Tips for Providing an Outstanding Mobile Customer Experience

In a rush to accommodate the mass migration of consumers to mobile commerce, businesses sometimes focus solely on the purchasing aspect, at the expense of the overall customer experience.This might expedite one or two consumer transactions in the short-term. However, a difficult or even unpleasant mobile experience will diminish the possibility of return business.Just as “effective mobile marketing requires a different way of thinking and a change in strategy,” businesses should also expand their ways of thinking about the mobile customer experience. Here are tips to keep in mind to better improve the customer’s journey via his or her mobile device.

Ensure a user-friendly interface

The whole point of mobile shopping is to serve as an attractive and convenient alternative to buying in stores or online. For this reason, it’s essential that the design of your user interface avoid long registration forms or lack zoomable pages. Also, don’t make the mistake of burying customer service links in global menus. Don’t intermingle a customer service link with content like “Follow us on Facebook” or “sign up for email.”

Online marketing expert Bob Michelian offers these user-friendly tips:

• Optimize product pages for rapid loading speed (by reducing images, writing lean code, etc.).
• Display a highly visible search bar and avoid “flattening” (forcing users to click through more than two to three filters to get where they want to be).
• Make it easy to save payment information.

Integrate channels for a consistent experience

Experts disagree on whether mobile customers favor their devices more for researching products or for logging onto sites chiefly in order to buy. Whatever the preference, smart businesses work to integrate channels. This is so potential customers can save lists of products or services easily.Integration also helps ensure a consistent experience, so that navigation is equally easy across websites, mobile sites and apps. Not only does this make life easier for visitors, it reinforces a company’s “brand promise” by offering a consistent experience across platforms. This builds the kind of trust leading to long-term customer loyalty.

Make help options visible and easy to use

Inevitably, shopping issues will crop up. Most of these can be easily resolved without losing the customer. To reduce the likelihood of negative mobile customer experience, consider offering a mobile live chat feature and prominently display when and how to access it.Another value-added option? Provide clear-cut service options in navigation menus at key points in the buying process (such as a tap-to-call telephone number) so small shopping-cart problems can be quickly and positively resolved.

Get your customers involved in new features and redesigns

The mobile dimension is still new to many businesses. Think about asking your customers about the types of new features or redesigns that would be of most interest to them.Post questions at the conclusion of a customer service inquiry or online survey.Generally speaking, customers aren’t shy about responding to sincere queries from the businesses they frequent. They will likely have insightful suggestions about improving their mobile experience.

Conclusion: be flexible and prepared to adjust your mobile commerce strategies

Devices evolve, customer preferences change, buying trends come and go. Monitor the ways your target audience make purchasing decisions. Aim to refine and improve their experiences along the way. This will help ensure a favorable customer experience. Pave the way towards repeat transactions in the future.