Blog Article
Brought to the point of contact: Your app as a digital customer magnet
Apps provide ongoing value to your existing and new customers and serve as digital touchpoints. This allows even companies in traditional industries to really stand out.Apps provide ongoing value to your existing and new customers and serve as digital touchpoints. This allows even companies in traditional industries to really stand out.
Users want to communicate quickly, easily, and on the go
Our digital world constantly opens up new possibilities for communication, interaction, and shaping experiences. “Good old email” and company websites still play important roles in this landscape. But many other channels have emerged that help shape the overall picture. Whether it’s customers, companies, or employees: boundaries are blurring, interactions are becoming more direct, and communication is more bidirectional. And mobile.
Today’s users want to connect on equal footing and get information quickly, easily, and directly—whether during a coffee break, while shopping, on the train, or on the couch. The most important device for this is the smartphone: always with them, always at hand, always online. And always ready for apps.
Consequently, more and more people are communicating with one another through various apps in different communities: WhatsApp, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and the like are ideal tools for exchanging ideas, making recommendations, lodging complaints, or sharing new ideas.
If a company now wants to leverage these trends, create even greater customer convenience, build trust, and improve communication channels with its target audiences, having its own app offers optimal opportunities: information tailored to the target audience, always up-to-date content, easy shopping, fast service—and all with just one click. No tedious searching, no ten browser windows, no unnecessary ads.
Cleverly combining digital and analog with apps
With their own app, companies can attract more attention, retain existing customers, reach new customers, and be found more quickly. And they can do so permanently—because what matters is that users aren’t contacted just once, but return consistently and independently.
This applies not only to online offerings but also to the butcher shop next door: Any product that may seem purely analog at first glance can successfully make a name for itself in the digital world—and indeed, it should. Because even these “conservative” offerings have their place in an era of rapidly advancing digitalization and can be combined with digital value-added features. Your customers will thank you for offering them familiar concepts in new, optimized, and digital forms.
Touchpoints provide information—and evoke emotions
Familiar concepts revolve around touchpoints: these are points of contact between customers and companies. The range of touchpoints has always been vast: traditionally, these included a personal conversation in the store, a phone call with a customer service representative, and later an email or a flyer. Today, websites, blogs, Facebook posts, and the like are also important touchpoints that a company can actively influence. And an app.
What matters is that customers consistently receive information at these touchpoints throughout a product’s lifecycle while also being emotionally engaged. This creates a valuable connection between the target audience and the company that benefits both sides.
To guide customers to these touchpoints in the digital world, a clear, short path is essential—one that aligns with users’ habits and requires minimal effort on their part. Opening an email, performing a Google search, or clicking through to a website can already be one click too many these days.
Customer convenience is a top priority for apps
With an app, you create the ideal touchpoint for your customers, accompanying them in a way that is as authentic as it is unobtrusive. The smartphone is now always within reach—not just for the young and the young at heart, but for nearly all customer groups—and serves as a constant companion in every everyday situation: We use it both consciously and on impulse whenever ideas come to mind, we have questions or requests, or we want to share thoughts.
Traditional touchpoints are no longer very compatible with this behavior—but an app offers everything the modern user needs: available instantly and without a download, it provides a mobile and simple, goal-oriented interaction that fosters ongoing engagement. Little effort, lots of content, high performance, great service. Whenever the customer wants, wherever the customer wants. No waiting times, no opening hours—just a relaxed experience.
Once placed on the smartphone’s home screen, an app can provide exactly the information users are actively seeking, or independently and proactively send well-measured and well-timed notifications, news, and tips.
Delivering strong service directly to the smartphone
Let’s get back to the butcher specifically. His app represents the ideal touchpoint for his customers:
- The app offers customers a variety of information about the sausage selection, the individual varieties, how to prepare them, and suggested combinations. Top-notch content marketing in pre-sales—because the old touchpoint was usually just a brochure that was only briefly relevant.
- The customer can make their selection anytime, anywhere: The products are presented in a clear and inviting format and can be ordered directly. Sales: Check. Traditionally, the customer would stand at the counter and, once it was their turn, would have to place an order more or less on the spot under pressure from the customers behind them.
- After delivery or pickup, the app sends a notification to check on the customer’s satisfaction. This touchpoint was rarely present in the post-sales phase. The butcher might have asked long-time customers about their last Sunday roast.
- If something did not go quite right, the customer can quickly submit a complaint via the app. Support can then act as quickly as possible and make amends.
Other exciting possibilities for an app include public feedback, additional information automatically sent based on purchases made, and interaction with other community members. These and other touchpoint features create immense added value for your fans while making the process as straightforward as possible for everyone: no phone calls, no emails, no overwhelming number of touchpoints, and no need for additional staff to manage them.
Your app has the potential to bring all touchpoints together, generate high reach, standardize processes, and even give the butcher shop a digital touch.
Did we spark some new ideas for you? Give you further inspiration? We’re glad to hear it—and we’d love a “Like” or a recommendation too!