Some companies and techniques are working to expand the use of shopping over this channel.
Mobile commerce is taking off very rapidly but, at the same time, the number of consumers who are using the channel are exceptionally low compared to the number who shop in person or who buy over the internet on their laptops and desktops.
There are a number of reasons that people have hesitated to turn to their smartphones to buy.
People frequently hold back from shopping via smartphone and tablet because mobile commerce often comes with slow internet speeds, improperly optimized websites, long page load times, and concerns over the security of payments. Despite the fact that online shopping no matter where the consumer may be provides a tremendous opportunity for convenience, variety, and price comparisons but even the best apps and websites often lead individuals to learn about a product and then purchase it on a desktop or in a brick and mortar store instead of buying over that channel.
However, many mobile commerce using companies are working to boost the numbers.
The latest sales data from Capgemini and IMRG have shown that from the second quarter of last year to the same quarter this year, there was an increase in mobile commerce sales from 11.6 percent of online purchases to 23 percent.
There are many reasons that consumers are still hesitating to buy over mobile commerce. They include the following:
• Reduced internet performance that doesn’t meet the expectations of consumers.
• Heavy page weight that leads to increased load times.
• Redirection issues
• Security concerns
A mobile commerce survey in which 728 people participated showed that among all of the various tasks that people complete using their smartphones or tablets, “reserve and collect” services, and “shopping online” were still lower than many companies would hope. Among those respondents, only 9 percent shopped online and 27 percent used reserve and collect services (where an item is ordered to be put aside in a store and the customer picks it up in person). This suggests to many that a “click to collect” service may be more appealing to consumers than actually completing the order to be shipped online by way of a small screen device.
Recent research has investigated the way that the retail landscape is changing because of smartphones and tablets.
The latest results of a market research study from uSamp and iModerate have just been released and have produced some insight regarding the role that mobile commerce is playing within the current shopping ecosystem.
These findings have specifically focused on the motivations and barriers faced by consumers.
The study concentrated on the main drivers and struggles that consumers were facing in terms of mobile commerce in addition to providing some insight as to their shopping behaviors such as what they are buying, where they are making their purchases, and which devices they prefer.
The study was a form of mobile commerce hybrid market research exercise to allow businesses to optimize their strategies.
The research was a part of the Marketplace Insights series that has been produced by premier technology provider, uSamp, and leading qualitative research firm, iModerate. The respondents to the survey helped to provide greater insight into the impact that mobile commerce is having on the overall shopping environment.
The study indicated that even though mobile commerce is growing in popularity, it is still facing certain considerable barriers. Among them are functionality and security. At the same time, though, the consumers who have embraced shopping over their smartphones and tablets, they did have a limit to the amount that they were willing to spend over those devices. The research suggested that the average number of dollars those individuals are spending is $491.
The survey results indicated that people purchase different items over mobile commerce depending on the device that they are using to shop. Among the primary categories were movies, music and games (64 percent of smartphone users have purchased from this category), and books (60 percent of tablet users have purchased from this category). Another category of note was groceries, where 26 percent of smartphone users had made a purchase.
According to the report on the study, the findings regarding mobile commerce purchasing behaviors align very well with the way that a certain product translates through the use of a specific type of device.
