While some business owners are eager to adopt and know about the newest methods and trends, others are cautious about investing in contemporary marketing strategies. If you are in the first category, you must have heard about iBeacons technology and wondered how this can help your company. This is a sign of a futuristic business.
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Let’s start with iBeacons…
iBeacons are cost-effective, practical, and simple to install. They’re not just a futuristic concept; they’re a technology that can be deployed right away for better business gains. To understand the basics of iBeacon technology, you can read this blog of ours: Everything You Need to Know About iBeacon Technology
First things first, to use iBeacons, you need two things; a physical store or area having your potential customers and a smartphone app. The beacon is placed in the store or area and sends content to customers’ phones with the app installed and Bluetooth enabled. Without any of the two, you won’t be able to deploy this technology.
iBeacon technology provides valuable insights into customer behavior. It can help you understand:
- How many customers visit your store at different times of the day or week?
- How often do repeat customers visit your store?
- How long do customers stay in your store?
- Which products do customers spend the most time looking at or interacting with?
- What are customers’ general shopping habits and preferences?
- Which products are frequently purchased together?
This is not limited to retail stores. Anywhere you are using the iBeacon technology, you will find similar and relevant information. Using this information, you can optimize your marketing and merchandising strategies to improve the customer experience and increase sales. For example, you can:
- Adjust Staffing Levels: Schedule more staff during peak customer traffic times.
- Target Marketing Campaigns: Send targeted marketing campaigns to customers based on their shopping habits and interests.
- Optimize Product Placement: Place products frequently purchased together near each other to encourage impulse purchases.
- Improve Customer Service: Identify areas where you can improve customer service by addressing customer needs and preferences.
Virtual retargeting is also made easier if you understand consumer preferences and behavior. Using this data, you can utilize your eCommerce platform or apps to recommend products and promotions to customers based on their preferences and behaviors while on the site. This tailored approach increases client engagement and conversion rates. Additionally, you can segment data once gathered to provide them with information or deals on goods they are not simply close to but interested in.
iBeacon can send customers content like sales, new products, and coupon codes to enhance their shopping experience when they are in-store. iBeacon content should enhance customer experience, helping them find and buy desired products. iBeacons collect data like customer movement but not personal data. Potential customers may still be wary of downloading apps that collect any data. But the bottom line is that iBeacon technology is safe regarding data privacy.
iBeacon content should…
- Aid customers in locating what they want.
- Facilitate customer purchases.
- Be tailored to the customer experience.
Application of iBeacon Technology in Different Industries
Retail Industry
- Retailers can now use beacon technology in shopping apps to deliver timely and personalized notifications, increasing walk-ins and profits. Beacon technology in retail uses Bluetooth to gather customer data. Businesses use this data to plan marketing strategies and improve the in-store experience. iBeacons benefit retailers with direct consumer communication.
- iBeacons provide access to detailed product information directly from a store’s network, eliminating the need for search engines and saving data usage. To use iBeacons effectively, ensure that your customers will benefit from them by providing comprehensive information, sale details, or exclusive coupons.
- However, retailers need consumers to download the apps. So do customers benefit from this? If done well, they most certainly can. Retailers can implement loyalty programs that reward customers for in-store activities. This increases customer retention. A mobile-first loyalty program can enhance the customer shopping experience. iBeacon mobile app Solutions can transform how retailers sell products both online and offline. It’s a clever method of grabbing customers’ attention and enhancing their interactions with products and services.
- In addition to monitoring customer trends, Beacon technology allows retailers to track employee activity within and around the store. This enables managers and owners to monitor employee arrival and departure times. It also allows them to track the time staff members spend in the retail store. Beacons can also alert employees about tasks to be handled, like restocking products, helping customers, and more.
While beacon technology is still relatively new, some retailers have tested their iBeacons and achieved remarkable outcomes. Macy’s is the most renowned of these.
