Tag: mobile commerce websites

These smartphone friendly websites are using Facebook, Twitter, Google+, and others to build relationships.

According to the latest research, mobile commerce websites are increasing their use of social media marketing because of the advantage it provides in generating a sense of a personal relationship between their customers and their brands.

The researchers in this study referred to the trend as “swift guanxi” due to its areas of effectiveness.

The term has been used because the “guanxi” concept is from China and is “broadly defined as a close and pervasive interpersonal relationship” as well as “based on high-quality social interactions and the reciprocal exchange of mutual benefits.” This, according to the researchers from the study, Robert M. Davison, Carol Xiaojuan Ou, and Paul A. Pavlou.

The researchers found that using mobile commerce in this way was highly effective for building loyalty.

When they spoke of swift guanxi, they were talking about the ability to ease interactivity, loyalty, and repeat transactions when using social media for mobile commerce purposes. The data used in this study was gleaned from the leading online marketplace in China, TaoBao. They looked into the way that computer mediated communication (CMC) technology could be used for this purpose and convert shoppers who would otherwise have made a single purchase and never return, into a long term customer by way of personal rapport.

It had previously been assumed that shoppers had a preference for impersonal transactions. However, this mobile commerce study shows that both consumers and retailers have an inherent liking for the type of relationship that can fall under the guanxi label, even though the degree of that interaction may vary from one culture to the next.

According to Pavlou, “Nobody would argue that personal relationships are unimportant, but it is unfathomable that people in the U.S. would engage in such extensive communications and personal interactions for a small transaction.” He was referring to the fact that in China, for instance, a very small transaction where only a few dollars were spent could be the result of a communication that could take well over three quarters of an hour.

UK retail industry may not be accommodating of mobile commerce

Mobile commerce is expanding, but United Kingdom retailers may be missing their opportunity to take advantage of the growing number of consumers that are interested in shopping from their mobile devices. Skava, a leading provider of retail technology, has announced that it recently participated in a study of UK and U.S. retailers. The study suggests that a significant portion of retailers in the UK are not optimizing their websites for mobile devices, which means that they could be missing out on a significant amount of business from mobile consumers.

Study shows half of top 100 retailers in the UK are not taking mobile seriously

The study shows that only 50% of the UK’s top 100 retailers have optimized their websites for mobile devices, compared to 100% of the top 100 retailers in the U.S. Skava suggests that not optimizing retail sites for mobile viewing could be a major misstep for UK retailers, especially as consumers become more apt to use their mobile devices to make purchases. Mobile commerce is growing in popularity and many retailers may find that they are missing a significant opportunity, potentially losing their spot in the top 100 by making it difficult for consumers to participate in mobile shopping.

Websites optimized for mobile devices are becoming increasingly important

Websites that are not optimized for mobile devices are difficult for mobile consumers to use. This is because mobile devices are inherently different than traditional computers. Smaller screens and access to mobile Internet make it difficult for consumers to browse sites that do not prioritize cross-platform optimization. In terms of mobile commerce, e-commerce sites make mobile payments almost impossible, providing consumers with a poor experience.

Skava aims to promote mobile commerce services

The growing number of consumers with smartphones and tablets has lead many companies to optimize their websites for mobile viewing, but much of the retail industry in the UK remains somewhat complacent. Skava recently entered into the European market in order to provide more services to the retail industry, aiming to help retailers become more accommodating of mobile commerce.