Rising mobile customer expectations are backed up by our own research which found that 75% of online adults believe there is no reason why a mobile transaction cannot be completed on the first try.

In addition, the research found that customers are intolerant of any faults. If they do encounter problems, 16% admit they would become more likely to buy from a competitor, while 13% would abandon the transaction altogether and try a competitor’s website or app instead.

This surge in customer expectations creates an opportunity for businesses to transform their customer’s perception of their brand, by identifying crucial instants –“mobile moments” – where a customer uses their mobile device to access instant service or information.

And as mobile has such a big impact on customer experience, this should be at the forefront.

So here are three top tips for identifying ‘mobile moments’ and making the most of them:

1. Identify moments in the customer journey that are best suited to a mobile solution

Understanding how your customers interact with mobile is key to identifying moments where they may prefer to use mobile over web, phone or in-store interaction.

For example, research by Econsultancy found that 60% of companies said their customers typically research products on mobile devices for later purchase online.

 

Almost half (48%) of respondents said their customers purchase products directly using a mobile device, up by 5% since last year.

A similar proportion report that customers research products for later purchase offline, while 17% say their customers use their mobile devices for research in-store.

Businesses must understand the context in which their customers use mobile devices, and adapt their sites and apps to reflect these. 

2. Build for mobile, don’t adapt!

Businesses must engineer their platforms, processes, and people for mobile. Mobile interaction requires much more than an app.

Businesses must re-imagine the user experience and adopt strategies that, simply stated, put mobile first. Don’t start with the desktop experience and try to adapt it.

The average width of the human finger now drives user interactions and the experience. Visual overload is a common problem.

At the most basic level a customer wants to search for something and then complete a transaction. If the search function is not easy to find and use, the experience is seriously flawed.  

3. Analyse results to monitor performance and optimise customer experience 

Your mobile engagement initiative is not complete if you’re flying blind. Capture, track, analyse, and act on the data to improve the engagement.

Typical key performance indicators (KPIs) for mobile initiatives focus on app or site performance, customer engagement, and financial returns (e.g., revenue, conversions).

While important, these KPIs don’t go far enough in measuring the actual customer experience.

  • Can they navigate the site easily?
  • Can they zoom into certain areas of the mobile site or app without struggle?
  • Did they abandon the site or app without converting?
  • If so, why?

These are all significant questions to ask when really analysing the mobile customer experience. Ideally, a business must be able to replay the customer experience through the eyes of the customer to get a real feel for any challenges they came across. 

Businesses must continue to repeat these steps and adapt their mobile initiatives in response customer behaviour on mobile devices.

The world of commerce is continuing to evolve, and with it, customer expectations are changing rapidly. But with the right analysis and insight in customer behaviour, businesses have a world of opportunity knocking at their door.