Does your C-store loyalty program need a mobile app? In a word, yes. Just a few years ago, that might not have been the case. Now, it's a must. It's about customer data, expectations, service and engagement, but boiling all of those elements down into one powerful truth, it's about the customer experience.
Customer Data
Customer data makes the world go 'round in business today, and an app delivers that invaluable commodity to you. Analyzing your customer data allows you to spot trends in customer behavior, including the types of items they purchase, how often they fill up their cars, which locations they visit most, and when. Using that knowledge, you can develop specific, targeted, personal offers that are relevant to their purchasing behavior.
Customer Expectations
Increasingly, we all control many aspects of our lives from the palms of our hands, whether it's communicating instantly with family and friends, setting the thermostat in your house while you're at work so the house will be toasty when you get home, monitoring the activity on your doorstep, banking, or myriad other tasks we can do in a snap on our smartphones. Your customers are engaged with their screens 24/7. Your loyalty program should live there, too. It makes your program top-of-mind, relevant, and easy to access. Bottom line? Data shows that customers want to download and use mobile apps from businesses that they frequent. Yes, it's an investment in new technology, but your competitors are already using it.
There's another aspect to this, as well. Because of data giants like Amazon and Netflix, people have come to expect brands to know them, anticipate their needs, and provide relevant, personal offers that seem less like sales pitches and more like hints from a trusted friend. The advanced analytics from an app will help make that happen. You can track in-app activity to see the type of content that’s engaging the most users and view demographic information to help refine your sales and marketing efforts.
Customer Engagement
Interaction plus engagement equals loyalty, and a mobile app is a great way to solve that equation. A mobile app allows customers to stay in touch with your brand 24/7, whether that’s for general business information or to ask you a question about your business. App users are more likely to drive repeat business if the right features and incentives are in place. With a mobile app, you give your customers an outlet to share their experiences via social media, across platforms like Facebook, LinkedIn and Google+.
Customer Service
No matter how great your rewards program is, customers won't be loyal without exceptional customer service. An app helps you up your customer service game in several ways. Mobile apps give you the ability to offer in-app-only special offers and discounts, which help deepen the relationship you have with your customers. Your app needs to make it easy for users to track progress, contain relevant offers, and be unique and different from what currently exists in the marketplace. Customers need to be able to easily track their progress toward a reward to stay committed. When there isn’t an easy way to see this progress, customers will become disengaged with your brand and abandon their efforts to obtain a reward, reducing the effectiveness of your app.
A Simpliconnect loyalty program will have a powerful impact on your company's ability to develop loyal customers. The mobile app is a great environment for your loyalty program due to the interactive nature of today's tech-savvy customer. See how our Simpliconnect loyalty rewards app with features like push notifications, offers and clubs will grow your customer base and help your loyalty program succeed.
