Create a memorable mobile buying experience for members
Nearly 60 percent of website traffic can be traced to mobile devices. Mobile is taking over and it’s not enough to market exclusively for desktop devices. By excluding mobile, a significant portion of your members will never be reached. In 2016, retail mobile sales increased by 43%. This is a very important consideration for all credit union marketing programs, especially those who place an emphasis on auto lending. Let’s face it: mobile marketing is here to stay and it’s time to increase your engagement activity on this channel.
Last year the Internet was the number one information source for vehicle buying, providing members access to an online buying platform for vehicle research and shopping. This type of resource keeps the credit union relevant with members throughout the vehicle shopping process. Mobile devices have become a key part of auto shopping activities from initial research to checking out local inventories.
There are over a million vehicle sites competing for your members’ attention on Google. Spend the time to make sure yours is well represented, to members, on all devices. Providing members with this service will also benefit auto loan portfolio growth and other financial services that are promoted on your site. A mobile experience that meets the auto buying goals of members will prove very beneficial both in the short and long term strategy of your credit union.
Here are four ways credit unions can create a memorable mobile experience:
- Explore a mobile-first approach. Moble represents the future in the way we browse the internet and communicate with each other digitally. Adapting a mobile-first focus will put you ahead of the game and allow you to connect with your younger members. Everything, from your website design, to your emails and all marketing collateral, must be created for the mobile user.
- Interact with members in real-time. Go beyond a text-only, one-way relationship. Let members inquire about loans and payments directly from their mobile devices to your auto resource. This is a very powerful way to meet their needs while car shopping. Having instant access to payment options and other offers specific to vehicle buying, is imperative to meeting member needs and expectations.
- Keep the messages personalized. As the member begins the car buying journey through the mobile device, keep messages specific to their request. With lead generation built into the payment calculator, mobile coupons and other programs on your website, this will be easy to do. Remain engaged and consistent in the approach.
- Is the experience consistent? Is your mobile banking more advanced than other areas of your website where customer relationships are also important? Be consistent, if a member is utilizing mobile banking they will come to expect that same level of engagement at each touch point.
Keep in mind the mobile experience encourages the two-way relationship. In a constantly connected world the ability to go beyond expectations with a fully customized experience will build loyalty. When polled, 51% of consumers reported one of the top five considerations for interacting with a brand had to do with: Providing optimally designed and personally desired channels for interacting. (1) To be “authentically mobile” means to provide experiences and services that capture, process and interpret a vast amount of data from a mobile device. Turning this into information the member can use, creates the perfect experience.
Mobile marketing is no longer being viewed as an optional choice for marketing as consumers spend a significant amount of time researching, shopping and buying on their smartphones. Not using mobile yet? Consider this: It’s no longer a benefit for a credit union to offer a mobile experience for members; rather it is a negative if they don’t. Members expect a seamless mobile experience from their credit unions when it comes to all their products and services.
Don’t be surprised at how useful this channel is at building brand loyalty and getting your message across to members, especially millennials. When it comes to increasing interactions with members, look to your mobile abilities in 2017 to make the real difference.
- Emarketer