: The unprecedented growth of social networks like Facebook and Instagram reaffirms that consumers love to interact with peers and thought leaders. Mobile apps can help bridge the connection between shoppers if there is a designated community area to share images and comments, and ask questions. 

   Rossignol, a provider of mountain sports, skiing and snowboarding equipment, has created a mobile-optimized community to build passion among fans and followers. Users can create their own social profiles and interact with each other. Through the Ski Pursuit mobile app, consumers also can track their ski performance, average speed, distance and more. Bottom line: Rossignol is bringing the brand to the next level by creating and promoting a lifestyle. 

Want to learn how to build an optimal mobile strategy for your shoppers and associates? Click here to download the complimentary E-book from Salesforce.com!