This online marketplace appears to be the top starting point for people looking for products.
When it comes to the search for information, Google still reigns supreme, but when consumers have a product in mind, the mobile shopping trends now show that Amazon is the place where they are most likely to start.
A recent study has shown that 45 percent of mobile shoppers look to Amazon first when seeking a product.
While 63 percent of mobile consumers will still use Google when they are trying to find information about a topic or a product, when the time comes that they actually want to make a purchase, their attention is turned to Amazon for that first query, 45 percent of the time. The mobile shopping trends study was conducted in the form of an analysis of tracking data with regards to the decision process of a panel made up of 2,000 mobile shoppers, online. The study was conducted by both Pymnts and Amazon, which are both companies involved in mobile payments.
They discovered some very insightful mobile shopping trends, regarding searching behaviors.
What they discovered was that when consumers want to buy something online 64 percent will begin by conducting a search at an online marketplace, while another 48 percent will begin their effort at a specific favorite merchant. Only 40 percent started a shopping experience by using a search engine.
In terms of mobile commerce, this searching trend does make a great deal of sense, as these devices are not used in the same way as laptops and desktops. Someone who is trying to find a product while using a smartphone is much more likely to be conducting a search for something specific, and may be looking for the item based on their current location, as opposed to absolutely everything that is available online.
While many laptop and desktop users conduct searches with the intention to buy online, mobile shopping trends show that many of their product queries are for products that they want to better understand but then purchase in a brick and mortar shop. They will often try to ensure that the retailer does sell the product, that it is in stock, and that they have the best price that can be found locally.
Amazon continues to work on its mobile presence
Amazon is beginning to gain momentum when it comes to mobile commerce. The company has already established a strong presence in the mobile space. As of June 2013, approximately 57% of the retailer’s user accessed Amazon with a mobile device. With the launch of Amazon’s Login and Pay service in October of 2013, the company has seen more mobile activity. Amazon is expected to find even more momentum in the mobile field as it continues to develop various mobile-centric initiatives.
Company may seek to bring a point-of-sale solution to physical retailers
As Amazon’s mobile interests continue to gain traction, the company may have plans to bring a point-of-sale solution to physical retailers during the summer of this year. This solution would leverage the Kindle device as a checkout platform. The device would be equipped with a card reader that is similar to platforms offered by PayPal and Square. This would allow consumers to make purchases in a more efficient manner than if they used traditional checkout methods. This solution would also accommodate mobile commerce.
Amazon may opt to birth its own mobile commerce platform in the future
Amazon boasts of over 224 million credit cards that are linked to consumer mobile devices that use the Amazon application. These people have been accessing Amazon to purchase products directly from their mobile devices fairly regularly and this may serve as encouragement for Amazon to develop its own mobile commerce platform. The company’s Login and Pay system is meant to make it easier for consumers with Amazon accounts to pay for products, but this service may also be a precursor to a future mobile commerce platform.
Amazon remains dubious concerning its plans for the mobile space
The company is somewhat notorious for being secretive with its future endeavors. Amazon has expressed strong interest in mobile payments, but has been elusive when it comes to the matter of how it will tackle mobile commerce in the future. Currently, a significant portion of mobile shoppers make use of Amazon on a daily basis, giving the company a strategic advantage if it does decide to break into the mobile commerce space more aggressively.
