What's it worth to connect with all your customers every day?
/We’re all well aware of the role apps play in our lives. A great way to keep a useful tool within reach—and the app provider's brand in our pocket.
Yet the vast majority of businesses have yet to grasp what this can do for their customers.
It's not news. A gazillion apps are available in the leading online stores. As consumers, we know that, but too many business leaders have yet to make the leap to provider, to understand how apps can vastly improve their customer's experience.
If you provide a service to your customers that they are willing to pay for, you are part of your customer's business process. It's worth doing everything you can do to remove the barriers that a customer must overcome to access your product or service.
Think apps are for techies? Want some examples?
You are my insurer but you only call me when it's time to renew my policy. How about you help me reduce my risk—make me a better driver, or measure and improve my family's health? If you do that, I'll consider you a helper, reduce my claims, think less about switching, and recommend you to my friends.
Or maybe I'm a plumber and order my supplies from you. Only occassionally though—I usually go to the supplier closest to my next job. Unless you help me estimate that job and provide a loyalty discount. Could you deliver to the site? Now you're making me money—let's talk daily.
8fit is one of my favourite products. It’s a guided exercise, mealplan and coaching service. It's taken away my "too busy to workout" excuse with daily 15 minute programs. The food is delicious—I don't miss any of the guilty pleasures I used to indulge in. And I'm in better shape than I've been for 20 years.
It's an app. And I just told a friend about it.
Smartphone penetration is well passed the tipping point—Everywhere. Congratulations if you're already in your customer's pocket.
If you're not, isn't it time you were?
Your role in your customer’s life
What role do you play in your customer’s routine?
How can you make this richer?
What value can you place in their pocket, within easy reach whenever they need you?
Trusting Technology is a book about forming ideas, exploring opportunities with customers and colleagues, and building your future together. Order you copy here . This article is also available in hardcopy as part of my 10-minute Reflections series of exercises—order volume 1 here and volume 2 here.