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Reinventing The Retail App For In-Store Success

Why exactly does a retail store need a good mobile app? There are two reasons. First, smartphones are stealing attention from the in-store experience. And second, shoppers who use smartphones spend more money than those who don’t.

According to Google, the vast majority of smartphone shoppers (84%) use their phones while in a store, and that means if they aren’t tuned to your brand, their attention is being suctioned off by something else. Even more importantly, Google has found that frequent smartphone shoppers spend more in stores than consumers who only use a mobile phone occasionally. In Google’s study, the median shopping cart size of frequent smartphone shoppers ran 25% to 50% higher than standard shoppers across categories like household care, electronics, appliances, and health and beauty.

Creating a strong mobile presence is essential… but it isn’t easy.

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{loadposition TSHBAIAA022014} Many retail apps today don’t successfully engage consumers and don’t push the needle on critical business objectives. It’s hard to convince users to download an app, and even harder to get them to use it on a regular basis. Retailers need better strategies for addressing the mobile channel, and for optimizing mobile outreach. It’s time to reinvent the retail app experience.

Before The Store

Most consumers today are not conditioned to turn to mobile apps as an in-store resource. When shopping, consumers are much more likely to look for information from a search engine, using search queries to find product details, compare prices, and lock in on coupons and discounts. However, all of the convenience factors that prompt shoppers to rely on mobile search can also be used to drive consumers to a branded app. The key is engaging with shoppers before they travel to a store and automatically fire up the mobile browser.

Drawing consumer attention to your app is the first important task. Search engines are more likely to send traffic to your web site than your app, so most companies need to find another approach to encourage downloads. Online advertising and email campaigns are a good route because you can send consumers directly to a download link.

Another good strategy is redirecting users to your app when they look up information on store locations and hours. Because those initial queries are how many consumers start the shopping experience, it’s an ideal time to promote your app. With geofencing, it’s even possible to set up an alert when a consumer gets near one of your retail locations. Then when the consumer opens the notification, you have an opportunity again to share your app link.

Once you’ve attracted attention to your app, the next step is to give consumers a reason to download. That incentive could be an offer of related content, access to an online community, or even gimmicky entertainment like a casual game or contest. Exclusivity is key. If consumers can access something with your app that they can’t get anywhere else, then there’s reason to engage further with your brand.

  • Lesson #1: Engage with consumers before they’re ready to shop. Combine direct “push” efforts such as advertising and email campaigns with download links that are available when consumers actively seek out information on your store.
  • Lesson #2: Offer incentives for app downloading. Consumers are already overloaded with content sources, which means your app has to give them something entirely new if you want them to consider investing their time.

Convenience Sells

Once consumers are engaged with your app, then you have the opportunity to hook them further with tools to improve the shopping experience.  Shoppers value convenience and savings above all, so utilitarian functions that save time and money are the most effective at driving in-store app usage. Features like the ability to create a shopping list or a wish list also connect at-home or on-the-go browsing with an in-store visit.

Some retailers have already begun to recognize the value of convenience in mobile apps. Walmart, for example, is piloting a Scan & Go app that allows consumers to scan items in select retail stores, which in turn saves them time during the checkout process. Patagonia‘s mobile app, meanwhile, includes customer ratings and product reviews, and offers information on the carbon footprint of many products.

Utility features keep consumers tied to your app even when they move into a store setting. They also help stores combat “showrooming,” a trend where consumers go to stores to see products in person, but then ultimately make a purchase from a different online retailer.

Other ideas for in-store engagement include offering free Wi-Fi access when consumers log in to your app, providing exclusive in-store deals for app users, and sharing a store map with search capabilities for locating individual products.

Ideally, your mobile app should be an extension of your store and your staff. An effective app gives users more control over the shopping process while at the same time expanding opportunities for engagement with your brand.

  • Lesson #1: Bridge the gap between out-of-store and in-store app engagement. Offer features that balance the needs of consumers when they only want to browse, and when they’re ready to hit the checkout line in a store.
  • Lesson #2: Deliver convenience, savings or both. This is the trade you make in exchange for consumers’ attention.

The Measure Of Success

However you decide to execute on your app strategy, it’s important to measure what works and what doesn’t. In the early days of mobile app development, companies had to rely on app store reviews for user feedback. Now, however, there are new tools that provide detailed analytics on user behavior in real time. New technologies measure the time spent in an app, user navigation paths, and even when and where users click, swipe and zoom.

Once you have reliable metrics, you can use that information to optimize your retail app for the highest levels of performance. By running A/B tests on different features, you can determine what drives the highest conversion rates both online and off. Simple adjustments to text, layout and images can make a world of difference. Adding a tip to the search screen might cause shoppers to seek out details on more products. Highlighting your store’s best-selling items could increase average shopping cart totals.

  • Lesson #1: Leverage new technology tools to collect data on in-app behaviors. If you don’t know what works, there’s no way to maximize the return on your investment.
  • Lesson #2: Continuously optimize your app based on user response. Creating a successful app isn’t a one-time effort. It requires an ongoing commitment to improving the user experience.

Mobile apps are still in their relative infancy, particularly when it comes to the retail sector. However, a recent survey by Artisan Mobile of retail executives found that 71% of respondents agreed or strongly agreed that native mobile apps will become the single most important touch point for engaging with consumers over the next few years. The trend is clear. Retail brands have to take advantage of the mobile app channel or risk losing consumer attention to competitive services.


Bob Moul is CEO of Artisan, the creator of the Mobile Experience Management platform.  He joined the company as CEO in 2012.With more than 30 years of experience in the high-tech industry, Moul has held leadership positions within technology companies across all stages and sizes.  Previously, he was CEO of Boomi, the pioneer of middleware for cloud computing that Dell acquired in November 2010. At Systems and Computer Technology, Moul ran the company’s $100 million outsourcing business and later the $300 million education solutions business.  Here, he led the company to 10 consecutive record quarters of growth prior to being acquired by SunGard.  Moul also held senior management positions at EDS, including Director of Operations for EDS Hong Kong and China, and Executive Director of Federal Government Operations for EDS Australia.

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