NFC technology is here and finding more and more applications. What if we told you that it could also be used to build strong relationships with your customers and, of course, increase your revenue? What would you say?

Are you interested? Keep Reading ….

Today’s digital world brings with it new ways of communicating with customers and the need for businesses to develop innovative strategies to stand out from the competition. They also need to find ways to build trust, interact and connect with their customers on a new level as this is a key part of selling.

95% of customers say that trusting a company makes them loyal and 92% buy more products and services.

65% of shoppers believe that a positive experience with a company is a much stronger motivator to buy than an excellent advertisement.

It can also cost five times more to acquire a new customer than to retain an existing one. Oh yeah! It’s true! This is just one of the many reasons why many marketers advise companies to look after their existing customers.

Building a business-to-customer relationship is extremely important if the business is to survive and be profitable for many years to come!

NFC technology can help. By connecting with customers, but also by increasing their loyalty. It builds strong relationships, creates a great customer experience and consequently helps to increase sales.

What is NFC technology?

NFC, or Near Field Communication, is a wireless technology that allows devices to exchange data when they are in close proximity. This means An NFC-enabled device (such as a mobile phone) is passed over an NFC tag or sticker (even a QR code) and the interaction begins.

This means you can use your phone to pay for your groceries, scan a QR code to see a restaurant menu, or use your key card to unlock your hotel room door without touching anything.

NFC technology has been around since 2003, but only recently has it become popular with consumers and businesses alike.

One of the benefits of NFC technology is its ease of integration. The smallest NFC tags available are about 10mm wide and can be easily hidden on consumer products.

How NFC technology can help you build relationships with your customers

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NFC technology can help you connect with your customers in a number of ways. It allows you to create a direct two-way communication channel, providing an innovative and user-friendly way to interact with your customers. By scanning the label with their smartphone (bringing the smartphone and the label close together), your customers can read and access the content on the label that you have pre-formatted.

The information you can embed in the tag depends on what you want your customer to do next. You may want to direct the customer to your website. Or you may want your information to be stored on their device. Or you may want to direct them to a landing page to get more information. These are all examples of some of the actions you can take.

Through these you offer:

Personalised experiences

Thanks to the NFC tag embedded in products, customers can benefit from personalised experiences. They can receive product suggestions that match their profile, offers, loyalty programmes and vouchers, or invitations to events. For example, if your company manufactures or sells bicycles, you can use NFC to provide your customers with personalised bike rides based on their location.

Access to information

You can also use NFC technology to give your customers access to information that would otherwise be difficult to obtain. For example, you could show them the production process of your product. Your customers would not be able to access this information easily.

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Next step

You can use NFC technology to direct the customer’s next step in interacting with you. You want them to enter your website to complete a purchase or get more information? Do you want them to leave a review? Do you want them to join a loyalty programme? You can set the next step yourself. This helps them stay more engaged with you and increases your sales.

Fast, digital payments

Another application of NFC technology is mobile payments. By using a digital wallet, someone can make purchases much more quickly and easily. If your ideal customer doesn’t like to waste time and is a technology enthusiast, they’re bound to appreciate you even more and come back for more.

There are, of course, other applications. These are just some of the ones that improve the customer experience and create the conditions to build a strong relationship with them.

The applications are almost endless! NFC tags give your business a window into the digital world and the ability to offer your customers simple, engaging and original experiences.

Through these experiences, customers become more connected to your business as they see that you care about them and what they might like through personalised recommendations.

As NFC technology is still new and you may not know how to integrate it into your business, here are some ideas depending on the industry you are in.

Luxury goods

A key objective for luxury brands should be to provide their customers with an exceptional, personalised experience. NFC tags can help you achieve this goal if you have such a business.

The NFC tags could be used to direct the customer to a page that provides the brand’s history or information about how the products are made. A video of the production line could also be shown to demonstrate your brand’s unique expertise.

Wine & Spirits

NFC labels also have a lot to offer the wine and spirits industry. NFC labels could contain information about the wine (tasting, serving temperature), the winemaking process or cocktail recipes with different drinks. If you produce wine or have a liquor store, you should consider these options.

The NFC label can be embedded in the bottle cap or on the label so that the customer can easily scan it at any time. The content of the NFC label can also be programmed to evolve after the customer has purchased and opened the bottle. The information provided to the customer (recipes, expiry dates, etc.) can also be customised based on when the bottle was opened.

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Medical/pharmaceutical products

By incorporating an NFC tag into the packaging of a home medical device, patients can easily access information and instructional videos on how to use the device and ensure that they are using it correctly.

In today’s digital world, patients can find a lot of health-related information online. But it’s not always accurate or relevant to their case. With NFC tags embedded in medicine packaging, they can find relevant information and feel more confident about using it.

NFC tags can also be used for practical purposes. If patients ‘scan’ the NFC tag each time they take their medicine, it is recorded and they receive a reminder if they forget to take it. In this case, NFC tags provide not only an excellent experience, but also valuable assistance.

Consumer packaged goods

NFC opens the door to many opportunities for packaged goods companies to connect with their customers. From the simple exchange of information, such as instructions on how to use products correctly (especially for dangerous household products that require special handling), to participation in competitions and challenges. Think about how you can use NFC for your own products.

Clothing & footwear

In the fashion industry, NFC tags can be used in a variety of ways to create unique experiences. For example, by simply tapping a tag embedded in a pair of shoes. Customers can open an app on their mobile phone, order online or check stock. They can also access guides. They can get suggestions for a complete outfit that matches the specific shoes, and even have an AR (augmented reality) experience.

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Sports & Fitness

NFC tags are waterproof and rugged enough to be integrated into sportswear and accessories. They can provide users with personalised coaching tips to improve their performance or suggestions of nearby sports venues in their location.

Companies can also use NFC tags to build loyalty by offering access to tickets for sporting events such as football matches, draws and games.

Have you considered this?

so make it your friend!