K&N Engineering recently won gold for its mobile catalog application in the National Catalog Managers Association President's Award for Catalog Excellence.
What's been the response to the mobile app so far?
Mobile traffic represents about 40 percent of all K&N online traffic. We find that K&N mobile sites have better user engagement. People on these sites are more likely to complete a product search or a local K&N dealer search. K&N consumers are generally very satisfied with the experience.
How did you market the new app?
We chose to implement a modern device-aware and responsive design approach. The K&N site detects the mobile device being used and optimizes the information and presentation to match the device. This makes the mobile search and catalog applications available to anyone who visits knfilters.com or our other brand sites. We marketed the sites through search engines and various other online marketing channels.
Why do you think it's important to have a mobile app?
K&N consumers want to do product research when it is convenient for them, and this often means using smartphones or tablets. A conventional website does not translate adequately to a phone.
What do you see as the biggest technology challenge your company faces?
Distributors, retailers and consumers all want more accurate information more quickly. Consumers now expect to know exactly when they can receive a product. When a K&N retailer has the product on the shelf, the answer is fairly easy. When they need to source it from a distributor that has other customers also competing for the same inventory, it gets harder. When K&N needs to manufacture the part from a variety of components and materials, it is harder. K&N can often manufacture a part a few hours after we receive an order, but promising that we can do that consistently and quickly every time is difficult. Inventory provides a cushion most of the time, and we consistently ship with fill rates around 98 percent in one day. Unfortunately, consumers now expect to know when out-of-stock items will be in stock, and thus our retailers want to be able to answer that question. This is a challenge that stretches from the consumer, through retailer and distributor, through the K&N factory, to our raw material suppliers. It is a challenge we are working to address better.
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