Modern businesses understand that a positive customer experience builds market share and client loyalty. A high CX score shows they’re customer-focused and their clients are generally satisfied.

However, today’s customers have increasingly higher expectations and it’s becoming more difficult to keep them happy – mainly due to mobile technology.

They expect an easy and seamless process while communicating with a business on their mobile, being able to find operating hours from a Google search and the option for live-chat assistance when they visit a mobile e-commerce store.

Consumers expect even more from mobile devices

Bill Loller, Vice President of Mobile at IBM, describes this as a ‘mobile mind shift’ in customers, who now expect to get what they want where and when they need it. He explains that mobile is becoming the customer’s problem solver, which dramatically increases customer expectations.

He says his company’s research has found that 75 percent of adults believe there is no reason why a mobile transaction cannot be completed on the first try.

Australia is one of the world’s top mobile device users

Smartphone ownership in Australia increased from 11.1 million in 2013 to 15.3 million in mid-2015. During the same period, tablet ownership increased from 6.3 million to 11.2 million.

Smartphone and tablets now make up 63 percent of total time spent on devices. To remain competitive, businesses now need to offer a first-class mobile experience.

Mobile devices are bringing us even closer together

If you’re working to improve your customer experience, mobile is the main channel to focus on. Everything else is secondary. Today, mobile IS the Internet. Mobile analyst Benedict Evans says in his presentation Mobile Is Eating The World that the idea of mobile Internet as a cut-down version of the ‘real’ Internet should be forgotten.

He suggests we should think about mobile as the ‘real’ Internet and the desktop as the limited, reduced version.

Mobile happens to be the best customer experience delivery platform for companies. It offers great functionality and is engaging, flexible and powerful. And it’s continuing to grow in scope, scale and capability.

How can mobile improve customer experience?

1. Build a mobile app for your business

With 90 percent of smartphone internet time spent in apps versus mobile web, more consumers are choosing the seamless experiences that apps offer. By offering value, understanding their audience and using mobile thoughtfully, brands can make the most of this mobile shift.

According to a recent report by Flurry Analytics, overall app usage last year grew by 11 percent compared with 2015, and the amount of time spent in apps grew by 69 percent. The message is clear: Every business should seriously consider releasing an app if they haven’t yet, as they are valuable tools for providing user data and improving customer engagement.

Apps are easy to open and simple to use. They offer businesses increased visibility and accessibility and they can be used to build customer loyalty.

2. Use mobile data to grab your customer

Retail consultancy eCommera says you can use search history, device and location data and demographic information to deliver targeted messaging.

For example, if a shopper has searched for a relevant product term recently, you can serve up specific product promotions when they are near one of your stores, offer discounts when they are close to one of your competitors, or combine all available data sources to deliver personalised product recommendations.

3. Use SMS to communicate

Consumers are increasingly relying on their mobile devices once they enter a store. According to ICSC’s 2017 survey, by 2020, 54 percent of consumers want to be able to compile a shopping list on a store app and receive a floor map to locate products. Importantly, 80 percent of those who have shopping centre apps choose to receive notifications about sales, promotions or special events while shopping, giving businesses another valuable touch point.

SMS is also a valuable tool for creating a sense of urgency and for incentivising customers to take action. Mobile location-based information can be used to send time-sensitive messages such as the ‘deal of the day’, or a post-purchase ‘thank you’, which could include a receipt, a loyalty point update or an incentivised offer for a future purchase.