Tag: technology

Mobile commerce is still in a stage of infancy, but it is growing up fast. This growth is being fed by the growing number of people that are allowing mobile devices to play a major role in their daily lives. These devices offer more convenience and help people bypass some of the things that they consider to be annoying, such as long lines at grocery stores or getting lost during long road trips. As in any sector, trends are emerging within the mobile commerce world that are guiding its continued development.

Optimized Omni-Channel Experiences

People have come to have high expectations when it comes to how they interact with businesses and mobile technology is to blame. Smartphones and tablets have allowed people to experience the world in a new way and this experience is happening at break-neck speeds. People want seamless interaction with the businesses they support, and this means that a company’s ability to optimize this experience across all channels is becoming vital to its continued existence.

Having a website is no longer enough to stay in touch with consumers. These websites have to be optimized for mobile devices, too. A lackluster presence in social media is also a sure way to drive people away, especially those in the mobile crowd. Younger demographics want to receive messages directly to their mobile devices, but these messages cannot be so plentiful that they become an annoyance.

Finding a balance in mobile engagement is key, and that balance must exist through every channel that a business relies on. A growing number of businesses are beginning to take this seriously. They are working on optimizing the experiences they provide to mobile consumers, thereby making themselves more prominent in the mobile world.

In-Store Mobile Devices

Technology has long been a part of the retail sector, but companies are beginning to see the need for the mobile variety. Companies like Apple and Nordstrom have adopted mobile point-of-sale systems  that are designed to allow people to pay for products using nothing more than their smartphones. These systems are becoming more plentiful throughout the retail industry. As they do, people are becoming more eager to participate in mobile commerce.

Mobile App Conversion

Small businesses are particularly interested in the mobile commerce space. Though the mobile world is somewhat crowded by their larger counterparts, small businesses are able to engage a wider demographic by establishing a significant mobile presence. These businesses are offering mobile apps  that allow people to find them more easily and, in some cases, purchase products online.

A year ago, many of these apps did not support in-app links, making them somewhat static and unintuitive. Small businesses have been looking for ways to monetize these apps and have found that allowing the apps themselves to support links, advertisements, and other engagement features has helped consumers spend more money through these apps. This trend is gaining steam throughout several business sectors.

The trends that have emerged in the mobile space are having a major impact on people’s participation in mobile commerce. These trends appear to involve the optimization of the mobile experience. A poor mobile experience leads people away from mobile commerce, while a good experience encourages them to return to mobile commerce again and again. Optimization is ensuring that the mobile space thrives.

Wearable devices could be having a problem with their image

Wearable technology has been growing in popularity, but not always because of good reasons. Wearable devices are gaining attention throughout the world because they are being marketed as somewhat revolutionary. Some of these devices can, quite literally, change the way you see the world, while others simply offer you a better way to keep track of your health and other basic information. Some devices are being lauded as tools that could change the way society, as a whole, interacts with itself. The issue, however, is that none of these devices have yet become successful.

What is going on behind the scenes in the technology world may determine the future of wearable devices and their image with the public. Recently, Nike laid off many of the members of its FuelBand team. The FuelBand is a sort of smart wristband that is meant to track physical activity. Nike claims that it will continue providing support for the device, but rumors concerning the FuelBand’s imminent demise have already begun to circulate. While Nike may, indeed, have plans to continue supporting the device, the image that the FuelBand has created for itself may end up affecting its future.

Consumers may be somewhat disinterested in wearable devices

Similar things are happening to other wearable devices as well. The majority of these devices may end up be affected by rumors much more than the FuelBand, however, as most of these devices have not yet been released. Products like augmented reality glasses are often presented as devices that can change how people see the world, but these devices have also been shrouded in controversy. Google’s forthcoming Glass platform, for instance, has run afoul of many lawmakers in some parts of the United States. These legislators suggest that the device will be distracting for drivers and could lead to serious privacy issues. Beyond that, Google had earned some notoriety in the past for constantly changing the features of the Glass platform, initially noting that it would including augmented reality technology, then claiming that it would not support the technology.

One of the most significant challenges facing wearable technology has to do with the apparent lack of interest that consumers have for these devices. While wearable devices have become very popular among tech-savvy individuals, most people have not yet been convinced that these devices are interesting in any way. Marketing that has focused on the vague, innovative aspects of these devices has yet to thrill the majority of people that already have smartphones or tablets.