When will mobile-banking really catch on in the U.S?
WASHINGTON, January 13, 2017 /PRNewswire/ — Pinxter Digital knows mobile has and will continue to pave the way for advancements in all industries. One particular industry that’s made huge mobile strides within the last five years is banking.
While you may pin the U.S. as a leader in the mobile banking world, surprisingly we’re lagging far behind. Countries taking top spots include Indonesia, China, Thailand and India. Pinxter wanted to take a closer look at what’s contributing to this wide gap in usage.
Traditional brick-and-mortar banks play a large role. Visiting a branch in India for example, is a dreary experience due to never-ending lines. This isn’t a reflection of a lack of branches (because India actually has way more than the U.S.) but a result of its population being quadruple the size of the United States’.
Why Go Mobile?
Of course in the U.S. we aren’t always thrilled with our trip to the bank, but a common thought process is if it wasn’t too horrible, why make the effort to go mobile (this pertaining mostly towards non-Millennials). Taking location into consideration is also important. Other countries that are on the lower end of mobile bank usage like Canada, Australia and Japan average about double the amount of branches per 10,000 people than those on the higher end. There are many people who may have no choice but to go mobile if banks are too out of reach.
Promotion is a big factor as well. While U.S. banks advertise their mobile apps as an added benefit or complimentary product, banks in high usage countries push their apps as a sole means of access. It’s much more expensive to build new branches so the only way to avoid those long lines or traveling far distances is by going through your phone. Mobile has become a higher priority and greater need in these places.
When it comes to app development, as fast and continuous innovation trudges forward in countries like Spain, Turkey and Poland, many U.S. banks are held back by their needs to meet new compliance obligations and rebuild their reputations from the most recent financial crisis. This blocks creative advancements.
We can only hope more productive measures will be taken to tackle these issues and bring U.S. mobile banking up to speed and where consumers need it to be. Will 2017 be the year?
2017 Mobile Predictions
Pinxter Digital thinks about mobile nonstop. With 2017 creeping in, they’ve put a lot of thought into what the year will hold for mobile technology. 2016 was great for mobile and the success isn’t stopping there. 2017 will spark all new waves of innovation.
Mobile Bot Commerce
Black Friday shopping – a joyful experience for some, scary for others. Consumers are increasingly ditching the long lines in stores and instead making purchases through apps. Avoiding the chaos and shopping at home is the ultimate convenience. What takes this convenience to the next level is the ability to use AI (artificial intelligence) when searching for the products you need. Conversational commerce through chatbots is bound to take off next year. This can currently be seen in apps like Facebook Messenger and Kik. These bots will ask consumers questions and use the answers as a guide towards finding what they’re after. It’s your own personal shopper. Searching for things solo will eventually become a thing of the past.
Food Ordering Apps
Restaurants like Panera, Chipotle, and Starbucks have all seen success through the usage of mobile ordering apps. A restaurant app on a consumer’s phone acts as a constant reminder to eat there. The convenience of ordering right through your phone with the promise of a quick pick-up or delivery is always tempting. There is sure to be an increase in restaurants turning to mobile in 2017. There are also the multi-restaurant delivery apps like Grubhub and UberEats as well as the grocery delivery apps like Instacart or AmazonFresh that more and more consumers will integrate into their daily life. Not only will we see an increase of usage in the expected millennial crowd, but also within an older age range (a.k.a. the late adopters).
VR
Virtual reality isn’t a new concept. As amazing as the experience is, it hasn’t been easy to bring to market. In recent years, technology and entertainment companies have been pouring money into VR. Luckily it’s finally starting to take off. It hasn’t been able to fully win over the masses yet due to high costs but 2017 may be the year that changes as these companies work towards making the experience more affordable.
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