fbpx

THIRD-PARTY APPS

Touchpoints you may be neglecting because of third-party apps

By our News Team | 2021

Increasingly, business success is linked to apps and services companies don’t own, says Andy MacMillan of human insight company UserTesting.

A growing trend of the digital age is that businesses rarely own all of their customer touchpoints. These include food delivery apps, online shopping and banking. Customer experiences are increasingly taking place via third-party apps. Occasionally brands have entire services they can’t directly control.

This is a game-changing development that raises critical questions. It is possible many companies haven’t sufficiently thought this through? How should brands manage their customer interactions when, so often, someone else is doing the actual interacting?

Touchpoints + third-party apps

Photo by Eric McLean at Unsplash

The adoption of digital business models that rely on third-party providers has sharply accelerated, and it should prompt brands to have the thought: “This app has become important to my business. But I don’t own it. Is it accurately showing my entire [product]? How do I really know what my customer is experiencing?”

It’s a question that businesses frequently can’t answer because, unlike traditional one-to-one vendor-to-customer interactions, they lack the data to know. Imagine the insights a supermarket chain could gain with a better understanding of the experience that its customers are having with the now-significant [online delivery] part of its business. After all, a positive delivery experience means more repeat business for the grocer, and vice versa.

No company would release a product or app without soliciting detailed feedback on what users like and don’t like about them. The same precision is required of any other partners playing a role in the customer journey.

They must put themselves in customers’ shoes and recognise that what constitutes customer experience is much broader than they’d thought.

 

Source: Marketing Dive and UserTesting

Dr Kin Kariisa

Group CEO - Next Media

Dr. Kin Kariisa is an extraordinary force at the helm of Next Media Services, a conglomerate encompassing NBS TV, Nile Post, Sanyuka TV, Next Radio, Salam TV, Next Communication, Next Productions, and an array of other influential enterprises. His dynamic role as Chief Executive Officer exemplifies his unwavering commitment to shaping media, business, and community landscapes.
With an esteemed academic journey, Dr. Kariisa’s accolades include an Honorary PhD in exemplary community service from the United Graduate College inTexas, an MBA from United States International University in Nairobi, Kenya, a Master’s degree in Computer Engineering from Huazong University in China, and a Bachelor’s degree in Statistics from Makerere University.
Dr. Kariisa pursued PhD research in Computer Security and Identity Management at Security of Systems Group, Radboud University in Nijmegen, Netherlands. As a dynamic educator, he has shared his expertise as a lecturer of e-Government and Information Security at both Makerere University and Radboud University.

Dr Kin did his PhD research in Computer Security and Identity Management at Security of Systems Group, Radbond University in Nigmegen, Netherlands. He previously served as a lecturer of e-Government and Information Security at Makerere University in Kampala, Uganda and Radbond University in Netherlands.

Dr Kin did his postgraduate courses in Strategic Business Management, Strategic Leadership Communication and Strategies for Leading Successful Change Initiatives at Harvard University, Boston USA.

  • Other current and previous roles played by Dr Kin Kariisa:
  • Lecturer of e-Government and Information Security to graduate students at Makerere University, Kampala and Radbond University in the Netherlands
  • Director of Eco Bank Uganda Limited, one of the largest banks in Africa
  • Chairman of the National Association of Broadcasters, an umbrella industry association for all Television, Radio and online broadcasters in Uganda.
  • Chairman of Board of Directors of Nile Hotel International, that owns the leading hotel in Uganda, Kampala Serena Hotel.
  • Chairman of Board of Directors of Soliton Telmec Uganda, the leading telecom company in Optic fibre business managing over 80% of optic fibre in Uganda.