📱 eBook en inglés MOBILE APPS - CUSTOMER LOYALITY IN THE RETAIL TRADE

For some years now, there has been enormous hype surrounding the mobile Internet.
Some have already labelled it the new mass medium of the future. Many see the main
cause of this hype in the technical development of producing ever better mobile devices
and defining new standards for data transmission. Others, on the other hand, see the
economy as being responsible. Their marketing managers are anxious to market new
technologies in the best possible way.1
This is because the development of the market for mobile Internet use and the increasing
sales figures for mobile devices in recent years show the enormous market potential in
both areas. As the third component of the hype, access to the mobile Internet is
increasingly becoming the focus of practical and scientific research.
This undirected provision of new applications leads to a proliferation of the market and
makes research in this area more difficult. However, there are already extensive
scientific findings on media utilisation and selection for related media such as the
computer, the stationary Internet or, in some cases, the mobile Internet. However, these
studies are limited to a very small number in the field of mobile applications.4
In view of the "long tail" phenomenon described above, it is doubtful whether this
proliferation is of any practical benefit. Initial findings already indicate that many apps are only downloaded or used to a limited extent.
Mobile apps play a decisive role in customer loyalty by enabling companies to interact
directly with their customers. The following aspects are important in the context of
customer loyalty through mobile applications:6
1. Personalised user experience:
Companies can provide personalised content and offers by collecting data on user
behaviour. This helps users to identify more strongly with the application and then use it regularly.