According to the Pew Research Center, 96 percent of American adults own a cell phone. Of that percentage, 81 percent own a smartphone and 52 percent own a tablet. Odds are good that most of your customers own at least one smart device.
But are your customers maximizing the full potential of their devices? By pairing them with the right connected apps you can transform your customers’ smart devices from just a phone or tablet to a vital control center for home, work and play.
As retailers, we spend a lot of time researching and surveying and trying to figure out what our customers want. And it seems like every new product that comes out these days has an app associated with it. But do these apps serve any real purpose besides enabling the product to boast app compatibility? And, does having a free app increase the value of the product and make it more desirable for consumers?
Having a connected app may not make consumers more likely to buy a product. But in certain cases, it might make the difference in closing the sale. Let’s take a look at the kinds of apps that customers want.
Despite what you may think, most consumers don’t want more apps just for the sake of more apps. The mobile apps they love simplify their lives. They make it easier to chat with friends, share important moments, and organize their time.
Apps that provide useless information or just add bells and whistles complicate and take up valuable time. There’s too much competition in the app world to make these worth customers’ time. They’ll just hurry back to SnapChat.
Connected apps should enhance the features of the product. They should make it simpler to use and more effective.
“When each product has its own app, it starts to get complicated and time consuming” – Computerweekly.com
Look for that “Works with” label on products’ apps. When a product is compatible with other popular apps, like Amazon Alexa, HomeKit and Google Home, it makes it more marketable. Customers don’t want the virtual equivalent of a million remotes for their home theater system.
Siri doesn’t always have the answer customers need. Interesting apps should provide information that customers can’t get elsewhere. Why are fitness bands so popular? No one can Google the answer to how many steps they took today.
“Lacking or limited security could slow down the adoption of [machine to machine] in healthcare, industrial installations, and homes. Secure end-to-end connectivity is therefore essential.” – DQIndia.com
Every week there seems to be a new story about user information stolen from online databases. Customers worry about their privacy! Encryption, password protection, and other security assurances are valuable features for consumers. ComputerWeekly.com advises looking for well-known brands that value security and have proven their indestructibility through time.
Even if apps fall under all the above, they should still solve a problem. If there’s not a problem that needs solving, the product shouldn’t have an app. The most popular problem-solving apps out there are for the home. In fact, according to ComputerWeekly.com, the smart home product market is expected to be worth $43 billion by 2020. Video doorbells solve the problem of not knowing who is at the door. The Parrot Pot solves the problem of plants not being able to say what they need. Many more home automation products solve problems of customer’s house’s vulnerability when they’re away.
What problem does the app solve?
The primary concept behind connected apps is integration, interactivity, and simplification—integrating new accessories that extend and simplify how they interact with their mobile device through innovative applications. Show your customers you “practice what you preach” by having demos available in your store.
Let your customers interact with the app connected products you’re selling. If you have a website, link to demo videos showing the incredible capabilities of these devices and apps. Apps need to add real value to a product. Having an app doesn’t guarantee a product’s sale. It might even hurt the product if the app is a complicated, frivolous or gimmicky addition.
For more ideas for apps that add value to products, check out petra.com and discover all our connected home products with apps.