Lessons learned building mobile self-service sites

More and more, customers expect to be able to manage their accounts on mobile devices. Telco customers want to be able to pay for their smartphone on their smartphone, television subscribers want to tweak their cable packages as easily as they change the channel, and when the power goes out, utility customers want to know when the lights will be back on. 

A useful mobile experience is an important part of the entire customer experience: mobile self-service sites aren’t just miniaturized corporate homepages, they’re a new way for customers and companies to interact, and they have new rules. We’ve been working in the mobile space for a while now and we’d like to share some of the lessons we’ve learned:

1. Ask your customers. It seems so obvious that sometimes we forget this critical first step.  You may be building the site, but it’s your customers who will use it. Talk to your customers and understand the problems they’re looking to solve. Only once you understand their personas can you build the right solution.

2. Know how it’s used. Quick and easy applications are great for customers on the go. Complexity, on the other hand, is better suited for the big screen at home. Other times information is all that matters—like when notifying customers about outages. Build a mobile experience that complements your customer’s lifestyle.

3. Provide outage information. We do what we can to tame Murphy’s Law, but sometimes things still go wrong. Your mobile site needs to be equipped to handle these events. In our experience the number one reason people go to a utility mobile site is because the lights are out.

4. Design matters. Design is much more than looks: it’s a set of assumptions and decisions about how a site will be used. Look to your existing data and figure out how your customers are accessing your mobile site. Not every smart phone on the planet can be perfectly supported, so plan to make a flexible interface that favours the devices used by your customers.

5. Do less, well. Trying to squeeze your entire self-service experience into a mobile site is a recipe for confusion and disaster. Instead, go for simple and straightforward functionality. There are some features your customers absolutely need; focus on making these features great.  

6. Re-use past work. It takes a time to create content for a website and much of it can be reused on mobile. No one reinvented the wheel when designing the motorcycle.  

7. Measure everything. When customers use your mobile site, each tap of the finger tells you something about them—if you know how to listen. Pay attention and use this feedback to make your mobile site better. 

8. Be realistic. “If you build it, they will come” works in the movies, but not real life. You’ll need to get the word out to your customers using your regular marketing channels like bill inserts, your website, and social media. Create something great, let people know about it, and then—and only then—will they come. 

When done right, any self-service portal is a win-win solution for both you and your customers: it reduces costs and makes life easier for everyone. Self-service is great, and mobile self-service can be even better. With mobile sites, customers can interact with your brand on the go and on their terms. That’s great news for everyone.