The time is right for mobile engagement. So believes LogMeIn, which ran an Internet Retailing Webinar on 17 June. Along side the video of the whole event, here is a digest of some of the key issues raised in the webinar, as well as a look at LogMeIn’s consumer research and its top 5 tips for using mobile to engage consumers.
First up LogMeIn’s president of the eTailing Group, Lauren Freedman set out why the time is right for mobile engagement.
• 91% of global population has a mobile phone
• 56% own a smartphone
• 50% of mobile phone users report mobile as their primary Internet source
• There are more than 1.2 billion people accessing the web from their mobile devices
But the ownership of mobile phone’s alone is not the main factor that retailers need to be aware of, said Freedman. Consumers armed with mobile devices want to interact with your business using mobile, and so companies across every vertical must be on guard as consumers find every mobile means possible to engage with brands.
“Remember, consumers expect a lot and business success and longevity depends on your action,” Freedman warned attendees.
Freedman kicked things off by sharing some research LogMeIn did with 108 retailers to gauge their view of mobile and mobile engagement. It found that, when asked ‘what are the top 3 issues that you will devote most time to in 2014?’ mobile came out top (with marketing, personalisation and omni-channel hot on its heels).
But when asked how expert they felt they were with mobile, the picture was pretty bleak. The most expertise was seen in using mobile for branding, yet only 40% felt they were excellent. Through customer service to UX to shopping baskets right down to personalisation the picture was gloomy. Retailers know they have to use mobile, but lack the expertise to make it happen.
So that is what retailers think. What about consumers? LogMeIn’s director of products, Ross A Haskell, picked up the theme and shared some of the company’s consumer research.
When asking 5000+ consumers about mobile, LogMeIn found that consumers are doing far more mobile engagement with retail brands than the company anticipated. But that the results, in Haskell’s words, “weren’t pretty”. The research also found that there are two distinct types of engagement through mobile going on: engagement through customer service and engagement while shopping. And these two things are very different.
So pulling all this consumer research and the company’s on-going retailer research together, LogMeIn has come up with five top tips for mobile engagement. So here they are in summary:
TIP #1: If you’re not supporting mobile engagement, you’re late
• 50-75% of the population interacts with companies sometimes, often, or all the time while mobile.
• Up to 77% of the EU population interacts with companies sometimes, often, or all the time while mobile.
• Mobile engagement is flourishing across channels for sales
TIP #2: You must include chat and email in your mobile engagement strategy
● Email is frequently used, especially in certain geographies.
● Email is the #1 preferred channel among shoppers.
● No mobile engagement strategy is complete without chat
● 37% of all respondents frequently engage with companies via chat while mobile
● 57% in U.S.,
51% in Mexico,
44% in Europe
TIP #3: Mobile is different – so act like it
● Mobile makes satisfaction criteria more important:
• Resolution speed | Knowledge of agent | Speed to reach agent | First interaction resolution
• Mobile makes chat session criteria more important:
• Agent speed | Agent brevity | Window access, but not in the way | Ability to move window
• Ok, so mobile is different – act like it.
TIP #4: Start here – the one demographic to focus on first
● A group worthy of understanding: Frequent Mobile Shoppers (n=1,394)
• 3,097 Total EU
• 815 EU Frequent Mobile Shoppers (26%)
● Frequently research and buy while mobile
● Not significantly more or less likely to live in certain geographies
● Why do we care? Because these are the ones you will engage with FIRST!
● They are younger, more likely to be college educated, and affluent
TIP #5: Support and sales aren’t the same – know the differences
• When do you look at each? Weekends are nearly table stakes for retailers
• The picture isn’t pretty across the world when it comes to being always on on mobile – best we see is 63% in banking and finance. Phone companies, ironically, only offer 43% 24×7 mobile engagement.
• Even if you can’t offer 24×7 mobile coverage, then at least clearly show when you do offer mobile engagement.
GUIDE TO RESPECTFUL MOBILE ENGAGEMENT
To round off, LogMeIn have pulled together some more tips for making your mobile engagement strategy work. Here they are:
• Be available as customers prefer to depend on reliable companies (ideally 24×7). If not, then publish hours. You must have weekend hours.
• Empower your associates providing them with the right tools to best service the customer.
• Listen well and be responsive to the needs of every customer.
• Use the customer’s native language wherever possible.
• Be quick to answer and even quicker to solve the issue at hand.
• Be concise in your answers as speed is of the essence in mobile engagement.
• Think “agile” and make adjustments and accommodations throughout the course of the conversation.
• Lend an empathetic ear where a pleasant, friendly demeanor goes a long way.
• Attempt to resolve every communication on the initial encounter only escalating concerns when absolutely necessary.
• Personalize the experience tailoring the communication accordingly.
This has been an overview of the salient points from the webinar. To get the full story and to hear and see the entire presentation, check out the video here.
