Tag: retail mobile commerce

Mobile commerce sites slow to a crawl during holiday shopping

| December 3, 2012

 

Mobile Commerce Slow Mobile Shopping SitesMobile commerce may be a problem for site traffic

Mobile commerce had a strong showing over the Thanksgiving holiday shopping weekend. Mobile sales this year set a new standard for much of the retail industry and proved how powerful mobile commerce can really be. Retailers are expected to show more enthusiasm in mobile commerce due to the gains they saw during the holiday shopping weekend, but they may also have to fine tune their mobile shopping initiatives to account for higher levels of traffic.

Keynote shows average load time exceeds 18 seconds

Though a vast multitude of consumers took to their mobile devices to shop for the products they wanted, many saw mobile commerce platforms slow to a crawl. Keynote, a site monitoring and testing companies, notes that many e-commerce and mobile platforms experiences a dramatic slow down over the holiday shopping weekend. This slow down was especially pronounced on Cyber Monday, with consumers flocked to retail sites to buy products. According to Keynote, the average load time for a mobile retail site on Cyber Monday reached 18 seconds — twice as slow as normal load times.

Consumers not apt to wait during holiday shopping

While 18 seconds may not seem like a significant amount of time, many consumers correlate slow load times with poor service. Though retailers have been investing heavily in mobile commerce, much of the effort these companies have been putting into the sector revolves around engaging consumers. As such, relatively few retailers were prepared for the massive amount of traffic they would experience on their mobile sites. Retailers may have to rethink  their approach to mobile commerce if they want to continue engaging mobile consumers.

Retailers may need to take new approach to their mobile sites

Mobile commerce is growing quickly, putting major strain on mobile websites that are designed to serve consumers. Keynote suggests that there may be a simple solution. Retailers must develop better mobile websites and adopt more rigorous testing procedures to ensure that their sites can handle high levels of traffic. Without adequate testing, a slow-loading website could be enough to have consumers looking elsewhere for service.

BI Intelligence report shows retailers getting aggressive with mobile consumers

| November 22, 2012

 

mobile consumers reportBI Intelligence releases new report concerning retail industry and mobile consumers

As consumers become more reliant on their mobile devices, retailers are looking for new ways to engage these people. Mobile commerce is quickly becoming one of the most popular ways to engage mobile consumers, largely because of the interest these consumers have for making purchases through their mobile device. A recent report from BI Intelligence, a research group associated with Business Insider, examines the ways retailers are working to engage mobile consumers through commerce and other initiatives.

Retailers looking for new ways to engage consumers

The advent of mobile technology has lead to a shift in the way consumers shop and pay for products. For instance, a practice known as “showrooming” allows consumers to use their smart phones to find products they are interested in while avoiding mark-ups from retailers. Typically, consumers can find better deals throughout online e-commerce platforms than from traditional retail stores, which presents a particularly problem for retailers still working to attract consumers to physical stores.

Mobile commerce growing in US and Europe

According to the BI Intelligence report, 29% of all U.S. mobile consumers already use their mobile device to participate in mobile commerce. This trend is expected to continue and spread to Europe through 2015, creating a promising opportunity for retailers to engage a wide audience. The report also notes that location targeting and mobile marketing efforts are becoming ideal ways for retailers to engage consumers in a way they are becoming increasingly responsive to.

Gamification quickly becoming a powerful tool for retailers

Gamification is a relatively new trend that is emerging in the retail industry, according to the BI Intelligence report. This is the practice of introducing game elements into shopping, marketing, and other fields of retail. Through gamification, retailers can make mundane tasks seem more exciting by providing consumers with rewards for completing these tasks. BI Intelligence suggests that gamification may be an effective way to ensure the loyalty of mobile consumers.