The way consumers shop online is constantly changing
With 67% of all users navigating between multiple devices before making an online transaction, it has become evidently clear how important a consistent cross-device customer journey is.
According to Google, 65% of consumers start a purchase on their smartphone but complete the transaction on another device, and 33% of desktop transactions involve browsing on mobile prior to purchase. In a connected world, this leads to the need to create connected experiences – contextual, highly relevant and in real-time.
Read on to find out how to keep users satisfied across multi-device journeys.
1. Pay attention to contextual user data
Your customers tend to use different devices and channels while interacting with your business, and their behaviour often differs based on contextual use. Being able to understand when and why customers are using different devices and channels for different parts of their journey is the first step in being able to meet their needs.
2. Design a consistent user and customer experience across devices and channels
With customer journeys being spread across multiple devices and channels, businesses need to ensure that they are designing a consistent user experience that meets their customer’s immediate requirements. This not only applies to the surface-level appearance but also to deeper layers such as how content is organised. Device specific features and calls to action also make the journey that bit smoother.
3. Creating device-specific user experiences
By using device-specific features and functionality, the experience on that particular device can be enhanced. Think of how mobile device features like Touch ID, GPS, cameras, microphones and sensors can be used to improve the user experience (UX). A great example of this is being able to use a smartphone’s fingerprint scanner to complete a purchase, instead of inputting card or bank details.
4. Maintain continuity and consistency across devices
Allow customers to pick up where they left off, even if it was on another channel. One such example is how readers can stop reading an Amazon Kindle book in their phone app and continue exactly where they left off on their Kindle device, then finish the book on their laptop.
5. Start thinking about wearables
Wearable devices are no longer just for early adopters. With that in mind, at a minimum, look at how you can design your customer experiences (CX) to support wearable devices, or taking it further how you can enhance the customer experience using sensors within wearable devices.
Final thought
Over the past few years, there has been a major shift in how consumers browse, research and ultimately buy items online. With smartphones, wearables, tablets, laptops, and desktop computers, a new breed of hyper-connected shoppers has developed where browsing and shopping is done across multiple devices.
In the near future, customers will expect completely new shopping and browsing experiences. With advancements in technology such as virtual reality, cloud applications, in-store displays and data glasses, the customer will instantaneously be brought into the universe of a brand. They might even access a wider range of offerings or develop their own designs, tailored to their own specific needs…