With the new innovative technologies emerging on the market, companies are faced with the urgent issue of implementing them in their work to improve customer service and increase loyalty. This is especially true for malls, which are constantly striving to improve their shopping experience for their visitors. In this article, we will explore how owners can improve the experience of visiting malls and how wayfinding software for shopping centers helps in optimizing business processes.
What Is An Indoor Wayfinding System?
The indoor wayfinding software is a modern solution that allows turn-by-turn indoor navigation based on the visitor’s location. It works very similarly to GPS. The system builds detailed maps of shopping centers and guides customers through the territory, developing the shortest routes. Through mapping, visitors can easily find the necessary products, stores, and amenities, and also receive useful information about the products or operation of the shopping center.
Indoor wayfinding is based on miniature sensors that are placed in different places in the shopping center. During operation, they send out radio signals, which are transmitted to reading devices at certain intervals. Next, these pulses with identifiers are sent to the server, where the navigation software processes them and transmits them as ready-made information to users’ smartphones or computers.
Indoor wayfinding solutions are implemented using various wireless communication protocols. The ones that are used most often are:
- Bluetooth® Low Energy;
- Wi-Fi;
- UWB.
The specific technology can be selected taking into account the size of the shopping center, the level of required accuracy, the tasks at hand, and the customer’s budget. With the right approach to protocol selection, the system changes purchasing processes, increases operational efficiency, and contributes to business development.
How Indoor Wayfinding Can Help Improve The Quality Of Customer Service
The possibilities of indoor wayfinding technology go far beyond finding stores and getting directions. With their help, store owners can improve the quality of customer service, optimize the layout, and obtain analytical data to make informed management decisions.
Step-by-step navigation to places of interest
The main digital wayfinding software feature is developing convenient routes to points of interest. When visiting a shopping center, the client just needs to use their smartphone and indicate the product or store they’re looking for, and the system will immediately create a path that takes into account the visitor’s needs. As the shopper moves along the route, they can receive additional information. For example, when passing by any retail outlet inside a shopping center, they’re sent information about discounts or promotions on products.
Building routes on the map allows customers to easily navigate the shopping center. The system transmits data in real time and helps customers navigate even in difficult conditions. This leads to an increase in the involvement of visitors in the shopping process, making them more satisfied and loyal to the shopping center.
Quickly finding stores or amenities
When using indoor wayfinding technology, shoppers can save time visiting a shopping center. The system provides a quick search for shops, bathrooms, ATMs, and other points of interest, so the customer doesn’t have to waste any time. Using indoor maps improves the user experience when working with mobile applications, increases the client’s interest in the shopping center, and encourages them to return to this particular store again.
Helping people with disabilities
Navigation in shopping malls also makes shopping easier for people with disabilities. For example, the system offers voice routes, which help find shops and other amenities if it’s difficult to move around. Technology makes shopping centers accessible to every customer, regardless of their physical capabilities. The maps contain detailed information about elevators, ramps, and other accessibility devices that make it easier to move around the shopping mall.
Sending detailed personalized information about promotions and discounts
Using the visitor’s location data, the system sends them various information messages. Notifications can include the following information:
- Discounts;
- Sales;
- Promotions;
- Current store offers;
- Dates and times of events (promotional, entertainment, exhibition, etc.);
- Product information.
Relevant and quick promotional offers encourage visitors to take action and significantly improve the shopping experience. They can play a special role in opening new shops, restaurants, and cafes. The system highlights different retail outlets, showcases their products, and directs visitors to their destinations. Thanks to this feature, you can not only provide customers with new experiences but also increase traffic to the mall.
Building a route to a car in a parking lot
If a shopping center is crowded, vehicle owners may find it difficult to find a free parking spot. Digital wayfinding software shows available parking spaces and eliminates the stress of using a parking lot. It provides the customer with a successful start to shopping, and after making purchases helps with locating the car. Clients with carts and heavy bags will be spared from wandering around the parking lot, which will save their time and increase customer satisfaction.
Obtaining analytical data for managers and making optimization decisions
Understanding how stores operate is important for store owners. When implementing indoor wayfinding, you can build maps of visitor flows and heat maps, as well as obtain detailed analytical data regarding the operation of stores. The platform provides the following data:
- Shopper behavior;
- Frequency of visiting the shopping center;
- Time spent in stores;
- Products, brands, or outlets of interest;
- Grouping the customers into regular, one-time, or casual customers;
- Marketing channel efficiency.
The system makes it easy to manage a shopping center, ensure efficient allocation of resources, and reduce operating costs. It can be used to create a smart shopping environment that provides visitors with an intelligent shopping experience. Using the platform, it’s much easier for owners to make forecasts and optimize retail space for the development of business processes.
How Can Mall Managers Use Indoor Wayfinding To Their Advantage?
The indoor wayfinding system drastically affects the operation of shopping centers. Step-by-step navigation in the shopping center provides customers with a centralized place for shopping, where they can get detailed information about the product range, prices, promotions, and bonus offers. When using the system, visitors are offered detailed store maps, allowing them to quickly find the product they need and select the shortest route based on their shopping list.
Retailers are empowered to use navigation to their advantage. Visitor location data is easily integrated into marketing strategies, resulting in increased profits. Information about shopper interactions with digital maps is successfully used to understand their behavior, which allows you to make informed decisions regarding advertising. Also, with navigation, you can effectively optimize the layout of a shopping mall and thereby improve logistics operations.
To sum up, indoor wayfinding solutions in shopping centers are a powerful tool that radically changes the understanding of the process of visiting a shopping center. After its implementation in the infrastructure, shopping center owners have the latest mapping technologies at their disposal, which increase customer engagement and improve the overall customer experience when visiting the store.
