Location based services are now the norm. Bluetooth Low Energy a.k.a BLE is a wireless communication network, which was launched by Nokia in 2006 and bought by BSIG (Bluetooth Special Interest Group) in 2010. Beacon is small sticker-sized devices that employ BLE technology to pinpoint the user location across stores or museum like places and further deliver a message to their mobile devices.
For instance, if placed in at an entryway a Beacon could be set to welcome your guests via phone apps. Altogether, BLE and Beacon technology have opened doors for a new method of interaction between people, places and computers.
Brands like Apple (iBeacon), Google (Eddystone), Kontakt, BlueSense, Gelo, Estimote and much more offer a new era of user experience through BLE and Beacon technology. With more modifications underway, Beacon technology offers opportunities to personalize and extend learning to new settings and to fully merge the division between the digital and physical worlds in which we live.
In the world of healthcare, beacons are a high-quality solution, which can help address demands for more personalized care, services and increased patient satisfaction. Large facilities can benefit immediately by using beacons to guide patients, relatives and guests through the building. Plus, if a waiting room begins to overflow, location-based messages can be sent out to inform patients about cafeteria options (Free coffee, anyone? Yes, please!) or even a promotional wellness classes to enjoy during the wait. The potential is enormous both for top beacon app development companies and different business class.
The first thing to note when considering how to benefit from beacons is what your unique end-users may want or need. Below are some examples that represent how beacon technology has been catching up with the world while offering immersive user experience.
Success Stories
Outside the retail sector, beacons technology has gained popularity among for real time customer interaction with businesses.
In the Netherlands, public transit operator Syntus used beacons to offer local discounts and points to travellers during off-peak times, reducing congestion and pressure. Other use cases could include real-time travel updates or contextual advertising, Marketing Land reported.
Stadiums are another example where beacon marketing technology could shine. Unacast’s Proxbook Report says that 93 percent of Major League Baseball stadiums use them currently, as noted in Marketing Land.
Users with the MLB.com app can opt in to be tracked by beacons at ballparks. When fans pass a beacon, they can receive coupons, team info or video highlights, the American Marketing Association reports.
Beacons are also proving their value at events and conferences. For instance, use of 1,000 beacons in and around hundreds of venues to help attendees stay connected at SXSW 2015, Skift Reports. The system worked because attendees would have downloaded the SXSW official app—making it seamless for them to receive the beacon notifications.
Uses of Beacon
Beacons are now being used across several niche and domains to promote the use of digital coupons and real time notification. Beacon marketing is a logical follow-up to traditional mobile marketing strategies employed by tech-savvy retailers.Promotions are one of the prominent sectors where beacons are considered for use in full swing. In order to distribute promotional content through beacons, business owners develop dedicated shopping apps or partner with a top app development company. Once a user who’s got the app installed on his smartphone happens to be within the range of the beacon signal. As soon as he enters the signal range he receives a notification (latest offerings, discounts, promo codes, etc.
- Promotions are one of the prominent sectors where beacons are considered for use in full swing. In order to distribute promotional content through beacons, business owners develop dedicated shopping apps or partner with a top app development company. Once a user who’s got the app installed on his smartphone happens to be within the range of the beacon signal. As soon as he enters the signal range he receives a notification (latest offerings, discounts, promo codes, etc.
- Customers who click on Beacon notifications and walk into a store receive more notifications including personal shopping tips based on their previous buying activities and in-store product/navigation data.
- Beacons track customers in the store, thus providing analytics similar to that of an e-commerce website. Marketers, in their turn, can leverage the data for crafting ads and promo content the way they do retarget.
But still, there is a lag in rising of the BLE technology. The reason behind much less user interaction with the BLE technology is the lack of awareness among entrepreneurs and business owners. Even If beacons are installed somewhere, we miss to notice them out of ignorance. Even as smartphone usage climbs upward, beacons are staying under the radar.
Looking Ahead
Beacons are now experiencing an increase in usage across many sectors. However, obstacles to their usage suggest that adoption will be slow. Like any other new technology, beacons require downloading an app before they can work. Still, in certain scenarios, beacon marketing technology is setting new trends across markets and raise the bar for user experience.
Beacons are definitely going to become an uprising star in location tracking. Although it might take time, more brands will surely be seen partnering up and using Beacons or other low-cost sensors to compliment location based services.
Bring us along to discuss your idea and empower it with an up roaring formula for success with BLE and beacon technology.
Share your idea in the comment section below and grab a chance for free consultation with our Beacon App Developers, write to sales@brainmobi.com