2013 saw a partnership between two of its locations—in New York and San Francisco—and the well-known shopping app Shopkick. Every time a consumer enters the store, the beacons send them notifications instantly if they have the app loaded. Discounts, suggestions, awards, and department-specific offers customized to the shopper’s present location are all included in these messages.
Additionally, users will be notified if the store has a product they have previously expressed interest in via the app, such as a sweater or a pair of shoes. As a result, customers who use the app in beacon-equipped stores make 26% more purchases than those who do not.
With over 15 million users worldwide, Shopkick offers a substantial potential for shops ready to invest in beacons.
Education Industry
iBeacon also enables educational institutes to upgrade learning environments. Beacon-enabled content customization ensures enhanced learning and development for students. Educational institutions such as schools, colleges, and universities can adopt beacon-based scheduling systems to enhance communication between teachers and students, ensuring seamless information exchange and effective time management.
Many universities host multiple events and seek innovative methods to inform students about programs and activities. Beacons push notifications to students, ensuring they stay updated about event schedules, announcements, and upcoming activities.
- Beacons can facilitate efficient attendance check-ins for students at events.
- Schools globally can focus on interactive learning for teachers and students.
- The application of beacons in libraries can provide convenient access to books for students.
- Beacons can assist students in finding literature, real-time book availability updates, and renewal reminders.
At American University, administrators have collaborated with Sony to develop a campus tour using augmented reality, serving as a successful example of beacon technology implementation. The university’s IT team strategically placed 20 Aruba beacons along the tour route. When prospective students launch the self-guided tour application, it activates location services on their phones. As they approach the beacons, students receive notifications highlighting nearby landmarks.
Moreover, beacons allow AU to showcase its commitment to effective communication with its community. The university aims to foster an engaged student population aware of the diverse activities, opportunities, and research conducted on campus. Beacon technology has emerged as a valuable tool in enhancing communication, a critical aspect for universities.
Travel, Tourism, and Transportation Industry
Beacon technology offers hyper-local capabilities. It can provide an immersive experience for travelers, commuters, and service providers in the tourism industry. Beacon devices facilitate easier airport navigation, virtual city tours, city exploration, and more. They can source customer data and activities in real time, allowing personalized experiences to contribute to business success. Restaurants, hotels, and food joints can use beacons to book unbooked appointments, offer special discounts, and inform about day-specific menus by sending notifications to nearby customers. Mobile alerts can attract a wider audience, helping businesses grow.
Tourism companies and destinations can leverage IoT technology to send location-specific information, enhancing tourist experiences. Relevant messages can be sent to make travel discovery easier. Tourists can receive alerts about historical and cultural information, weather updates, and other notifications to reduce feelings of alienation.
Beacons integrate functional and fun elements, delivering wholesome travel experiences. Many small and large companies recognize the power of iBeacon technology and utilize it to enhance user travel experiences.
To replace emergency triangles on the road, CAR-LITE and Sigfox installed an intelligent light beacon based on the oG network in December 2021. Created by CAR-LITE, this cutting-edge LED beacon uses the Sigfox oG network to precisely locate malfunctioning auto-mobiles and sends automated alerts to the appropriate road safety authorities. Amazingly, this system works without a SIM card, Wi-Fi, or internet access.
Digital advertising, healthcare, real estate, and the aviation sector are among the other industries benefiting greatly from iBeacon technology. According to PMI, the smart beacon market is expected to increase at a compound annual growth rate of 31.5% between 2022 and 2032, reaching US$ 31.8 billion.
Leveraging beacon technology’s potential is crucial in an era of rapid improvements. By incorporating this cutting-edge technology into your company, you can give your customers a smooth and interesting experience that will improve their satisfaction levels over time. The creative application of iBeacon is up to the imagination of the user. It is important to evaluate your preparedness for carrying it out.
The talented developers at CDN Solutions Group embrace challenges with enthusiasm. If you’re curious about iBeacon technology and its potential to boost your enterprise, don’t hesitate to reach out to us. Our team is eager to collaborate and explore how iBeacon technological Solutions can drive your business growth.
