Leveraging Mobile Engagement to Boost Sales, Service, and Customer Satisfaction

September 2012

Leveraging Mobile Engagement to Boost Sales, Service, and Customer Satisfaction

Introduction
As your customers spend more time on their mobile devices and less time on their PCs and laptops, engaging with mobile users is more important than ever before. In response to this rapid increase in mobile internet use, leading companies have been aggressively shifting attention to their mobile strategies, ensuring that they deliver a mobile experience that exceeds their customers expectations. As the leading provider of real-time customer engagement solutions, LivePerson has helped global brands extend their reach into the mobile space, and meet both prospective and existing customers wherever they are.

Why Now?
With the ubiquity of smartphones and tablets worldwide, its no surprise that mobile commerce is increasing at an extraordinary rate. And with the prevalence of mobile internet accessibility, the possibilities for mobile engagement are staggering. If the opportunity itself is not compelling enough, consider the risk of missing the opportunity: according to a recent Forrester survey,1 53% of respondents listed increasing customer engagement among the top three goals of their mobile strategy. In other words, if mobile engagement is not one of your top priorities, consider that it probably is for most of your competitors!

If mobile engagement is not one of your top priorities, consider that it probably is for most of your competitors!

The Value of Mobile Engagement

To a large degree, the case for mobile engagement is simply a matter of meeting your customers where they are. They may be on your mobile app or mobile site, they may be on one of your social media pages, they may be looking for a store location or researching a product. No matter what, their mobile device is with them wherever they go. But even beyond this, engaging with the mobile customer is especially valuable. Mobile customers are more likely to be in need of immediate informationnot being tethered to a desktop, they are far more likely to be in a store or business, actively in the process of making a purchase decision. Further, since the small screen is less conducive to extensive research and data entry, engaging the mobile user at the right time provides an important convenience that can yield immediate, measurable results.

The average handle time (AHT) of live chats over mobile devices is typically one-third the AHT of live chats over PCs

Mobile Chat: Greater Efficiency and Customer Satisfaction

When it comes to live chat, engagement on mobile devices offers some impressive benefits. Although at quick glance the smaller screen and keyboard of a smartphone might suggest a less-efficient and less-satisfying experience, these physical limitations actually drive greater efficiency than their full-size desktop counterparts! LivePerson has found that the average handle time (AHT) of live chats over mobile devices is typically one-third the AHT of live chats over PCsa 67% decrease. Between the physical limitations of mobile devices and the greater urgency inherent to the consumer on-the-go, chats are short, and questions and responses are brief and to the point.

2012 LivePerson, Inc.

Leveraging Mobile Engagement to Boost Sales, Service, and Customer Satisfaction

The benefits of efficiency extend beyond your operationsyour customers appreciate the quick turnaround timeat the time they need itas well. Based on aggregate post-chat survey results, LivePerson has found that mobile live chat customers are generally more satisfied with their experience than customers chatting over laptops and PCs. With 64% of smartphone owners using their phones to shop online,2 and with 40% of consumers going to a competitors site after a bad mobile experience,3 the satisfaction of your mobile customers must be embraced as a top priority.

In-Store Mobile Engagement

While mobile engagement is often associated with online shopping, its also revolutionizing the in-store experience. Consider this:

73% 52% 73%

$689
billion

of consumers say they have used their mobile phone in a store4

of adult cell phone owners use their devices in-store to get help with purchasing decisions5

of mobile-powered shoppers preferred phones to retail clerks for basic assistance6

The mobile influence factor (or effect of smartphones on in-store sales) on retail purchases will increase to $689 billion (or 19% of total store sales) by 20167

Connected customers are now able to immediately compare prices, look for coupons, and read product reviews. And while this can pose certain challenges, it also presents some unprecedented marketing opportunities. QR codes can be used to launch live chats with sales and service agents, deliver coupons, and download mobile apps. Mobile apps designed for in-store use can serve as a virtual salesperson, providing, for example, extended product information, inventory levels, promotions, and reviews, and suggesting relevant cross-sells and up-sells. You can even use facial recognition technology to identify customersand their preferencesby matching them to their Facebook photos and delivering personalized, relevant content! Such tactics just scratch the surface of the in-store mobile engagement possibilities, yet can profoundly impact the customers experience with your brand and the likelihood of a completedand biggerpurchase.

Mobile Engagement Best Practices

As a pioneer in real-time online engagementand mobile engagementLivePerson has provided intelligent engagement solutions to organizations of all sizes, from small companies to industry-leading global enterprises. From our experience with over 8,500 companies, LivePerson recommends the following top five best practices for engaging customers on mobile devices:

2012 LivePerson, Inc.

Leveraging Mobile Engagement to Boost Sales, Service, and Customer Satisfaction

1. Leverage geolocation data.

In February 2012, 74% of smartphone owners used location-based information, a 35% increase from just nine months prior!8 The message is clear: people want information and services that are relevant to where they are at any given time. Think about how your business can leverage geolocation data. Common tactics include: Displaying maps and providing directions to closest locations, stores, or branches. Delivering location-specific offers and information when, for example, a customer is in a particular neighborhood or near a particular place of business. Creating highly-targeted campaigns that are relevant to specific geographies.

