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Importance of A Location Based Application for iPhones in Retail Industry

28 Oct 2015

It is a well-known fact that smartphone adoption is rising globally. What is not so obvious is how the smartphone revolution is transforming the way consumers use their phones outside their homes and more importantly, inside stores. Heard about ‘show-rooming’?

 

In the recent past, the term meant checking out a store or stores for an item and buying it online for a lower price. Fast forward to 2015, and ‘show-rooming’ now means checking prices in the store via our phones. According to recent research by IDC, around 70% of people check product prices on their phone and about 53% use their phones to look for deals in the store. The same study also found that 20% of us make in-store purchases with our smartphones. Clearly, mobility in-store drives revenues.

 

All these insights indicate that the divide between ‘bricks and clicks’ is blurring rapidly. So how can retailers leverage the power of location to increase sales and enhance the shopping experience for their consumers? Easy, by developing a location based smartphone app. Here are four ways to begin with:

 

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  1. Implement a Retail Mobile Application

    This is definitely a prerequisite for the retail industry. There are very few retailers who have not yet introduced an app for their customers. A retail mobile app has become a necessity for business and iOS is the platform of choice for development. As per comScore, iPhone users are more likely to engage in M-commerce. They are also the ones more likely to buy things using their iPhones. Retailers need to implement apps and provide additional personalized services (for e.g. location based deals) on those apps so that customers continue to use them in and between visits. Have a look at the retail shopping app developed in iOS by Rishabh Software that also facilitates In-App Payments.

  2. Assist Customers with Navigation

    iphone location based app

    Geo-location based iPhone App development for Retail

     

    Once a business has a retail mobile app, location based services can and should become an integral part of the buying journey. The very first thing that customers need help with when they enter a mall or a store is – navigation. This is where a location based iPhone app for navigation can come to their rescue. In-store navigation is a must-have and so is a product search functionality. As shop owner, you don’t just want buyers to locate your store or the products inside your store, you also want them to be able to look up item details easily to induce a purchase. Offering a search capability along with navigation will surely help customers make a positive decision about a purchase.

  3. Deliver Real-Time Offers and Content

    Retailers are leaving no stone unturned in using the latest engagement techniques to attract shoppers. Insights from multiple sources are being combined to provide a ‘context’ that is highly relevant for the consumer. For instance, using CRM data about a shopper’s purchase history, payment preferences, or likes with current offers and social recommendations can help create a highly targeted and contextual message that can be delivered to the shopper at precisely the right time and place. This can be achieved by using a location based advertising app for retail that effectively pushes the right deals and discounts depending on customer location.

  4. Utilize Mobile Retargeting to Drive Sales

    retargeting on mobile devices

    Using Geo-Fencing for Retail Retargeting in iPhone Applications

     

    Information gleaned from location based apps or services can also help retailers use store data outside the store. For example, imagine a customer walked into Macy’s flagship store on Herald Square in New York and left without buying anything. The in-store information may reveal the aisles where the customer spent most of her time and that she checked out many handbags but didn’t buy any. The retailer then has a very limited time frame within which that customer can be reached in the real world. Maybe Macy’s can display an ad about handbags and offer her 15% off if it’s ordered via the Macys App within the next 12 hours? With the help of mobile retargeting, the probability of converting the sale within twelve hours is much greater.

Hence, location based iphone app development can be used to make mobile applications that can guide customers through a store, distribute mobile coupons, or for mobile re-targeting to vastly improve the chances of closing a sales deal. As the offline and online buying experiences of consumers merge, retailers will also have to adopt new and innovative ways to leverage digital and mobile for their commercial advantage and to enhance the shopping journey of their customers.

 

Do you want to develop an app for your retail store? Or looking for a technology partner to transform your retail store? Feel free to contact us.

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