Mobile e-commerce. 7 expert tips tell you how to boost customer loyalty with a B2B e-commerce app. e-commerce apps

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1 Mobile e-commerce 7 expert tips tell you how to boost customer loyalty with a B2B e-commerce app e-commerce apps

2 Shopping apps small format, big advantages Acquired some new customers? Congratulations, you ve taken the first hurdle! Now it s time to master the second one, which is, of course, more difficult: how does a new customer become a regular customer? No customer becomes a regular customer at the drop of a hat. Sustainability is needed, and from the very first moment of course. So it s very important to stay on the ball right after the first deal. And what better way to stay close to a customer than to get onto their smartphone? With an e-commerce app, you re pretty much always with them. Whenever your customer needs you, you re right there. One touch, and your brand appears on their smartphone screen. These features make the e-commerce app very hard to beat for other consumer brand relationship tools. A personal shopping tool The e-commerce app is the perfect complement to your online shop. It takes over directly from where the website s capabilities end. The online shop appeals to the masses and woos new customers. The e-commerce app, on the other hand, has a personal touch. It lets you be available to your customers everywhere and at any time. It takes over the new customers that the online shop has acquired. Even online shops with responsive design cannot replace this feature of the app. When customers find your app appealing and useful, they will keep using it. But only then. The basic requirements for a successful app are user-friendly technology and a professional execution. Want to find out more? Then read our seven expert tips, which we have compiled for you in this guide. They will tell you how to effectively design this mobile touchpoint with your customers and how to turn new customers into regular customers. ieffects e-commerce apps 2

3 7 expert tips to boost customer loyalty in mobile B2B e-commerce 1 Take advantage of the power of your brand! Get noticed by your customer. With an app, your brand is always in your customer s constant field of vision, which increases the chance of them buying from you rather than your competition remember: out of sight, out of mind! Is there a better and more personal place a brand have in a customer s life than the start screen of their smartphone? An e-commerce app is not only a perfect sales channel, but also a first-class brand ambassador. Always design the app in your corporate design and use the free advertising space for attractive corporate advertising. 2 Be a reliable partner! One of the biggest challenges for any vendor is to be present at the very moment the purchase decision is made. With an ecommerce app, you are ever-present and always there for your customers when they decide to buy. Professional buyers, just like B2C customers, want to be able to access the entire range, inventories, delivery times, and catalogs at all times. Like a good partner, a reliable app is always available, be it online or offline. Whether your customer is currently at a construction site, in the cold store, or on a plane with an offline-enabled app, every purchase decision will be made in your favor, around the clock. Did you know that users look at their smartphone an average of 70 to 150 times a day? And what about you? How often do you get out your smartphone? Which apps do you particularly enjoy or use frequently, and why? ieffects e-commerce apps 3

4 3 Demanding customers? Not a problem for you. Rely on real-time shopping apps! Do you remember the last queue you left, annoyed because it took too long? In the supermarket, at the bakery, at the post office? Suddenly you lose the desire to get that pretzel, or you quickly find an alternative solution. It s the same with apps. If it takes too long to load, the customer will simply exit the ordering process. Long loading times are the biggest impediment to sales in mobile e-commerce. So you can really score points with fast response times! In B2B e-commerce, in particular, users expect all images and information to be immediately available. Prepare your customers for an entirely positive shopping experience with a real-time shopping app. The faster and easier products can be chosen and orders placed, the higher the customer satisfaction and your sales figures. 4 Mobile first Excite your customers with a top customer experience! Quickly get technical information about an item, ask for a price, or show a product to a consumer? A click on the app is the open sesame to all this valuable information. Simple and fast access to data such as availability, delivery time, and technical specifications of the goods is a decisive added value for most B2B buyers. Successful ecommerce apps are therefore systematically designed as mobile first so that they are particularly user-friendly on a smartphone. A customer-focused interaction design and sophisticated usability turn the mobile device into a professional shopping tool. ieffects e-commerce apps 4

5 5 Customer-centricity: Get to know your customer from all sides! Would you like to get a 360º view of your customer? Discreetly, of course. An app can do just that. It informs you about your customers entire usage behavior and allows you to tailor your offering to their personal needs. Over time, you will get to know your customers better and be able to approach them more personally, for example through push notifications, individual pricing, or discounts. The app is an effective way to very unobtrusively control and optimize the sales process. 6 Offer your customers first-class service: Invest in effective search functions! A good seller is proactive. He doesn t just show the customer the desired products, but presents alternatives and add-ons at the same time. A good e-commerce app does the same. It is equipped with sophisticated search functions that not only provide the buyer with the information he is looking for, but also with additional, supplementary details. As search is the most used feature, its performance is critical to the success of the app. Especially with an extensive product range, your customer will be delighted with a search feature that is as accurate as possible. Professional purchasers are usually more purposeful than an end user. They may enter an item number or call up a list of recently ordered products. An absolute must for them are filter options for characteristics such as color, size, item number, and technical specifications. They ll find your app handy if it has intelligent search capabilities, already updates the results as you type, and can combine text and filter searches. A truly professional e-commerce app will boast a barcode scanner that works via the smartphone camera and lets customers place orders directly. ieffects e-commerce apps 5

6 7 Excite your customers with tailor-made customer service! Is customer service a top priority in your company? Then opt for an e-commerce app that meets customers at eye level. Your customers will be thrilled. The following features will make your app first class: Track & trace Your customers can track the order and delivery status at any time. Optimized order processing Purchasers can repeat orders without needing to run a new product search. Individual pricing In the B2B business, it is customary for prices to be segmented according to customer groups or even individually negotiated. This differentiation should also be able to be represented in your app. It should offer the option to clearly display individual prices for customers. UX-optimized design A user-friendly design of your app rounds off your mobile appearance and creates a completely new shopping experience. Quick and easy ordering reduces the number of times people stop making a purchase, and not only increases your sales but also your customers satisfaction. Did you know that speed has a direct impact on sales: 53% of users abort a purchase from a loading time of just 3 seconds. (Source: BusinessofApps 2017) And what about you? After how many seconds do you run out of the patience? ieffects e-commerce apps 6

7 With an e-commerce app you re readily available any time and everywhere! An e-commerce app is much more than an additional sales channel. It is a customer loyalty tool that enables companies to build and maintain a personal relationship with their customers. If the app provides real added value for users and surpasses their expectations, then it strengthens the image of the brand and the company. But bear in mind that a poorly executed app can do a lot of damage. So if you opt for an e-commerce app, then make sure it s the right one. Did you know that referral marketing is the most effective form of marketing? Motivate your customer with a bonus and actively encourage them to recommend your e-commerce app. In addition to satisfied regular customers, you will also acquire more and more new customers in this way. Do you have any questions? The ieffects team will be happy to answer your questions about mobile e-commerce: sales@ieffects.com ieffects e-commerce apps 7