Chances are that you’re checking this blog out on your smartphone. Even if you’re not, there’s one sitting right next to you, charging up for another scrolling session on Instagram, to keep track of what’s the latest in the world. This simple fact has inspired most, if not all fashion brands to take notice of the emerging customer trends in terms of tech use and start leveraging mobile more than in the previous years.
Knowing that the fashion industry is already trend-based and seasonal by nature, it’s perfectly normal to expect fashion giants as well as aspiring designers to follow what their customers need and want.
In more ways than one, mobile apps are now redefining these relationships: both in terms of how fashion brands communicate with customers, but also how these brands secure their presence in this oversaturated market. Apps have an immense potential for fashion brands to boost their sales, and through that, to elevate customer experience and relationships to new heights.
The rise of m-commerce
While we’re on the subject of boosting sales for your fashion brand, did you know that the m-commerce sales are expected to reach $3.56 trillion by the end of the year? A significant slice of that multi-trillion-dollar pie will go to apparel and fashion in general, that’s for sure. Being part of that means positioning your brand as best as possible on mobile devices.
However, in 2021, it’s imperative to expand beyond just mobile web and tap into the potential of mobile app marketing to target customers, reach a broader audience, and deliver a secure user experience. Whether through mobile marketplaces that can showcase your brand or by developing your own mobile app, your fashion business can experience exponential growth in the coming months and years with a strong app presence.
Personalization through branded apps
Off the rack is no longer that appealing. The modern customer likes the freedom to wear authentic, personalized apparel, and even more so, to get personalized offers from brands they love and follow. Working with an app development agency, a fashion brand can create a branded app that provides customers a dedicated shopping space with personalized offers and suggestions.
Such an app is not just a space for advertising your new collections. It’s primarily there to learn from its users and adapt based on your customers’ previous shopping preferences. Implementing that data means providing each user an authentic, branded experience, and it amplifies your chances of boosting customer retention and repeat business. In simpler terms, more sales.
Pocket-sized marketing with major impact
Marketing a fashion brand in this highly competitive sphere is a challenge in and of itself. When you have mobile apps at your disposal, you can gain direct access to a specific demographic that will benefit from your offers.
What’s more, you get to explore discovery platforms in the form of apps that help you get the feel of the market and test out new, potential wearables you come up with, before you invest any time or money in the manufacturing of the product.
With your own app, you can publish content that is tailor-made (pun intended), allowing you to learn what captures your customers’ interest and what needs further tweaking. Sending out notifications, alerts, and emails to your existing customers also lets you position yourself better.
Built-in loyalty programs
Yet another way mobile apps allow fashion brands to boost customer bonds is with the help of in-app loyalty programs. Customized to their preferences and based on their previous shopping habits, these programs can help your business retain your existing customers, make them happy, and increase profits in one fell swoop.
Even if they already trust and love your brand, people love freebies. Showing your appreciation to your customers and letting them know that you value their every purchase is best achieved with loyalty schemes that are delivered through mobile apps – personal and personalized at the same time.
Access to new target audience knowledge
Promoting your brand values, such as waste-free fashion collections, collaborations with relevant influencers, or a turn for sustainable solutions shouldn’t go unnoticed. With your own app, and many app-based news outlets, you can spread the word about your brand’s core purpose and values. At the same time, you can learn about your audience based on their reactions to the kind of content you produce, the collections you create, and above all, the feedback they provide.
Apps are a brilliant outlet for quick and painless surveys that take practically no time to complete. Built-in review and rating options help you understand audience preferences, and open feedback will allow you to understand what kind of values your customers love, and what makes them stay true to your business. In the long run, that means utilizing this carefully collated data to market your brand more effectively.
For any fashion brand, increasing profits means more opportunities to grow, expand into new design directions, experiment with collections, and of course, secure a spot in the “timeless” fashion segment for their customers. With the use of your very own mobile app, combined with presenting your brand across existing apps, you can achieve all of the listed goals, provided that you take a strategic approach and listen to your customers’ voices.
