Mobile customer experiences (mobile CX) are poised to overtake all other channels very soon. In 2016, Google found that more than 50% of web traffic now comes from smartphones, and 63% of smartphone users would rather buy from companies with mobile-optimised customer experiences. This makes mobile CX a central cog in your overall marketing, sales, and support strategy. Without it, you would lose out on mobile-only customers who do not have access to a desktop device (a growing segment in developing economies).
You also risk stalling the customer journey at the research stage itself, if it isn’t possible to comfortably explore your products and services on mobile.
Key Trends in Mobile CX Management to Remember
The last few years have seen mobile usage skyrocket, with nearly 100% penetration in developed economies. Globally, 46.45% of the population has smartphones – this means that nearly 1 in every 2 customers will start their journey on mobile, and your mobile CX strategy will shape their overall brand experience.
Mobile CX got another leg up in 2020 due to the pandemic. 84% of customers said that they used digital channels more frequently than in 2019, which includes a greater reliance on mobile apps and smartphones. 82% of companies also said that they have seen impressive ROI from investing in these technologies.
Finally, constant advancements in mobile connectivity – such as the mainstreamisation of 4G LTE and now the rise of 5G – makes mobile CX possible at an unprecedented scale. Rich content consumption, prolonged usage without battery restrictions, remote/last mile connectivity and interactive content are no longer outside the ambit of mobile.
Best Practices for Maximising the Value of a Mobile CX
Even if you haven’t planned for it, chances are that your customers are accessing your website via mobile and starting their journey from mobile touchpoints. You can anticipate this and maximise its value by:
- Diversifying your presence – Your mobile CX strategy must cover all the crucial touchpoints, including mobile optimised website UX, dedicated mobile apps for Android/iOS, presence on social media platforms, and mobile messaging apps
- Collaborating with the dev team – It is vital to iron out any bottlenecks in the mobile CX right at the outset, even if it involves a technical issue or a UX design gap. A successful mobile CX strategy hinges on cross-functional collaboration by dev, support, and marketing
- Empowering customers with choice – While mobile CX is on the rise, an app may not always be the way to go. Over 50% of your customers delete apps once a month, and more than a third feel frustrated when they are forced to install an app to complete a transaction. At the end of the day, mobile CX should add to and not reduce flexibility
- Completing the entire journey loop via mobile – Companies that leverage mobile CX to drive interest and conversion but not support are losing out on a major loyalty opportunity. The inconvenience of having to switch channels in-between the product experience damages CX and erodes loyalty
