With today’s travellers, mobility is the best connect

The aviation industry needs to provide an effective mobile service for customers to stay competitive in the marketplace.

Adobe recently released a report that stated: ‘There is a small but growing proportion of businesses who now describe themselves as ‘mobile-first’, around a fifth (19 per cent) of organisations compared to 13 per cent last year. In many sectors it is these companies that are most likely to succeed in the customer driven future.’

According to Adobe, only 13 per cent of businesses in the Middle East have a mobile strategy, so it is clear there is still a disconnect between those planning a mobile centric strategy and those that actually have one. This rings more true when you consider that 73 per cent of people in the UAE own a smartphone, ranking UAE as No. 1 for mobile user penetration in the Middle East and Africa.

Add to this, the algorithm changes within Google, and it is clear that mobility is a top priority.

The aviation industry can thrive with a solid mobile strategy because travellers are typically mobile when they are on the move. There is no versatile solution for a successful mobile strategy.

However there are some concepts you can use to develop an outline: What problem will your mobile strategy solve? Who is your target audience? Is an app or responsive site a better fit for your mobile-focused strategy? At what point does mobile play a role in the customer journey? How can you personalise the experience for your customer? How can you track performance to see a return on your investment?

If you want to watch your mobile strategy become a success, the customer (passengers, their families and employees) should be at the Centre of your plan and the engagement of this audience should be the goal. Here are some ways you can achieve this:

Understand your business goals:

What is the end-goal(s) of your business? Is it to see an increase in airline tickets sales, improve the check in process or in-flight experience? You mobile strategy should align with your goals and, if possible, compliment and expand the experience for your customers.

Know your target audience:

Your mobile strategy will only be successful if fully understand your end-user. Your user will make a choice about your app within 10 seconds, so doing your due-diligence in the research and discovery phase is key. The first step is to re-evaluate your mobile user.

Have you considered their pain points — queuing up for check in and security, walking long distances to the gate, inadequate amenities at the gate or on the plane? By developing different personas for each of your end-users you can better serve them with your business and mobile approach.

Use the right technology for the right device:

Mobile offers some obstacles in terms of devices and operating systems. As a business, you need to turn to data to make informed choices about which device to support first in your mobile strategy. The last thing you want to do is develop an app for Android when 75 per cent of your user base has an iPhone.

If your audience is spread across multiple devices, it may be the right choice to develop a responsive site instead of a mobile app.

Be aware of security:

Your business and user data needs to be completely secure at both the device and network level to develop trust with your users. One of the key features of brand loyalty is trust, and travel data alone can be susceptible to fraudulent activity. Users need to know they can trust their information with your business.

What not to do:

There are common pitfalls that businesses make when it comes to building out their mobile strategy. One is to try and replicate the desktop experience in mobile. This will never work because users don’t use their smart mobile device in the same way as their laptop or computer.

The second is to try and cram too many functions into one app. Always return to your business goals and question whether a feature can belong on the app or responsive site? Are they helpful in solving a problem?

There are some examples of well-executed mobile-centric strategies already developing among the aviation industry. One participant is Dubai Airports, whose website has been focusing on the user experience and places the most relevant content for each traveller at the forefront of the website.

Here are a couple of features they have been implementing to improve the experience for the end-user:

1) Twitter alerts: this is a great feature that allows you to subscribe to flight notifications — a great example of how to integrate social media differently.

2) Way finding: the Dubai Airports app had a great indoor map application that allows users to find their way around the airport and search for facilities, restaurants and shops.

In addition, Delta Air Lines in the US chose to develop different apps for different stages of the traveller’s journey, from the practical app to purchase tickets, to the more innovative idea to offer a ‘Glass-bottomed jet’ that gives passengers a bird’s-eye view of what they are flying over during their flight.

Airline applications have the potential to make travel much easier and more pleasant than before. It is clear that a concise mobile strategy is a tool that will drive existing customers to remain loyal, and drive new customers towards your business.

Whether you are in the aviation business or not, a mobile-centric mind frame is where you need to shift to stay ahead in this digital world.

The writer is CEO of Prototype, a Dubai based digital agency.