2. Use QR codes to launch live mobile chat.

QR code usage continues to skyrocket: over the course of last year, QR code use increased 617% in the top 100 magazines.9 But while QR codes have proven to be an effective way to drive mobile traffic, how can they be used to really engage with your customers? Through live chat! QR codes can be used to initiate live chat at any place and any time. From printed display ads, product literature, magazines, point-of-sale displays, direct mail, promotional products, statementscreate meaningful connections at times and places you might never have thought were possible!

3. Offer live chat on your mobile website or app.

Weve discussed the critical importance of mobile engagement in some detail, along with the increased need for immediate information in the mobile setting. Just as live chat has become a strategic part of your traditional website, it should play at least as important a role in your customers mobile experienceyoull likely be surprised by the volume of traffic that will be drawn to the mobile channel, as well as the faster, more efficient average handle times. LivePerson client example: just months after a leading global electronics provider deployed their mobile chat solution, over 20% of their chats now originate from mobile devices! There are some important distinctions between mobile and desktop chat, both in the solutions themselves and how theyre managed and deployed. Todays consumers expect mobile experiences that are comparable to those on laptops or PCs, so be sure that your chat provider has strong experience in mobile chat best practices!

2012 LivePerson, Inc.

Leveraging Mobile Engagement to Boost Sales, Service, and Customer Satisfaction

4. Create personalized experiences.

Online marketers know that creating personalized experiences has proven to increase customer engagement, along with customer satisfaction, loyalty, conversions, and average order values. Not surprisingly, the same holds true for mobile. Based on a survey by ChoiceStream:10 Most purchases (58%) were made after seeing a recommendation on a product detail page Category/brand pages also converted shoppers (40%) Transactional emails only converted 16% of shoppers Recommended for you statements converted 74% of survey respondents Big spenders are more likely to react to Recommended for you statements Personalization has a special importance on mobile. As discussed, customers on the go are more likely to have needs that are more urgent, and extensive research on mobile devices is more difficult. Consumers will pay for the convenience that personalization delivers.

5. Engage customers on mobile social media apps such as Facebook and Twitter.
A recent study8 projects that by the end of 2012, about a third of all mobile phone owners will access social networks via their phonesessentially double the number that did so two years agoand 85% of mobile social networkers will use Facebook. But engaging with customers, fans, friends, and followers on social media remains a challenge for many. In fact, a recent survey by Cap Gemini reported that 60% of companies dont respond to customers via social media, even when asked a direct question. Engaging with customers on social media sites has delivered great results for some of LivePersons biggest clients. Live chat can be offered on your social media pages, or chat invitations can be immediately delivered via direct message to anyone who expresses a question or concern even outside your social media page. As social networkers continue to spend more of their time on mobile, engaging with them in social media has become increasingly important.

By the end of 2012 85% of mobile social networkers will use Facebook [yet] 60% of companies dont respond to customers via social media, even when asked a direct question.

The mobile landscapeand your customers behavior and expectationsare changing quickly and dramatically. Engaging with customers on mobile presents a new set of challenges, but to the companies that embrace and overcome those challenges, the rewards will be invaluable.

2012 LivePerson, Inc.

Leveraging Mobile Engagement to Boost Sales, Service, and Customer Satisfaction

About LivePerson
LivePerson, Inc. (Nasdaq: LPSN) offers a cloud-based platform that enables businesses to proactively connect in real-time with their customers via chat, voice, and content delivery at the right time, through the right channel, including websites, social media, and mobile devices. This intelligent engagement is driven by real-time behavioral analytics, producing connections based on a true understanding of business objectives and customer needs. More than 8,500 companies rely on LivePersons platform to increase conversions and improve customer experience, including Hewlett-Packard, IBM, Microsoft, Verizon, Sky, Walt Disney, PNC, QVC and Orbitz. LivePerson received the CODiE award for Best Content Management Solution in 2012 and for Best Ecommerce Solution in 2011, and has been named a Company of the Year by Frost and Sullivan in 2011. LivePerson is headquartered in New York City with offices in San Francisco, Atlanta, Tel Aviv, London and Melbourne.

Sources
1. Forrester, 2012 2. eDigitalResearch and Portaltech Reply, 2012 3. Compuware, 2012 4. Advertising Bureau, 2012 5. Pew American & Internet Life Project, 2012 6. Wall Street Journal, 2010 7. Deloitte, 2012 8. eMarketer, 2012 9. Nellymoser, 2012

Contact
LivePerson, Inc. 475 Tenth Avenue 5th Floor New York, NY 10018 T: 212.991.1794 F: 212.609.4233 info@liveperson.com www.liveperson.com

10. ChoiceStream, 2010

2012 LivePerson, Inc.