How to Fully Digitize with LINE (Basics): Innovating Customer Experience with Mini Apps and Staff Service
Developing a proprietary app requires significant cost and time, and maintaining user retention rates is often a challenge. However, by leveraging LINE's extended features, you can replicate membership cards, reservation systems, and in-store customer service experiences directly on LINE, significantly reducing development costs. This article explains how to digitize services using LINE Mini Apps and how to move customer service online using LINE STAFF START, along with practical application methods. This is a must-read for those looking to expand the potential of their LINE Official Account.
1. Background on the Demand for Digitization via LINE
As corporate digitization accelerates, moving customer touchpoints online has become an unavoidable challenge.
While many companies consider developing their own apps, initial investments typically range from millions to tens of millions of yen, and development periods often take several months to over a year.
Even more serious is the problem where users do not download the app after all that development, or they use it only once and never return.
With over 99 million monthly active users in Japan, LINE allows you to provide services on a platform that users already use daily, thereby solving these issues.
By utilizing not only the basic functions of a LINE Official Account but also its extended features, a wide range of digitization is possible, from reservation systems and membership cards to individual customer service by store staff.
2. Digitizing Services with LINE Mini Apps
LINE Mini Apps are a web application platform that runs on LINE.
You can provide various services that improve user experience within LINE, such as membership cards, queue management systems, table ordering, and reservation systems.
Unlike developing a proprietary app from scratch, LINE Mini Apps offer 'packages' provided by development companies, which can significantly reduce development time and costs.
The technical hurdles are also low, and you can proceed with implementation with the support of partner companies without needing specialized programming knowledge.
Additionally, since LINE Mini Apps can be linked with LINE Official Accounts, it is possible to have users add you as a friend at the same time they use the Mini App.
This allows you to continuously deliver information through message distribution even after the service is used, leading to repeat usage and purchases.
3. Three Benefits of LINE Mini Apps
There are three major benefits to LINE Mini Apps.
Reduction in Development Costs and Time
While proprietary app development requires large investments and long development periods, LINE Mini Apps can significantly compress these by utilizing packaged solutions.
By utilizing templates and tools provided by development partner companies, implementation can be achieved in as little as a few weeks to a few months.
Low Barriers to User Adoption
Since services can be provided on LINE, which many users use daily, there is no hassle of downloading new apps or registering as a member.
The convenience of being able to use the service immediately if LINE is installed directly leads to higher service usage and retention rates.
For users, they can use the service on the familiar LINE interface, so they are less likely to be confused by operations and can use it without stress.
Improved Marketing Effectiveness through Data Utilization
Information registered by users on LINE Mini Apps, as well as behavioral history such as reservations, orders, and membership card presentations, can be acquired as data linked to the user's LINE account.
Since this data can be utilized for LINE Official Account message distribution and LINE Ads, more precise targeting and personalized communication can be realized.
4. Main Services That Can Be Provided via LINE Mini Apps
LINE Mini Apps can provide various services according to the industry and business type.
Digital Membership Cards
As a representative example, this function comes first.
By digitizing traditional paper or plastic membership cards, users no longer need to carry them around, and companies can reduce the cost of issuing them.
If you build a system that displays a barcode or QR code to be scanned at the store, you can smoothly provide points and member benefits.
Reservation Systems
Used in hair salons, restaurants, and medical institutions, users can check availability and make reservations on LINE, and receive reminder notifications as the reservation date and time approach.
Since reservation changes and cancellations are also completed on LINE, it reduces phone inquiries and leads to improved operational efficiency.
Queue Management Systems
This is a popular feature. When a numbered ticket is issued at the store, the current waiting status can be checked in real-time on the LINE Mini App, and a notification is sent to LINE when the turn is approaching.
Users do not need to wait inside the store and can spend their time in the vicinity, which leads to improved customer satisfaction.
Table Ordering
This is a system that allows customers at restaurants to order from LINE while remaining seated.
Since users can take their time choosing while looking at the menu, it is highly convenient for them, and it also reduces the burden on store staff.
These services can be introduced individually, or multiple services can be combined to provide a more comprehensive customer experience.
5. Digitalizing Customer Service with LINE STAFF START
If you want to replicate in-store face-to-face service online, LINE STAFF START is effective.
This is a service that combines the LINE Official Account provided by LY Corporation with "STAFF START" provided by Vanish Standard Co., Ltd.
The biggest feature is that LINE Official Accounts can be issued for individual staff members working at the store, rather than by brand or store unit.
Staff can send product information, outfit proposals, and campaign information from their own dedicated accounts, and can also communicate with users via chat.
Since product information and outfits registered in STAFF START can be easily called up and sent via messages or chat, efficient customer service is possible.
In addition, not only can the number of customers attracted and sales via LINE STAFF START be checked for each individual staff member, but a sales ranking of all participating staff is also displayed.
Visualizing the individual contribution of staff leads to increased motivation and improved customer service skills.
In industries such as apparel and cosmetics, where the quality of customer service significantly affects purchasing, this is a solution that can replicate the in-store service experience in a digital space and provide a customer experience that fuses online and offline.
6. Specific Ways to Utilize LINE STAFF START
LINE STAFF START provides a mechanism that allows store staff to demonstrate their expertise and customer service skills online as well.
Apparel Stores
Staff can send out proposals for wearing new products and outfit examples from their own accounts.
By guiding customers who have been served in the store by saying, "If you'd like, please add us as a friend on LINE, and we will send you information on new products and recommended outfits," you can build a continuous relationship even after they visit the store.
If a user asks for advice via chat, such as "I want you to tell me an outfit for an upcoming event," the staff can search for the corresponding products from the product database and propose them with images.
At this time, if you also send a link to the online store, it is possible to lead them directly to a purchase.
Cosmetics Industry
Usage scenarios include beauty advisors sending out seasonal skincare methods and makeup tips, or proposing products individually tailored to the customer's skin type and concerns.
By visualizing individual staff sales, a system is created where staff with high customer service skills are evaluated, which also leads to improved service quality for the entire organization.
Furthermore, if it is a company with multiple stores, organizational skill improvement can be realized by sharing success stories among staff and analyzing the content sent by top-selling staff to deploy best practices.
LINE STAFF START can be positioned not just as a tool, but as a strategic measure to digitalize human assets known as customer service and enhance corporate competitiveness.
7. Summary
By utilizing LINE Mini Apps and LINE STAFF START, you can realize the digitalization of reservation systems, membership cards, and customer service while avoiding the high costs and long development periods associated with developing your own company app.
Since services can be provided on LINE, which users use daily, the barrier to entry is low, and an increase in the continuous usage rate can be expected.
Furthermore, by linking with a LINE Official Account, continuous communication is possible even after using the service, which can increase the customer's lifetime value.
If the acquired data is utilized for marketing measures, it is possible to provide a more personalized customer experience.
LINE's extended functions evolve LINE Official Accounts from mere message delivery tools into a platform that comprehensively supports corporate digitalization.
In the next article, we will explain advanced communication functions linked with external systems.
Thank you for reading to the end this time as well.
■ Leave it to Fourglobe for consultations on introducing LINE Mini Apps!
Fourglobe is a certified partner in a total of three categories: the LINE Technology Partner Mini App division (outsourced development division), the communication division, and the LINE Sales Partner. We have a wealth of experience in supporting digital marketing for many years and possess particularly advanced knowledge and know-how for the introduction of LINE marketing. Please feel free to consult us regarding improvement proposals for marketing measures, as well as the introduction of tools such as advertisements and LINE Mini Apps that are tailored to your business!
