Learn how you can Unlock Limitless Customer Lifetime Value with CleverTap’s All-in-One Customer Engagement Platform.
Today, ‘mobile first’ doesn’t just refer to web design—it’s an essential part of successful brand marketing. Top-performing companies know the importance of focusing on their consumers. They also understand the advantages of implementing a mobile-first strategy to engage and retain customers.
For instance, in the case of hyper-local social media platform Cobbles it was vital to find an all-in-one engagement strategy to optimize the user experience for end-users who would be on their phones primarily. They needed a partner who could provide A/B testing, automated segmentation and personalization, an omnichannel experience, and actionable campaign analytics. The CleverTap platform helped them with all of that, nurturing local communities in the process and keeping their users connected. Because they focused on a mobile-first strategy, Cobbles achieved a retention rate significantly higher than the industry average.
Let’s look at some of the reasons why a mobile-first approach is critical to your business—both now and down the line.
Mobile devices account for the majority of global internet traffic—in fact, they were responsible for 54.4% of it in the last quarter of 2021 (and that’s excluding tablets). This percentage is even higher in emerging markets, where mobile phones are the easiest way (and sometimes the only way) to connect to the web. Nigeria, where mobile generates 81.43% of online traffic, leads the digital revolution, followed by India with 75.96%.
Smartphone usage is embedded into the daily routines of most consumers, making it the number one way for companies to reach their intended audience. Implementing a mobile-first digital marketing and web development strategy is fundamental to tapping into potential consumer markets. In the words of Beyers van der Merwe, CMO of Africa’s largest brand-retailer, PEP Stores: “It’s like 90% of our transactions, or of our engagements and visits, come from mobile phones. And if you’re not there, you’re absolutely dead.”
Websites geared toward mobile accessibility and ease of navigation maximize user convenience and add value to the entire ecommerce experience. Superior data gathering is another positive takeaway, making mobile the top choice for enhancing data analysis potential.
Search engine optimization also sees a boost, considering Google’s algorithm prioritizes mobile sites. Pages are ranked not just on load time and speed, but also on mobile-friendly features and technical considerations such as server capacity, metadata quality, and app indexing.
Mobile phones are a rich source of data as they track customers’ behavior throughout their digital searches. The mobile-first approach makes it easier to analyze data points and gain insights to personalize the user experience.
The type of information available includes users’ actions—from website or app views, scrolls, clicks, and more—as well as details about their demographics, location, type of browser, and operating system. Analytics tools, including AI-assisted algorithms, facilitate data processing and user segmentation, creating an in-depth picture of customer behavior.
Relevant customer data could include:
All of this data is massively beneficial when it comes to understanding how effective your app is. Additionally, it provides insights into sales and mobile marketing tactics, helping you improve and personalize interactions via special offers, push notifications, and other relevant communication.
Creating a unique and personalized user experience that makes customers feel valued and keeps them engaged has multiple benefits. Well-targeted offers and recommendations increase customer retention and the likelihood they’ll make a purchase. Personalizing communication can also identify users who haven’t yet made a purchase and encourage them to do so with a customized special offer or discount.
A generalized, one-size-fits-all customer experience isn’t going to do your brand any good. The more tailored the content and messaging, the better the user experience. This leads to greater customer loyalty, higher conversion rates, and more meaningful engagement. Users will be more inclined to recommend your app or brand, leave positive reviews, and even showcase it on social media.
The Experience Optimization Pocket Guide
What are the best tactics for improving engagement? First, attend to usability issues, such as website speed, basic functionality, and ease of navigation. Then ensure you have the necessary analytics in place to successfully measure how these changes improve your engagement metrics.
Simplifying user engagement with other digital channels is another important part of the strategy. That means offering personalized in-app messaging, self-service, live chat, email, SMS, links to social media pages, and other convenient forms of communication. Meet your customers where they are and enable messaging, notifications, scheduling, and purchases on the platforms they already love. Furthermore, consider providing customer support via chatbots or service desk agents.
Other top engagement tips include rewards programs, interactive surveys, and gamification—implementing game-like elements throughout the buyer’s journey via competitions and leaderboards. Any communication or incentive that adds value to the customer experience goes a long way toward optimizing engagement and retention.
Mobile devices ensure that their users remain connected to the internet, no matter where they are. That’s why leveraging a mobile-first strategy is crucial for reaching more users and converting them into loyal customers.
But where do you start? CleverTap has helped many digital consumer brands boost customer retention and lifetime value with personalized messaging and unified channels. Make the smart choice — chat with us about our integrated analytics and engagement platform to learn how your company can be the next to benefit.