The top five mobile strategies for retailers

The mobile shopping revolution is here. In fact, it’s been here for quite some time, but retailers have been slow to catch on to consumer habits and behaviors. While some retailers try hard to engage mobile shoppers, the majority seem to be falling behind. In today’s competitive marketplace, mobile strategies help retailers remain relevant to modern consumers. If you haven’t adopted a strong mobile strategy for your business, the time is now. Here are the top five mobile strategies retailers should embrace in the age of mobility.

Support Cross Platform Mobile Solutions
One of the best practices a retailer can adopt is cross platform mobile development. There are several frameworks that allow companies to develop for multiple platforms. These frameworks allow retailers to create solutions that target more devices and users, while writing a minimal amount of source code. Not only does this make it easier to support more users, but also keeps development costs low. Any retailer looking to adopt a smart mobile strategy should consider cross platform development.

Provide an Omni-Channel User Experience
Retailers should be providing a Omni-channel user experience to remain relevant in the fast-paced world of mobile development. If your company is going to adopt such a strategy to supplement your brick-and-mortar store, you should be considering several channels to interact with customers— online stores, mobile app stores and mobile apps for customers. By providing such an approach, retailers drive commerce by giving consumers multiple ways to engage with stores and purchase goods and capture every type of customer.

Nurture Customers Over Time
Smart retailers customize mobile solutions to customers over time to drive sales and increase satisfaction. By focusing on recurring customers, and their needs, they’re able to engage more frequently with a business. Providing special services that meet customer desires ensures customers will continue to shop at a retail store. Take a look at CVS, whose strategic mobile app increased online sales by over 250% last year.

Engage Customers with Interactive Apps
When designing your mobile strategy, you should keep interactivity in mind. Retailers that provide an outstanding user experience see higher sales and customer satisfaction. These strategies include options like: push notifications for in-store offers, the ability to create shopping lists, price checking, in-store self checkout and retail store locators. Retailers like Wal-Mart have seen some success with these types of interactive strategies, and it seems to be paying off. When creating your mobile solutions be sure to include several ways for customers to engage with your brand regularly.

Empower Your Sales Force with Tools for Clienteling
Clienteling holds many benefits for both the consumer and retailer, and any brick-and-mortar business that wants to compete with online retailers should consider sales force empowerment to stay relevant in today’s marketplace. Clienteling has been shown to save sales by providing salespersons with the ability to check product availability, enhance customer service by providing responsive in-store support and giving customers as much, if not more, product information as an online retailer. These innovations allow consumers to have a more personalized shopping experience, where salespeople can provide better product information and services without leaving their side. Clienteling applications allow for seamless sales interactions that leave the shopper with a positive experience that keeps them coming back for a personalized and unique in-store experience.