There’s a reason the majority of in-store purchases start online. Today’s consumers crave a frictionless omnichannel experience, which means they want seamless shopping between channels. This preference illustrates the dissolving of boundaries between commerce channels, effectively intertwining online and brick-and-mortar to create a new shopping ecosystem. In order to promote and maintain this high-quality experience, businesses must leverage specialized software and tools.
A dealer or store locator app is an excellent example of essential software that’s often overlooked or taken for granted, particularly when it comes to creating the omnichannel experience your customers crave. With the right features implemented, a store locator app can be a powerful and unifying tool for building relationships, creating awareness, and growing sales.
6 Signs It’s Time for a New Store Locator App
According to Nielsen, “locating a store is the most likely activity among smartphone shoppers,” with 76 percent of consumers using some sort of store locator app to find a store. This figure suggests that a robust store locator is essential for connecting your customers with your brand.
Are you experiencing any of the following hurdles with your current store locator software?
1. Outdated User Experience
Poor design, slow loading speed, or lack of mobile optimization can turn customers away—and send them straight to your competition. A modern, fast, and intuitive user experience (UX) is essential for creating an accessible environment that enables customers to successfully locate and interact with your brand. If your store locator app is clunky, slow to respond, or otherwise difficult to navigate, your potential customers are bound to bounce.
2. Limited Customization Options
As with any element of your toolkit, your brand and store locator should match. In other words, their aesthetics and capabilities should both be cohesive and coordinate with your overall brand identity. If your app doesn’t allow for customized features like branding, styling, or unique search filters, it’s time for an upgrade.
3. Lack of Advanced Features
Today’s users expect features like geolocation, driving directions, and proximity-based search. This capability is highly reliant on the proper software integrations and alignment with technology partners. If your locator can’t deliver, it’s missing out on a valuable edge.
4. Inaccurate or Outdated Location Data
Users rely on store locators for accuracy—a store locator app is often the first stop for customers looking to learn more about a company’s offerings, including where the nearest location is and what’s in stock. This level of accuracy requires efficient data synchronization and management practices. If the app isn’t updating locations in real-time or requires frequent manual updates, you want to consider a better platform.
5. Poor Analytics and Insights
To optimize marketing and understand customer behavior, your app should provide analytics on searches, visits, and user engagement. These insights not only help to track progress against high-level organizational goals but also allow individual stores and dealers to fine-tune their marketing and outreach efforts. In short, a lack of access to such valuable data is a huge missed opportunity.
6. Difficulty Scaling with Growth
As you scale your business and add more locations, an inflexible app can become a bottleneck. In the digital age, antiquated software can seriously inhibit progress. If your app can’t handle your growing business, you need a scalable platform that can adapt to changes as they occur.
The Store Locator That Can’t Lose
In order to create the seamless omnichannel experience today’s customers desire, your business must employ high-quality tools that encourage conversions. This means replacing outdated legacy systems with an optimized platform capable of meeting your company’s unique needs. The inefficiencies that result from remaining tied to outdated technology and processes are a huge risk to your enterprise.
To make the switch to the locator that can’t lose, request a free demo and witness our state-of-the-art platform in action.
