5 Tips to Effectively Leverage Emerging Technologies in Retail Apps

There’s no shortage of new and emerging technologies in the retail sector. Robots, the blockchain, artificial intelligence, AR, and VR are just some of the buzz-worthy tech that has made waves in the past few years.

It’s important to be aware of these developments, and in some cases, it makes sense to adopt or experiment with emerging technologies. That said, diving into the hottest tech trends without a proper plan or the right partners could result in a lot wasted time and effort. New tech initiatives could be very expensive, and the last thing you want is to blow your budget on a project that fails to take off.

To prevent that, we’ve compiled some of the common mistakes retailers make when leveraging new technologies. Go through them and see to it that you and your team avoid these mishaps at all costs.

1. Have a clear strategy and purpose for technology

One of the biggest mistakes you can make is to adopt technology just for the sake of it. We see this all the time when a hot new trend hits the market. Companies experience FOMO (fear of missing out) when a particular piece of technology gets hyped up, so they rush into the market and roll-out a fancy new application only for it to fizzle out after the initial fanfare.

For instance, from around 2013 to 2015 beacons — i.e., Bluetooth powered devices that could send proximity-based notifications to people’s smartphones — were all the rage. The Washington Post claimed that beacons could change the world and several retailers adopted the technology.

Yet here we are several years later, and the technology has yet to fully take off. Research even suggests that beacons may not be producing the desired results. In a recent podcast with the National Retail Federation, ZIVELO CEO Healey Cypher pointed out that if a retailer welcomes shoppers into their store using beacon technology, customers “don’t really care.” And if those shoppers receive another unsolicited notification within 30 minutes, chances of them deleting the retailer’s app goes up 500%.

That’s a depressing statistic for a piece of technology that was once heralded as a game-changer in the retail sector.

So, how do you avoid falling into the trap of adopting tech for tech’s sake? For starters, it’s important to have a clear business strategy and roadmap. Acknowledge where your business is and where you want to go, and see to it that your leadership team is on the same page.

One thing you can do here, says Oleksii Tsymbal, Chief Innovation Officer at MobiDev, is to use a Value Proposition Canvas, a tool that helps you gain clarity into what your business is for and how you deliver value.

Tsymbal adds that this step should be taken early on. “It should be at the very beginning of the project,” he says. “As you may see, it’s not the technology that plays first fiddle.”

When you have a definite strategy, you can then figure out technology’s role in your roadmap.

Establishing a need for the technology is also critical. Are your customers or staff asking for features that current apps aren’t capable of? How can you be sure that a particular tech trend is the answer to those needs?

When you do decide to leverage emerging technology, make it a point to determine the right metrics and KPIs for your app. Are you looking to increase productivity? Will the feature be tied to sales and customer engagement? Figure out those metrics and then track them as you roll out your initiative.

2. Determine if users are truly ready for it

Another fundamental mistake is thinking that your app’s users are ready for new features or technologies. Retailers forget that people usually fall into one of five groups: innovators, early adopters, early majority, late majority, and laggards.

Before investing in new trends or initiatives, have a think about where your ideal users belong to in the technology adoption curve.

For example, if you’re considering developing a new training app for your store associates, then consider the tech profile of the people who would be using it. Are most of your employees innovators and early adopters? If so, then you have a good chance of getting them to embrace the new solutions. However, if you employ individuals who belong to the late majority or laggards, then you may want to rethink the features or technologies that you’d like to introduce.

The same goes for your shoppers. If your customers are open to new tech, then unleashing shiny new features may work. But, if most of them don’t adapt well to change, then getting shoppers to embrace new technologies will be an uphill battle.

One company that does a great job of gauging technology adoption and launching new features is Amazon. In 2018, the retail giant introduced several new gadgets, most of which are Alexa-enabled. It’s a smart move by Amazon; the company has already established demand for Alexa devices and voice search has been gaining traction, so it makes sense to introduce new features that are in line with those technologies.

Try to adopt a similar mindset when you’re leveraging new tech. Look at the existing apps and devices that your target users have adopted, and then determine if it makes sense to introduce new features or emerging technology.

