With customers increasingly using smartphones and other mobile devices to conduct transactions, most business leaders now agree that mobile devices are necessary as part of their business strategy. The mobile sector continues to grow strongly. And our recent research shows that mobile leaders significantly outperform their competitors.
So if you’re a startup in a crowded market, make sure you have the ‘M’ factor, a best-in-class mobile strategy. Because this is essential to success.
A recent analysis of consumer shopping trends shows that the top quartile of U.S. retailers conduct nearly 40 percent of their e-commerce transactions on mobile devices, compared to just 27 percent of retailers overall. It turns out that it’s a percentage. In contrast, for the bottom quartile of retailers, only 5-10% of transactions occur via mobile devices. Start-ups and industry challengers should note that focusing on outreach strategies to mobile customers could help new entrants gain market share.
But, of course, that can be difficult, especially for startups. Here are his four key strategies for leveraging mobile in 2015.
1. Update your mobile website for best functionality
Most businesses have already optimized their websites for mobile devices and are aware that the space on a mobile phone is much smaller than on a desktop computer screen. Website optimization should be more than just prettier fonts or smaller graphics. Startups need to spend extra time making sure their mobile sites can process transactions efficiently.
To achieve this goal, you need to ensure that the billing process works properly and that users can easily log into his website using their smartphones, etc. It may be tempting to focus on the company’s entire website and provide a scaled-down version for mobile devices. But for a mobile website to be truly e-commerce friendly, startups need to go the extra mile to solve the problem.
2. Optimize for more than just iPhone
Android continues to gain market share: Strategy Analytics recently determined that the operating system’s share of the global market is 84 percent. From an e-commerce perspective, the iPhone remains the preferred way to purchase goods and services, but it’s no wonder Android is catching up. According to a study by Criteo, Android smartphones currently account for more than 5% of all transactions, while iOS accounts for 8%. As Android smartphones continue to gain market share, it’s important for startups to optimize their websites for Android.
3. Use email marketing and other tools for a true omnichannel outreach strategy
Since most customers use numerous devices to interact with a single website during their shopping trip, experts have been discussing cross-device behavior for a while. Because of this, it’s critical to think of alternative methods of reaching customers during a sale, whether those methods take the form of email reminders or exclusive offers on the mobile website.
4. Plan your offers according to the type of device you are using
The purchasing behaviors of digital consumers are now well-documented. Purchases on tablets are most likely to occur between 3 and 5 p.m., according to Criteo data, but purchases on smartphones are most likely to occur between 8 and 10 a.m. Unsurprisingly, the highest times for desktop purchases occur between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. on workdays. Offers should be made when consumers are most likely to take advantage of them, according to marketers.
So keep your campaign emails short and sweet in the morning, when people are likely to be scanning their inboxes on their commute. If you’re targeting users using mobile devices, make sure your emails point to your user-friendly mobile site.
At the end of the day, what’s meaningful to the consumer is determined by what you’re selling. But because people use a variety of devices every day, the companies that accompany them on this journey end their sales at the end of the day.
Mobile strategy will continue to be a business imperative, and its importance will only increase in 2015. Top retailers know this, which is why they focus on mobile websites. But challengers can also benefit from this mobility shift. All you need to do is pay attention to the most important aspects of mobile commerce.
