Sam Gaddis is the Chief Innovation Officer at Mutual Mobile.
The buzz about tags is important. So far it has been mainly contained to retail, with brands salivate at the prospect of being able to reach their customers before they make their way to the sales counter, but a change is In progress.
A new era of tech events began
We're back in New York in November for the 4th edition of our technology event focused on growth.
Last week, I counted no less than ten launches related tags, Museums payment solutions and everything else. But stick a small transmitter in a tip display, or in your car wash, and wait for the profits to roll in is not going to cut it.
Here are seven things that brands need to do before launching an experiment tags.
1. Know your user
Who you trying to achieve with your tag? Do you know their habits? Do you know their preferences? Do you know if they are mainly users of Apple or Android?
There can not be underestimated how important it is to understand your user before trying to contextualize their experiences. Do not invest in the construction of a beacon for your water park experience, only to find that your visitors are locking their phones in a locker on arrival.
The promise and attractiveness of tags, for a user has an interest in personalized communication of their favorite places - Subway station stores - not just get a large number of promotional alerts because they happen to be standing next to your name.
Take time to understand the habits of technology and their habits when they work, shop, and play your users, to ensure that what you offer is of value to them and to your business.
2. Know the technology
Too often we see brands jump on a technology trend just to do it, or worse, just to be first. This immature leap forward leads often to a peak of interest, but is quickly followed by rapid unloading rate and often enough disgruntled consumers.
Try to understand the technology. Get hands. Beacons can do incredible things, but there are limits, so play with the products (or find a trusted partner for the test). Make sure the pop fantasy experience is possible by performing demonstration tests and setting up trial runs. Or how to make possible if current solutions are not there yet.
It is far better to know that you have an obstacle in front of you than running into one with no warning.
3. Know your tag
Overnight, a crowd of beacon manufacturers have launched, ready to deliver the material which gives an overview of the endless brands in consumption and a new way to reach them. But not all tags are created equal.
There are several key factors you should consider when choosing your tag - battery life, form factor, customization, scope, waterproofing and sensitivity . Some of them are purely cosmetic.
Kontact , for example, allows you to select the color, apply logos or design your own housing through its 3D printers to better meet the needs of your brand. However, some of them are dependent on each other -. The battery life is often closely linked to the range and sensitivity, in order to overcome your needs and choose your supplier accordingly
4. Know your limits
There is a laundry list of things that must be in place to launch your tags to succeed.
- Does your user your application? Does your Bluetooth enabled user?
- Is this your user using a device that can receive beacon transmissions (most Apple devices, Android devices running OS 4.3 and beyond)?
- Does the system you have in place require LTE or Wi-Fi to deliver content?
- Do your clients need to allow your application to access location services for the experience of working effectively?
Keep in mind this is still a new technology and the folds are being hammered as we speak. Knowing exactly how your solution works and what it needs to succeed, you will be ahead of the curve in providing a beacon killer launch.
5. Train your team
combines sales and personal store is your first line of defense against an unhappy customer. Give your team the tools they need to succeed by ensuring they understand the nuances of your deployment of the tag and are ready to assist your user experience value.
Even tech-savviest consumers is likely again to a contextualized experience, so make sure your team is well prepared to answer questions and help your user to navigate this new world.
Also make sure they are well versed on your privacy policy and ready to answer questions. One of the largest, although slightly unfair repressions tags are facing consumers is the idea that someone is watching ... always watching.
Often what the tag offers, whether more personal information or discounts on goods, will not be enough to make someone immediately feel less violated but a knowledgeable partner could go a long way to facilitate users concerns.
6. Train your user
Although much of beacon technology seems like magic, it is quite some back-end work that needs to happen for this magic happen. From the start, the hardware and software must be compatible, and Bluetooth must be activated. From there, depending on how you have implemented the solution, things can become much more complex.
Take time at the beginning of a tag system to educate your users. Start small and add additional features as you see kiss the tags. Grow with them, listen to their feedback, and be prepared to make adjustments based on what you hear.
7. Have a (continuous) Plan
Okay, tags are installed. Customers are incurred. ? Now what
You should have two types of plans currently in place for tags: 1) maintenance and 2) the content. As with any technology, your tags are going to need some computer love. Be prepared to repair equipment, update the software and, if necessary, replace the batteries.
You also need a plan for where you will take your program tags - you can not keep pushing the same discount or a piece of information to users and expect them to remain committed . Having a roadmap in place to increase and improve production, be prepared to update the sensitivity or beach tags to change the user experience, and always know what your next promotion will be.
Beacons are ready to be the gift that keeps on giving a range of experiences - retail, museums, hospitals, gyms, theme parks, concerts, transport and even sporting events. Their golden promise lies in the vision they can share and intimacy they can offer. But nothing worthwhile is easy or free.
Prepare to do your due diligence, invest in your system and educate yourself, your team and your users. The rewards will be worth it, and significantly more than just being the first -. If you do it right