In the last few years, online shopping has secured consumer buying power with the help of mobile devices. According to an IBM report, mobile traffic accounted for 45 percent of all online traffic for the 2014 holiday season.
We’re witnessing the next frontier of mobile e-commerce.
Smartphone penetration is contributing to the growth of the industry. People with smartphones represent 25% of the global population. As these devices become more accessible, we are likely to see Ecommerce mobile apps expand tremendously. By leveraging smartphones, companies can engage their customers with a better shopping experience.
If you’re an owner of an online store, it’s imperative that you not only possess a well-designed mobile website, but also an app to provide customers with more shopping perks. For example, Zappsos gives its mobile app customers free next business day shipping on all their orders.
Unoptimized and unresponsive online stores drive mobile customers away. Failing to offer a mobile-friendly experience may result in your business losing out on some serious revenue.
Here’s how your company can benefit.
Customers Like Ecommerce Mobile App
Mobile ecommerce is growing steadily. Data from Forrester Research shows that mobile will account for 9% of ecommerce sales by 2017. Furthermore, Adobe suggests that consumers will most likely purchase via mobile apps.
Ecommerce Mobile apps create an exciting market opportunity for online businesses. Your team can now build another seamless shopping experience that will personally engage customers.
Instead of sending daily, intrusive emails that sometimes prompt consumers to unsubscribe, apps give businesses the option to send instant push notifications. The key is to keep notifications relevant by delivering information about new products and discounts, which can improve customer engagement.
E-commerce apps will continue to grow as technology evolves. Retailers will be charged with the responsibility of making the purchasing process better and easier for all parties involved.
Cutting-edge tech like Apple Pay makes it effortless for iPhone users to make payments by simply holding the phone near the contactless reader with a finger on Touch ID. No more wasting time in the checkout line.
Customers enjoy mobile ecommerce. In order to capitalize on this venture, embrace a mobile strategy that facilitates an improved consumer experience. Maintain and increase your market share by satisfying your customers’ desires and monitoring the efforts of your competitors.
Gain Customer Loyalty With Mobile Apps
Creating brand loyalists can be an uphill battle, even with creative marketing strategies. Mobile apps present a new way of fostering brand loyalty within customers.
Start by building trust with your buyers. Demonstrate gratitude with special offers during holidays and occasions, like birthdays. Provide great customer service that doesn’t involve a pushy salesperson.
User-friendly mobile apps help drive customer participation. Plus, your team can collect relevant data about your loyalty members.
SoLoMo (social, local and mobile) is the union of collaborative, location-based and on-the-go technologies. With these applications, your business can push notifications to customers who are nearby. Example SoLoMo apps include Yelp and AroundMe.
These same mechanisms are now incorporated into search engine queries. Based on research by comScore, 78 percent of mobile searches result in a purchase. Shoppers feel that it is easier to search for products via mobile applications‐creating a new revenue stream for companies.
Differentiate your business by building associated services into your app. For instance, Old Navy lets customers create wishlists. Old Navy consumers also can snap a photo of the brand’s logo from printed ads to gain access to additional coupons.
Another example is Capital One’s mobile app, which includes a free credit monitoring tool. Cardholders are given access to their credit scores. The banking app also lets consumers redeem their rewards for an account credit or cool merchandise.
Create An Attractive Mobile User Interface
A great user interface is important in the development of your mobile app. More functionalities in a mobile app don’t always equal success. Attractive user interfaces tend to keep customers from uninstalling. Experts say a poor user interface will not be opened more than five times.
For mobile ecommerce apps, showing products and prices won’t be enough. Companies need to build an easy-to-use navigational interface for customers to view product videos, compare similar products, and read consumer reviews.
Streamline the mobile shopping experience for your customer. Make it painless for the person to order gifts for a bridal shower, purchase school clothes for their children, or receive cleaning services for their home.
Here’s an example of eBay’s mobile app interface:
The payment system is one hurdle in mobile app development. Most mobile app users are skeptical about the buying process. Some refuse to enter their credit card information into their mobile devices.
However, services like PayPal and Amazon Payments help to dwindle the suspicion in the payment process. In the end, make customers feel comfortable with your mobile payment system.
Mobile Apps Help In-Store Sales
For revenue generation, marketing teams see Ecommerce mobile apps as a way to drive in-store sales. Starbucks noted that about 15% of purchases in its U.S. stores were made via mobile app in October 2014. Mobile apps promote a better in-store experience by integrating various channels into a smooth customer buying journey.
Developing a digital index into your physical store can improve the customer experience, while increasing sales for your business. For example, in-store customers with an app-based QR can learn additional details about products. You could even direct buyers to comparable items.
Moreover, mobile apps can trigger unplanned purchases. Using customer data from previous purchases, apps can track shopping behaviors and let retailers make targeted suggestions. Shoppers are highly receptive to coupon offers for unplanned items.
Be Bold. Go Mobile
Keep in constant touch with your customers with a mobile ecommerce app. Boost purchases by offering consumers weekly deals and an opportunity to share product reviews with fellow buyers.
Smart businesses understand the complexities of mobile ecommerce. Use Ecommerce mobile apps to engage and retain your customer base.
