If you’ve been following our blog, you’ll know that the contactless revolution is well underway. #MyNFCDay demonstrated how the technology is changing our daily lives for the better, making transport seamless and creating truly smart cities. Meanwhile, events like Eurovision, Euro 2016 and Saracens rugby matches are becoming increasingly smart and efficient thanks to contactless wristbands and smartphone payments. More and more MNOs, banks and technology companies are offering NFC solutions – for instance, recently we discussed some similarities between Vodafone Wallet and Apple Pay and how their NFC projects were successful. However, comparing the different deployments, we can come up with 3 key steps to take for a quick and seamless NFC deployment.
Create the experience
Consumers need to better sense that NFC is a more convenient and seamless way to make a transaction. They need to feel like they have a digital wallet at their disposal, allowing them to store all their loyalty cards and coupons in a simple, accessible place. And part of creating that experience involves shaping a rewarding consumer journey…
Shape a rewarding consumer journey
It’s crucial that NFC solutions are user-friendly and create a positive customer experience. An example of a provider that has achieved this is Apple Pay. All iPhone users have to do is take a photo of their card, which can then be digitized instantly. It’s important that converting to NFC is as simple as possible; if the signing up process is complex or time-consuming, then expect customers to be put off. So, lesson two: all friction points need to be removed and the customer journey needs to be monitored constantly to ensure any problems are ironed out quickly.
Continuously inform and update consumers
Once a customer becomes familiar with NFC usage, it’s then not enough to become complacent and count on that user’s loyalty. There’s a need to continuously update and inform consumers about the benefits of all available additional NFC services. While NFC is growing rapidly in popularity across the world, common misconceptions remain which have the potential to hinder its progress. Make sure you’re actively promoting the benefits – ease of use, greater transaction speed and robust security.
If NFC solution providers continue to prioritize positive user experiences and customer journeys, while informing people about the benefits of the technology, then we can see a very promising future ahead for service usage and deployment
What do you think are the key steps to ensuring a successful NFC deployment? Let us know by tweeting to us at @Gemalto, or by posting a comment below. Plus, if you’d like to look at some concrete examples, then you can read some NFC case studies here.