3. Thoroughly vet your technology partner

For obvious reasons, your technology partner will play a pivotal role in the success of your app. The right one can bring your vision to life and develop features you need on time and within your budget. But the wrong technology partner can eat up your time and drain your resources.

So, how do you choose the best one? Consider these factors:

Experience - One of the tricky things about dealing with emerging technologies that the pool of talent with ample experience is limited. That’s why it’s essential that you do due diligence to determine whether a company has the qualifications to work on your project.

You should also consider the fact that emerging technologies are evolving quickly, so being able to learn and adapt is critical As Yuriy Luchaninov, Lead Solution Architect at MobiDev puts it, new technologies are “changing at an enormously rapid pace, so the ability to learn and apply new knowledge matters most.”

He adds that “experience with technology and overall team expertise with the subject matter helps to choose the best way for the development.”

Track record - It’s one thing to look good on paper, but demonstrating one’s accomplishments is a whole other story. Be sure to have a detailed talk with your development team and ask them to show any applications or features that they’ve built. If those are apps are live in other retail stores, then pay those shops a visit to see how they work.

And don’t forget to ask for references. Have a conversation with their former clients, so you can get a better understanding of how they work and if they’re right for your business.

Whether or not they “get” you - Finally, you want a developer or technology partner who deeply understands your business goals. You need a partner who “gets” your business and is able to make the development process fast and effective.

This will ensure that your team and the developer will be able to work harmoniously together and will make the app creation process much more pleasant.

4. Craft a solid communication plan

Implementing emerging technologies isn’t just about developing a new app or feature. The success of your initiatives largely depends on how well you communicate with the project’s stakeholders.

There isn’t a one-size-fits-all communication plan for every project, as this would depend on the complexity of the initiative and the people involved. A good rule of thumb, though, is to start at the top.

When the idea still being developed, you’ll want to keep the project’s details confidential by only informing your executive team. As the project progresses, you can start disseminating information down the organizational hierarchy. At this point, it may be appropriate to share information your district and store managers. Then as you near the launch, you can begin relaying the information to the store level so the staff can prepare.

Needless to say, proper planning and organization are critical. When crafting your communication strategy, be sure to consider:

Your timeline - Establish the key milestones for the project, and determine who needs to know what, and when. As we mentioned earlier, it’s best to start with your executives and those involved directly with the project at the beginning. As the project moves forward, start informing relevant department heads and regional managers. And then from there, figure out on when it’s time to spread the word to the store level.

Methods of communication - How will you communicate updates and developments? Do you need to conduct in-person meetings to keep everyone in the loop? What types of information should be delivered via email or chat? These are just some of the questions you should answer when determining your communication plan.  

Training - Does your staff need extensive training to get up to speed with your new app? If so, who will conduct the training? When and where would it take place? Iron out these details early on.

5. Start small

Exercise restraint when rolling out your new app. The thing with emerging technologies is they’re largely untested and may be prone to bugs. Even with rigorous internal testing, you can never fully prepare for how the app would perform in the real world.

That’s why when you’re rolling it out to the public, it’s always a smart idea to start small. Implement it in just a handful of stores to see how it fares.

Consider Walmart, which routinely tests new initiatives in a handful of stores, before doing a big launch. For instance, before doing a wide rollout of its Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) initiative, Walmart first tested the technology in a handful of stores to gain feedback from users.

You’ll want to take a similar approach when launching your new app or feature. Select a few stores, employees, or customers and do a limited a rollout to gauge user adoption and address any initial bugs or issues.

Use emerging tech wisely

Emerging technologies transform businesses and get them ahead of the competition, but only if leveraged correctly. Getting into new tech without the right strategies and tactics can do more harm than good, so tread carefully.

The safest way is joining forces with a technology company whose expertise will complement your business vision. Thus you’ll be able to lead your idea to tangible and viable results in an optimal way from the very start.

Speaking of retail-oriented tech companies, get in touch with MobiDev. With 9 years of experience in building and delivering turn-key business solutions, MobiDev successfully completed over 320 projects for companies across over 20 countries, applying a number of tech advances — such as Data Science and Augmented Reality — to serve the business goals of their clients.