Tag: amazon mobile commerce

Mobile commerce revolutionizing retail

| February 8, 2013

mobile commerce retailMobile commerce begins to reshape the retail industry

When mobile commerce first began showing promise in the mid 2000’s, retailers were very leery of the concept and all but shunned its existence. Much of the retail industry has been slow to warm to the notion of mobile commerce, only paying it serious attention as recently as 2010. Now, however, it has become a difficult task to find a retailer that does not support mobile commerce in some way, and this once shunned phenomenon is beginning to revolutionize the entire industry.

conScore sees major potential in smart phones

There are a vast multitude of market research studies that show that mobile technology has come to play a dominant role in the lives of consumers, especially where shopping is involved. According to comScore, a leading market research firm, smart phones are becoming the medium of choice when it comes to mobile technology, with such devices account for 63% of all mobile devices owned by consumers. These consumers are becoming increasingly interested in using their smart phones to purchase products.

Amazon establishes leadership in mobile commerce due to early adoption

Companies that adopted a strong focus on the mobile space early on have become very powerful in the realm of mobile commerce today. Amazon, for instance, is currently one of the leading powers in the mobile commerce and e-commerce worlds. Amazon’s site registers more than 5 million unique visits every day, the majority of which are also tied to purchases made from a mobile device. comScore notes that mobile search has also come to play a major role in the evolution of the retail industry and its reach to consumers, especially as more people use their mobile devices to browse the Internet.

Mobile devices represent promising opportunities for retailers

According to comScore, an average of 5.7 million smart phone users made online purchases between May and July of 2012. Approximately 13% of these consumers made purchases greater than $250, while the major spent well more than $40 on products they were interested in. eBay is another company that has seen the evolution of the retail industry through mobile commerce, claiming that mobile devices are the equivalent to consumers carrying an entire department store with them wherever they go. According to eBay, these consumers check their mobile devices approximately 40 times a day, giving retailers 40 unique opportunities to engage these consumers on a daily basis.

Amazon expands micro-transactions service

| January 25, 2013

Amazon mobile gamingAmazon expanding digital services for the game industry

Internet retail behemoth Amazon has begun expanding its digital services into the game industry, with a particular focus on mobile gaming. The Amazon Digital Games Store has become a very promising marketplace for such games, giving developers yet another avenue through which to find success in an increasingly crowded market. Amazon has announced the activation of micro-transactions through in-app purchases for the games that are part of the company’s digital store.

In-app micro-transactions will receive more support from Amazon

Mobile game developers often rely on micro-transactions to generate some kind of profit with their titles. Most mobile games are either available for free or for a very small price, making their ability to generate revenue through initial purchase very limited. In-app micro-transactions are seen as the best way for these games to find commercial success, as the majority of these transactions are very inexpensive, thus making them more attractive to gamers.

Company expands services to PC, Mac, and web-based games

The Amazon Digital Games Store has had the ability to facilitate in-app micro-transactions for some time, but Amazon has been disinclined to fully support the service across all gaming platforms. The service has typically been reserved for mobile games for the iOS and Android platforms, but Amazon has begun expanding its availability to PC, Mac, and even web-based games. Amazon expects that expanding its service to these platforms will help game developers build their businesses and reach new audiences.

Developers relying heavily on micro-transactions

Game developers often create games for a wide variety of platforms in order to engage the largest number of people possible. This can be a costly endeavor because of the fundamental differences that exist from platform to platform. Micro-transactions therefore take on a greater importance for developers, as they not only represent a way for a studio to generate profit, but also recover from the costs associated with game development.