When it comes to multi-location brands, mastery of location data is no simple task. Social strategy, presence management and local advertising all begin and end with a trusted source of secure location data. When customers opt into sharing personal data with brands, they trust that their information will be securely held. Similarly, brands must vet trusted partners to house their location data and these partners should serve as a source of truth in a busy data ecosystem. For retail, healthcare and financial service industries that house a significant amount of sensitive user-specific and geo-centric data, all it takes is one security breach to forever compromise the integrity of a brand.
Retail
With the ability to display user-specific messaging and offer location-specific rewards, deals and product recommendations, it is no wonder that beacon placement is expected to surpass 400 million units by 2020. Unfortunately, customers are not quite as excited about beacon technology as retailers are. Cstomers are hesitant to opt in via mobile devices to share their geolocation, for fear that enabling personal information will put them at risk for security breaches and fraudulent activity. However, the those few consumers who do opt in demonstrate their trust in retailers to house personal information.
But with the slow growth of user adoption, connecting the gap between greater trust and data security will take more than a few shiny in-store offers. The best way to grow trust in your brand is to start at the local level. Start by pushing out trusted location data to get your stores found – claim and syndicate your location data in collaboration with a trusted data hub to send the most relevant, accurate and consistent information for searchers. Before you can expect customers to trust you with their personal information and geolocation in-store, you need to establish yourself as trustworthy by providing accurate location data that gets them to your store.
Healthcare
The healthcare industry is also experiencing some revolutionary changes when it comes to technological advancement. Wireless wearable sensors allow patients to monitor their activity levels, wellness apps give users a platform in which to record sleep and dietary information, and electronic health records (EHRs) offer healthcare providers an efficient way to organize, house and transfer patients’ clinical information over time. Yet, 76 percent of consumers worry about the safety of their medical data, and when it comes to patients’ confidence in finding a healthcare provider, a lack of information can result in the loss of a patient.
Data security is a chief concern when it comes to the healthcare industry because searchers are so frequently querying their symptoms and looking for solutions nearby. Healthcare brands should present searchers with the most actionable location data on the most popular health-related listings platforms. Additionally, choosing a hospital and choosing a doctor go hand-in-hand. Creating location-specific pages for every clinic or practitioner will showcase practitioner specialties and drive authority on organic search. This data is key to push out and utilize with a trusted data hub to continuously maintain information for all locations.
Financial Services
The number of businesses that accept mobile payments from tech giants like Apple and Google is growing every day, and this is changing the day-to-day habits of users. Customers are hesitant to release their financial information on their mobile devices out of fear that a security failure could compromise their financial well being, stability and even identity. With sensitive information on the line, the greatest responsibility for a brand is to be proactive in providing value and transparency about the security of housed user information.
When searching for the closest ATM, users are likely to be searching on a mobile device. Ensure that local listing information is accurate and up-to-date for these mobile users by providing a comprehensive view of the location with a branded locator, and adding filters to results to pinpoint locations that meet their specific needs. Moreover, financial services brands will need to choose a partner who is able to securely distribute categorical location information on both branded locators and listings such as agent names, loan specialists, night deposits, on-site services and more. This information not only establishes your brand as reputable and trustworthy to consumers, but if distributed with a secure management system, can be continuously updated.
Regardless of the industry your brand is in, taking full control of owned data means working with a trusted data partner that syndicates to all secure and relevant listings and branded properties. Brandify securely houses and updates location information through its powerful Location CMS for over 500 national brands across the globe. Contact us to learn more about the options you have to keep your location data trusted, safe and secure.
Content writer @ Brandify.
