Today’s consumers expect what they want, when they want it, how and where they want it. Inevitably, this desire for convenience will infiltrate everything – including the places we visit. As a result, here at PAM, we are now even looking at wayfinding through the lens of convenience. Because after all: is there anything less convenient than getting lost?

When the war on COVID-19 is won and the economy gradually recovers, businesses’ success or failure will be largely driven by consumers looking to resume their lives, but with less challenge, less friction, and more convenience.

The companies that weather the COVID-19 storm best will be those that meet people’s demand for convenience. These companies are already set up to provide services with the click of a button. They utilize technology to make our lives easier, so we have more time for the things we really care about.

The Convenience Economy has been around since companies like Uber, Deliveroo and Instacart first began to prioritise ease, convenience, speed and consistency as core pillars of their offer. People now expect convenience everywhere, at every touchpoint, in every environment – and this trend looks set to continue post-COVID.

The inconvenience of getting lost

Now that convenience is a baseline expectation, think about the inconvenience of getting lost. When you’re racing someplace important – for a job interview, an international flight, an exam, a meeting – and you get lost along the way, it can throw off your entire day.

Now think about your workplace, campus or precinct through the lens of convenience. Will prospective employees advocate for your brand if they can’t find their way around your campus? If visitors get lost and miss the start of a game or show, will they recommend your events or venues to others? If poor signage leads to soulless, disconnected retail experiences, will people shop elsewhere next time?

Any time a visitor to your venue or precinct thinks “I’m lost”, they’ve hit friction. According to PwC, one in three consumers will walk away from a brand they love after just one bad experience.

This means you need to think about how people navigate your venues.  Are they getting the information they need? Where are they getting lost? Do they need to download multiple apps when one might do? What kind of friction is your environment creating for visitors?

How smart navigation can amp up convenience

At PAM, we are now working with precincts around the world to help them remove friction and optimise convenience at every opportunity. We do this by seamlessly connecting visitors with environments through smart navigation. From the moment someone decides to come to your building, we provide a personalized journey to get them there right from the first click. When they arrive, smarter wayfinding will reinvent how they interact with your space so people and places are completely in sync.

We believe smart navigation could play a vital role in your organisation’s ability to amp up the convenience factor. If you connect the data in your environment to your operations by deploying digital wayfinding, you can make every customer experience pleasurable, productive, profitable – and convenient.

There’s no excuse for friction when affordable smart navigation tools are readily available. Convenience needs to be the common thread that weaves your organisation together – and this includes your wayfinding strategy.