As the saying goes, "there's an app for that." Smartphone customers have an entire world of apps at their fingertips, both free and paid, that are designed to be entertaining, informative, and convenient. Both B2C and B2B companies are clamoring to be a part of this burgeoning interaction channel. But how can a company stand out among the millions of apps out there?
The answer is simple, straightforward, and often overlooked. Create apps that are relevant and valuable to customers that keep them actively engaged. The best way to achieve this goal is to make sure your mobile app is customer-centric.
Until now most mobile apps have been the domain of a company's agency or relegated to a far corner of the marketing department. Many operate in silos or with a campaign focus, not necessarily tied to a company's overall customer strategy. We at Peppers & Rogers Group believe that mobile apps are a critical component to a company's overall digital strategy. And that strategy needs to focus on the needs, value, and behavior of customers, not just the latest bells and whistles. It's then that you can create relevance and value.
Creating a customer-centric app
Mobile apps can be as unique as the companies that produce them. Yet there are a few common themes that all apps should have. A good app should be a combination of functionality, performance, and appeal. When combined, these three elements work in tandem to enhance a customer's experience with a brand.
A good app will engage the customer with content that meets their needs. It will offer content that puts the customer in closer contact with the company and makes them feel both informed and valued. In order to do that it must work properly, take advantage of the benefits of the mobile channel, provide a unique interaction, and be entertaining and/or informative.
Consider a retail chain's mobile app; it should alert customers about sales and specials at nearby locations, offer coupons, leverage location based services to offer in-store specials and otherwise incentivize the shopping experience. The app should build trust with the customer, which comes from several factors: the app should enable customers to get the most of their relationship with the company behind the app, as well as offer convenience and consistency. The customer should come to view the app as a tool to augment and enhance their overall experience as a customer.
An example of a successful app in another industry is a casino app we studied, which keeps visitors up-to-date on what is going on in the hotel at all times, offers off-line mobile casino games where consumers earn real reward points for playing, and allows visitors to easily make room and restaurant reservations from their mobile device. It delivers convenience and can be viewed as a both a tool for customers to get the most out of their experience in the casino as well as an entertainment app.
Sure, any company can make an app. But are you making a good app? Here are six questions every company should be able to answer in order to pass the "customer-centric app" test:
- Does the app offer value to both new and returning customers?
- Is customer loyalty rewarded in any way?
- Does the content evolve or otherwise have longevity?
- Does the app offer functions that improve the customer's experience?
- Does the app deliver what it promises to the customer?
- Is the app designed to take full advantage of both the hardware and software features?
The Peppers & Rogers Group Mobile App Index
In the most recent issue of the Customer Strategist journal, Don Peppers writes that it is consumer convenience that will drive the customer experience with mobile marketing. The effectiveness of what your app offers is what matters. And effectiveness needs to be measured.
We at Peppers & Rogers Group have created a 10-point Mobile App Index to measure an app's performance in each of these areas. It provides an accurate gauge for businesses to determine the success of their app in enhancing the customer experience. As Executive Editor Tom Hoffman wrote in the same article, having defined performance metrics makes it possible to measure and increase the value of mobile marketing campaigns over time. The Index allows firms to determine if they are enhancing the customer experience through their app by judging its performance on each of the Index' s 10 levers of customer centricity. The Index also allows companies to compare their app performance to the relevant competitor apps.
Interested in learning more? Contact Matthew Rhoden to find out how your company can get involved.
Mobile apps are only one part of a larger digital marketing strategy. A comprehensive digital strategy is comprised of mobile, social, and online efforts, where customers can intertwine in the community of a brand. We will be discussing what makes a successful digital marketing strategy in the upcoming webinar, The 5 Key Elements of a Customer-Centric Digital Strategy: Navigating the New Marketing Ecosystem on Wednesday, May 11 at 2 p.m. EDT. We hope you will join us in this pertinent and timely event.
Matthew Rhoden is a partner at Peppers & Rogers Group. Contact him at mrhoden@peppersandrogersgroup.com.
Kristoffer Strauss contributed to this article. He is a consultant at Peppers & Rogers Group. Contact him at kristoffer.strauss@1to1.com.