If you’re a retailer, you have two options when it comes to deploying Bluetooth beacons. You can deploy the hardware yourself and build an accompanying mobile app for the experience, or you can open the experience to existing apps that users already have on their device using a beacon network. Some retailers have decided they want to own the experience and have everything go through their own mobile app, but new data suggests that might not be the way to go.
The latest data from comScore’s Mobile Metrix shared with 9to5Mac shows the reach of beacon-enabled iOS apps, but it also for the first time includes a beacon network: inMarket’s Mobile to Mortar service. inMarket reached around 31.5 million unique monthly visits, according to comScore’s data, which means the platform reaches roughly 18% of all U.S. mobile users through existing apps that support the platform. Compare that to Walmart’s app that has around 20 million users and the next most popular apps— Target, Walgreens, and Kroger— getting approximately 4 million monthly users.
A beacon network connects app developers, brands, and retailers, allowing them to all take advantage of each piece of the iBeacon puzzle. Existing apps that support the platform automatically work in stores that have deployed hardware supporting the platform. Brands also get the opportunity to advertise in stores where they sell products but might not have the ability to deploy beacons in. Imagine small retailers with numbers nowhere close to the 4-20 million monthly app users the big retailers mentioned above get. Using a beacon network, like inMarket, opens their beacon experience to 30+ million monthly users immediately through apps already installed on devices and used daily.
inMarket Mobile to Mortar iBeacon Platform Capabilities Spot from Sohrab Pirayesh on Vimeo.
For me, especially from an end user’s perspective, the question for retailers and others deploying beacons is simple: The biggest hurdle to getting users to actually use an iBeacon experience in store is getting them to download the app. Try to own the experience yourself and convince visitors (many of which are hopefully new visitors) to download your app, or allow us to use the apps we already have and use daily to improve the in-store experience by taking advantage of a beacon network like inMarket. Once a few networks establish themselves as leaders, it will be only a matter of app developers supporting the networks.
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Great, another vector for advertisers to crap all over my iPhone.
I would be far more impressed if Apple were to devise a means to block ads from my iPhone.
Do you block ads on this site? You do know that this site depends on ads to survive.
I bet he had no idea. I’m sure he’ll stop now.
Nail on the head – if we had an app for every store we frequent it would be tough to even find the right app on your phone. Regarding in app ads, they are a balancing act – they need to be relevant, informative and non-invasive. If you “spam” your users they will uninstall.
This is great solution – both for retailers and shoppers. Shoppers will not be required to download multiple apps and retailers will be able to forego the whole process of coming up with a beacon strategy, buying, deploying and managing beacons.
In the end, however, it all boils down to making the shopping experience engaging and not annoying. Here are a few tips every brand using beacons should keep in mind: http://blog.beaconstac.com/marketing-with-ibeacons-10-tips-to-make-the-most-of-it/
In my opinion, In spite of being a technology with a great potential, there are some limitations must be keep in mind before including iBeacon or Beacon technology in our business:
1. To detect visitors, it requires users to pre-install an App on their smartphones.
2. iBeacons just operate in iPhone 4S ahead with iOS7-8 installed, and consequently, It covers les than 15% of the market.
3. Not only installed applications are require, but also you must have the Bluethooth on, but in practice, almost no one keeps it switched on continuously.
4. Its range is just 25 meters and it’s not configurable.
Consequently, there is a huge barrier to use iBeacon in the store that Seeketing Nodes have successfully overcome. If you are interested in Seeketing Nodes, I recommend you to visit this website: http://seeketing.com/corp/index.php/en/