For investors looking into operating a business within the franchise industry, there are many steps to take and decisions to make. Opening a business doesn’t start with the snap of two fingers and in today’s world, it is even more important that franchisees looking into a prospective franchise opportunity take a long look at how the company deals with their mobile customers.
On the go is now the norm. More and more customers are doing at least 10 random things on an electronic device while traveling, be it checking the balance of a bank account, researching a restaurant, or planning and paying for some service they need. Franchisees interested in setting themselves up for future success with a franchisor-partner have to closely examine whether the business model in question makes ample room for this growing number of mobile customers.
The importance of these types of customers has been building steadily as technology has improved access to marketplaces while in motion over the last ten years. Mobile customers are projected to spend $1 trillion in mobile transactions next year, according to Heavy Reading Mobile Networks Insider, so making purchases online is what people do now, and this growing reality in the business world is only going to increase as more and more individuals use portable devices to engage is consumer activity.
What can prospecting franchisees keep an eye out for when they perform their research looking into potential franchise systems to create a partnership?
Loyalty and mobile go hand in hand. Customers are seeking ways to integrate their hard earned dollars and loyalty with their mobile purchases. Does your potential franchise have a plan for how to deal with these customers and are these plans well aligned with your vision of how you’d like to support your mobile customers as a future franchisee? Allowing loyal customers to access rewards based on their purchases preferences is a major component that makes mobile shopping simple and attractive.
Of course, how customers respond to any mobile strategy set up within a franchise system is subject to feedback. Franchisors and franchisees must be open to hearing what their mobile customers have on their mind to improve their strategy. Does your potential franchise seem flexible and open to change to best suit the growing mobile customers out there and is there a system implemented to regularly assess how customers feel about their experience when transactions are completed while on the go?
The number of franchise businesses out there improving their approach to serving mobile customers is growing with each passing year. Consider, is the kind of franchise you are seeking a major part of the mobile community and if so, how will you contribute to the success of that community?