The average consumer is now spending the majority of their time on mobile and there’s a growing number of companies that have shifted their focus to mobile apps. Being part of the mobile ecosystem places you closer than ever to your customers, but it also places you at the mercy of the trends and innovations in the mobile space. 
This shift has redefined how companies communicate with their customers and needs to be treated differently than online, in person, or on the phone.
The expectations, needs, and wants of your customers can quickly change based on other innovations in the mobile space. That’s why understanding the Voice of the Customer (VOC) is so important. VOC can change quickly, even if you’ve done nothing to change the experience of your app. As a result, if you’re not already doing so, you need to start being proactive in getting to know your customers.
What is Voice of the Customer (VOC)?
Voice of the Customer (VOC) has become a standard business term used to describe the process of collecting data about customer expectations, preferences, and dislikes. VOC market research studies are generally conducted at the release of new products, services, features, or design to understand customer sentiment around new or changed items.
The key to creating a truly effective VOC program is to always be gathering data from your customers, and not just asking for feedback during a release or update. When your customers share their voice in real-time with you they expect you to listen, act, and respond back to them so make sure to respond. Responding helps build relationships and encourages your customers to talk to you again in the future.
Why is VOC Important?
Retention is one of the largest problems for mobile apps. It is very easy for a customer to find a new app to fit their needs if they are frustrated or experience a problem. By the time they’ve left a review in the app store to provide you with feedback, it’s already too late. By being in tune to the VOC of your customers, there are a number of steps you can take to increase customer satisfaction and loyalty to continue to be their app of choice regardless of a problem or two.
In an effort to paint the bigger picture of where VOC fits into a company’s process, we put together this simple image that covers what VOC is and how we can help you capture it from your mobile customers (see below). Print it out, bring it your next mobile meeting and be up-front…”We’re not doing this…we need to be doing this…and here’s why!’
Need more convincing?
The speed at which you can update and improve your mobile app is essential to having success. Having tools to implement Voice of the Customer campaigns provides you with the feedback and direction to find success faster and more efficiently. Listen to your customers to receive early warnings on bugs or other problems with your app and you’ll always be prepared to handle problems as they arise instead of finding out about them after it’s too late.
Now is the time to be proactive and invest in the tools to give your company a direct line to your customers. Going forward, if you need help collecting your customer VOC, you can contact us directly (or request a demo) and we’ll share with you the secrets behind conducting a strong VOC campaign that will impact the bottom line of your mobile business.
