Tag: instore mobile commerce

Reaching consumers once they’ve walked into your shop.

If you’re expecting your mobile commerce strategy to simply be a version of your e-commerce efforts, only suited to a smaller screen, then you will be missing the majority of the opportunities that are available to you through this channel.

The smaller screen is just the jumping off point, since it makes sure that your content is accessible.

In the United States – which isn’t even the mobile commerce world leader – there is double digit growth being seen in this sphere. It has been predicted that by 2015, the marketplace will be worth almost $300 billion. So it is important for retailers and merchants of all kind to make sure that they are making proper use of this channel, and aren’t missing out on tremendous opportunities.

The key to m-commerce is the fact that it is (obviously) mobile. Instead of reaching consumers while they are sitting at home or at work, retailers can connect with them no matter where they are or when it is. This includes when consumers are actually within the physical store locations. Why is this important? Most retailers would think that once they’ve drawn the consumers into their stores, then their marketing has worked. Job done.

However, if you stop there, then you’ve stopped showing your customers why they should choose you over the competition.

Why does that matter when they’re already in your store? Because a consumer with a smartphone can wander into your shop, look over a product, and then use the mobile device to comparison shop with other merchants, you need to take actions to make your offers more attractive than what can be found online.

In-store mobile commerce has, therefore, become a vital part of an overall marketing strategy. What it means is that advertising and promoting over the mobile channel doesn’t necessarily need to be done with the online shopper in mind. Instead, it fuses brick and mortar retail with the virtual world, so that technology can help to make sure the shopper in the store actually makes a purchase.

There are a full range of techniques already being used for in store mobile marketing, ranging from location based offers that send discounts, coupons, and other promotions to consumers that have entered the shop, to the use of QR codes, simplified mobile payment transactions, self checkouts, and other features for savings and convenience.

Retailers pressured to adopt mobile commerce to engage consumers

Consumers around the world are becoming more mobile. That is, more consumers are relying on mobile technology to operate in their daily lives. Mobile technology has made many aspects of people’s lives more convenient, such as social interaction due to their constant connection to the Internet. Commerce is also being revolutionized by mobile technology and people’s growing need for convenient service. More consumers are beginning to look for alternatives to traditional, physical stores, and many have turned to mobile commerce and e-commerce.

Retailers look for ways to bridge gap between online and offline worlds

Mobile consumers are turning to the Internet to find the products and services they want to pay for. As more consumers look online, retailers are feeling the pressure to adapt or risk losing contact with a growing portion of their audience. Thus, businesses are looking for ways to close the gap that currently exists between the online and offline worlds. Few retailers are willing to abandon physical stores, so many are attempting to provide consumers with incentives to visit these stores through the use of mobile commerce.

Mobile commerce services being adopted by large retail companies

Big name retailers, such as Macy’s and Nordstrom, are working to make use of digital technologies in order to provide consumers with better in-store service. These companies have been working to broaden their reach through mobile commerce and e-commerce and, as a result, have been seeing declining in-store sales. Some consumers have even begun gravitating to online shopping platforms that are offered by other companies. This competition is driving innovation in the retail industry as companies attempt to find the best balance between mobile commerce and traditional forms of engagement.

Study predicts sales in mobile commerce to double next year

A recent study from Internet Retailer, called Mobile 400 Guide, shows that mobile commerce is growing. The study predicts that mobile commerce sales will double in 2013 as more consumers gain access to smart phones and mobile devices that are capable of facilitating mobile transactions. Retailers are feeling the need to find ways to engage consumers that are becoming increasingly enthralled in the world of mobile technology.