By Pierre Barbeau, CEO Mobilco
Give your customers and associates the same experience they expect as consumers.
In recent years, mobile engagement has become vital to wholesale distribution for various reasons. The widespread usage of mobile devices, including smartphones and connected devices, has transformed our daily interactions and transactions, both personally and professionally. Over 60% of millennials, a fast-growing demographic in the contracting industry, prefer digital two-way mobile communications over traditional methods. Mobile devices’ on-the-go accessibility allows wholesale distributors to connect with customers and associates in real-time, in various contexts such as providing information, placing orders, or delivering timely updates.
Mobile devices also offer personalized user experiences by leveraging data on user preferences and behaviors, enabling distributors to offer tailored content and interactions. The increased engagement channels extend beyond mobile websites to include various platforms like SMS, MMS, web chat, text-to-landline, WhatsApp, social media, email, custom native mobile apps, push notifications, and more. This diversity in channels enhances customer interaction and engagement likelihood.
The growth of mobile commerce (m-commerce) has also been significant, with contractors and dealers increasingly comfortable seeking customer support and ordering via mobile devices. This shift has led to a surge in transactions through messaging and mobile native apps. Mobile devices facilitate instant communication and feedback, crucial for customer service, feedback gathering, and fostering customer satisfaction and loyalty.
In a highly competitive market, effective mobile engagement can provide businesses a substantial advantage. Those who neglect this trend risk losing control over peer-to-peer communications and access to valuable data essential for building customer relationships in the AI era. Mobile platforms often lead in integrating with mission-critical and emerging technologies, like ERP, CRM, and AI, opening new avenues for automation and customer engagement.
In summary, mobile engagement is crucial for wholesale distributors as it aligns with customer and associate preferences for interaction. By understanding and leveraging this trend, businesses can develop more effective marketing strategies, provide enhanced customer experiences, and drive growth and success.
Moblico’s 2024 Mobile Engagement Guidebook provides a framework that addresses the importance of integrating these solutions and how to achieve overall success through mobile engagement strategies, emphasizing the need for adaptability, innovation, and a customer-centric approach to thrive in the ever-evolving digital landscape.
About the Author
Pierre Barbeau, a 30+ year mobile and marketing technology veteran, co-founded Moblico in 2010 with the goal of making innovative mobile technology easy and effective for wholesale distributors. Moblico offers a comprehensive mobile communication, marketing and commerce platform that is uniquely tailored to each distributor client and delivers proven solutions that are easy to deploy. Moblico supports thousands of wholesale distributors in the US, Canada, Mexico, Latin America and Europe