Tag: ruelala

Retail startups set sights on mobile commerce

| November 28, 2013

Mobile commerce reaches fever pitch during holiday season

The holiday season is settling in and mobile startups may stand to see major success this year as they engage mobile consumers in a new way. Keynote Systems, a developer of measurement products for mobile communications, has released a new study highlighting mobile startups. The study, called “Keynote Startup Shootout Index,” sheds some light on numerous startup retail organizations and how well they are accommodating the needs of mobile consumers. Given the growing importance of mobile commerce, ensuring that mobile users have a favorable experience through a retail platform is becoming a more important issue.

Retail startups putting focus on site performance

According to the study, retailer RueLaLa boasts of the best mobile performance than its competitors. The retailer offers fast load times for those accessing its website from smartphones and tablets. While the retailer’s website may not be ideal in terms of speed, as it receives an average of 38 new requests as the website loads, it does enable mobile consumers to access information on products more quickly than its competitors. This makes it relatively easier for consumers to purchase products online.

Loading times can greatly affect mobile commerce

Retailers focus on mobile commerceLoading times have a significant impact on mobile commerce. The longer it takes to load a website, the less likely it is for a consumer to enjoy their shopping experience. Long loading times can lead to frustration that can derail any mobile commerce initiative. Loading times for mobile websites tends to become significantly problematic during the holiday season as the more people that access a website tend to put significant strain on the site’s servers. If consumers cannot access a retail site, they cannot actually purchase any products.

Success of mobile commerce provides encouragement to retail startups

Mobile commerce has inspired a new generation of retailers to enter into the field. Retail startups have placed a strong focus on the mobile sector. This is partly due to the success that many retailers saw during the 2011 and 2012 holiday season through their focus on mobile commerce. In order for retail startups to find this same degree of success, they must ensure that people can access their websites quickly and that these sites offer an enjoyable experience.

E-commerce may find innovation in Boston

| January 27, 2013

E-commerce BostonE-commerce advances may be born in Boston this year

E-commerce and mobile commerce entered the new year with a great deal of momentum, much of which was garnered during the 2012 holidays, when consumers took to their mobile devices to make purchases online and through their smart phones and tablets. A new year means more possibilities for e-commerce, which may see significant advances coming out of Boston, Massachusetts. There are numerous companies based in Boston that are developing very innovative approaches to e-commerce that could have a significant impact on the future of mobile commerce.

Companies see promising results in 2012

Many of the companies showing such extreme interest in e-commerce experienced the full potential of this channel during the 2012 holiday season. Boston-based retailer RueLaLa claims that more than 40% of its sales came from mobile devices connecting to its website. Backed by such promising results, many of these companies are looking to establish a stronger presence in the e-commerce world, and some have taken the route of developing new payment systems and technologies to accomplish this task.

Large organizations are moving to develop better e-commerce services

Large companies in Boston have begun making acquisitions of their smaller counterparts in an effort to promote growth and produce better online selling systems. IBM’s Smarter Commerce, an initiative designed to provide market insight in a variety of industries, is currently developing new software that is expected to transform the way companies sell products online. Technology giant Oracle is also making several acquisitions in Boston, including the company’s purchase of ATG and Endeca. These companies are involved in e-commerce technology.

Companies expected to see better results this year than they did in 2012

E-commerce seems to be growing at a rapid place among Boston retailers, with several companies putting more serious focus on how to engage consumers online. This trend is expected to continue gaining momentum until it reaches a peak during the 2013 holidays. Last year, retailers caught a first, extremely promising glimpse of the prospects of mobile commerce. This year, they are likely to be looking to expand on the results they saw during the 2012 holidays.