The Rise of Mobile CX: Be There. Be Relevant

Converting content to a mobile-friendly version is no longer enough to sustain the platform and provide a satisfying experience. Consumer expectations are setting the bar high for businesses. It is time for businesses to not only meet their customers where they are at, but be there for them where they are going.

Consumers aren’t waiting for you to catch up to their needs. They will leave an experience within seconds when they encounter a problem with no immediate solution, as finding the best product or service is no longer their only ultimate goal. Consumers are choosing brands by their capability to provide connected experiences across all channels and the rise in mobile customer experience is a calling for brands to address this shift in consumer needs.

Mobile is the Preferred Channel

Focusing on the experience to engage customers at every touchpoint gives them the opportunity to build relationships with you on their terms. For example, they aren’t interested in how well your laptop and tablet versions function when they only use their mobile device. A prime example is that 97% of Millennials are mobile users and 20% of them don’t use any form of desktop at all. If your mobile platform is not as optimized as your other channels, they will simply bypass interacting with your brand.

Mobile online usage is surging in popularity as users are no longer confining their mobile usage to calls, texts and tweets. There are more mobile internet users than desktop internet users with:

• 52.7% of global internet users access the internet via mobile
• 75.1% of U.S. internet users access the internet via mobile. Some consumers prefer using their mobile phone for interactions typically performed on a laptop.
• 20% use it for checking the delivery status of a purchase.
• 14% use a mobile device to update an address on their account after a move.
• 10% to apply for a new credit card.

How to Respond

The best way to learn from statistics like these is that the next step in your experience-based strategy should be how to optimize the interactions on your mobile platform that users prefer to use it for. By making the tasks and processes your customers use on one platform seamless with their interaction with it on another, their trust in your overall brand experience increases, in turn, another opportunity for a loyal customer.

Not All Experiences Are the Same. Steps to Custom Design Your Mobile Channel.

Customization is the key element in building each channel. You may already know that your customers like your brand, but in order to keep them engaged, it is necessary to interact with them accordingly. Here are 5 steps to custom design your mobile channel:

1. 1. 1. Design The Platform From The Ground Up.

         Let go of misconceptions, and embrace the differences of the mobile unit: they are physically smaller and demand condensed information, they have the capacity to be as complex and comprehensive as other channels, and mobile users expect instant two-way communication and real-time service.

      2. Build For The Multi-Platform Experience.

         Consumers are interacting with your brand across multiple platforms, sometimes simultaneously. While each channel should function in its optimal independent form, it is essential that they work cohesively for the consumer. For example, a consumer may begin an interaction with your brand from their mobile unit, switch to their laptop later in the day and pick up again with the tablet in the evening.

      3. Use Analytics To Redesign Your Mobile Platform.

         Take the guessing out of decisions by utilizing data points for redesign. Gathering information from your mobile users by examining their interactions will generate relevant changes according to their unique habits and trends on the mobile platform.

      4. Revisit and Polish Every Touchpoint.

         Remember that consumer expectations and preferences are constantly evolving. Optimization of your touchpoints should be a continuing task. Make sure they can consistently perform the same functions on their mobile as they do via other channels, especially when it comes to complex transactions. Evaluate their journey frequently to eliminate any barriers they may encounter during the process to avoid potential losses in customer return.

      5. Customer Service Is Still Key.

         No matter what channel a customer is using, they will expect communication and resolutions in real-time. By using optimal customer service options in the mobile channel like Helpshift’s SDK with In-app FAQs, In-App Messaging, and direct access to your agents, consumers will not have to leave their mobile device for another channel to answer any questions or to solve problems.

Creating the Connection at Every Touchpoint

In a survey of over 190 companies, only 33% of them reported they are confidently providing a good mobile experience and only 26% have an efficient way to measure these experiences. These numbers express that the percentage of companies successfully providing a connected experience across all of their touchpoints is small. There are 4 steps you can take to begin to meet this challenge:

1. 1. • Know Your Customer. You may have created your product or service from their needs, and now it is time to get to know their experiences with your brand.
      • Storyboard their journeys and build from there. Find out how they interact with your brand across channels to motivate your experience-based strategies.
      • Engage and Learn. Roll out prototypes to efficiently gauge your designs.
      • Continue to Optimize. Optimization has no end. There is always more to learn from your customers that can enhance their relationship with you.

Research Courtesy of The Temkin Group and The Customer Experience Matters blog.