Mobile commerce reaches fever pitch during holiday season
The holiday season is settling in and mobile startups may stand to see major success this year as they engage mobile consumers in a new way. Keynote Systems, a developer of measurement products for mobile communications, has released a new study highlighting mobile startups. The study, called “Keynote Startup Shootout Index,” sheds some light on numerous startup retail organizations and how well they are accommodating the needs of mobile consumers. Given the growing importance of mobile commerce, ensuring that mobile users have a favorable experience through a retail platform is becoming a more important issue.
Retail startups putting focus on site performance
According to the study, retailer RueLaLa boasts of the best mobile performance than its competitors. The retailer offers fast load times for those accessing its website from smartphones and tablets. While the retailer’s website may not be ideal in terms of speed, as it receives an average of 38 new requests as the website loads, it does enable mobile consumers to access information on products more quickly than its competitors. This makes it relatively easier for consumers to purchase products online.
Loading times can greatly affect mobile commerce
Loading times have a significant impact on mobile commerce. The longer it takes to load a website, the less likely it is for a consumer to enjoy their shopping experience. Long loading times can lead to frustration that can derail any mobile commerce initiative. Loading times for mobile websites tends to become significantly problematic during the holiday season as the more people that access a website tend to put significant strain on the site’s servers. If consumers cannot access a retail site, they cannot actually purchase any products.
Success of mobile commerce provides encouragement to retail startups
Mobile commerce has inspired a new generation of retailers to enter into the field. Retail startups have placed a strong focus on the mobile sector. This is partly due to the success that many retailers saw during the 2011 and 2012 holiday season through their focus on mobile commerce. In order for retail startups to find this same degree of success, they must ensure that people can access their websites quickly and that these sites offer an enjoyable experience.
According to Google’s 2013 Holiday Shopper Intentions report, approximately 95% of millennials plan to use the Internet as a shopping tool during the holiday season. The report predicts that 88% of these millennials will be using their smartphones and tablets to shop online and purchase products. Many of these young consumers have grown quite comfortable with mobile commerce over the past year, thanks to the various mobile initiatives that have been launched by retailers and technology firms alike.