While we’re all not getting around using flying cars (thanks, Jetsons!), we are surrounded by technology that was never dreamed possible. Thanks to the home computer, smartphones and now AI devices, our world is more technologically-advanced than ever before. That said, we also don’t seem to be slowing down technological advances any time soon. Of the areas where technology is currently advancing, the fastest growth is in the area of mobile technology.
Statistics show that as of February 2019 more than 80 percent of Americans use a smartphone. This means that companies have needed to incorporate ways to cater to mobile platforms in addition to a traditional online presence. Luckily, with mobile technology advances, customer experiences have improved and have become more convenient than ever.
It is likely that mobile technology will continue to advance in the near future. Let’s take a look at the improvements that are likely by 2020.
Better mobile experiences, with a personal touch
Companies are beginning to put more effort into enhancing the mobile experience for their customers. Personalizing experiences is just one way to improve mobile apps for customers. Experiences can be customized by allowing customers to choose their method of communication and show sale items based on customer input data. For example, customers in sunny, warm California are much more likely to purchase flip flops than snow boots; therefore, they won’t see snow boots come up in search results.
Since customers are more likely to purchase what’s relevant to them, this can help to increase sales.
Better voice search and commands
Voice search is one of the technologies that is currently seeing a boom in advancements. Some even think that retailers will see an increase of $40 billion in sales due to voice search by 2022. Voice recognition software is becoming more advanced, and as it becomes more sophisticated, our virtual assistants will be able to handle more complex orders. Eventually, we will be able to hold entire conversations with them.
Chatbots
AI advances will eventually make customer service easier for both customers and companies. Currently it takes human power to handle emails, phone calls and chats for customer service; however, in the future, AI-run chatbots may be able to handle customer concerns. Not only will this eliminate customers angrily waiting in queues, but it will also allow human workers to be more useful elsewhere in the company.
Indexing via mobile-first
Mobile-first indexing has been in the works at Google for some time. This was a necessity since the bulk of the search market has shifted away from home computers to smartphones. Making websites more mobile-friendly includes:
- Quick loading pages
- Formatting to fit mobile screens
- Easy to use buttons
Proactive apps
Proactive apps are apps that have AI technology embedded. Examples of proactive apps are those that upon opening make the customer’s experience easier. This includes predictive text for reply messages based on the content of the original message. The AI is so sophisticated that it’s possible for users to click through auto-generated sentences without ever having to type for themselves. Moreover, the AI generates well-written content.
AI technology is steadily improving the lives of everyone it touches. Incorporating AI tech into your business plan, conceivably, can do nothing except improve your business and your customers’ experience.