mCommerce – the digital trend that retailers cannot afford to ignore with over 25% of the world’s population (1.6 billion) using their mobile devices to make purchases. It’s certainly not replacing ecommerce, but a larger proportion of online sales are now coming from mobile devices with recent trends show that online shopping via a desktop and laptop has decreased by 15% in 2018, compared to smartphone transactions, which have doubled.
Mobile commerce is an advancement of ecommerce but through optimised websites, apps and even social media. This online medium is an integral part of the future strategy for businesses looking to drive sales and ROI, but many simply aren’t aware of how their content must change and be tailored to mobile and the ever demanding needs of its consumers.
The mCommerce era
The rise of digital advancements has given consumers more choice, channels, purchasing control and marketing influence than ever before, which subsequently means their demands have reached a new level that businesses are having to adapt to. Unlike ecommerce which brings its own challenges for example navigation of sites, long forms and offering only one way to pay, mcommerce offers consumers a better overall experience through an app or website and it provides a truly omni-channel experience.
Several businesses would have already adopted mcommerce into its online strategy, by offering a quick, easy and more accessible way of shopping. Nowadays businesses are finding they have to provide more personalised, convenient and compelling digital shopping experiences for its consumers, to stay ahead of the competition and drive increased sales.
Adaptable content
With mobile being one of the most streamlined forms of purchase for consumers, ensuring that content is easily adaptable to multiple platforms and can be quickly accessed is vital. Easy to use interfaces, multiple payment models and customised content are some of the factors businesses need to be considering to take advantage of the mcommerce growth.
Online businesses need a smooth, end-to-end solution that will be able to change as fast as the mcommerce environment. One of the biggest things for retailers to consider is the loading speed of their website or app. On average, global retail websites between Black Friday 2017 and January 3rd 2018 were visually complete and ready to use in 2.5 seconds, further exceeding expectations, with 64% of smartphone users expecting pages to load in less than 4 seconds.
In a study by Shopify, 67% of mobile users said they were more likely to buy a product or service when the site is mobile-friendly, proving that a strong mobile commerce offering is essential. For retailers to ensure their content is ready and suitable for the rise of mcommerce, some best practice points can be adhered to, ensuring a streamlined process for both business and consumer.
Engage in mobile
A recent report from eMarketer has predicted that mcommerce in the UK will rise to be worth over £42 billion in 2018, and account for 45% of ecommerce sales, compared to 43% in 2017. To ensure your business competes with the competition, adapting your content for mobile commerce will help empower your consumers, streamlining the process for both parties, ultimately helping to generate more future sales.
Businesses should be looking to implement these best practices to stay ahead of the competition and build a seamless, efficient mobile commerce offering which considers the fast-paced environment stemmed from the digital revolution.
Influential and creative: One of the most important factors to online commerce is photography that influences purchase decisions, thoughts and opinions. Photos help consumers to visualise and understand what they’re getting so businesses should stick to mobile view guidelines and offer its consumers the best, hi-quality imagery.
Different and cutting edge: In such a saturated market it can be a challenge to stand out with every online retailer wanting to appear to be offering something different. By having an eye-catching logo, businesses are placing its unique selling points on a pedestal for the world of mobile to see.
Distinct and adaptable: Offering comprehensive content is key, but by trying to manage hundreds of different SKU’s on multiple platforms it can be hard for businesses to keep track. Content should be flexible and suitable for all different platforms and mobile devices, not just Apple or Android devices, even if they do have 70% of the market share.
Careful and concise: It will be easier for retailer’s consumers to engage with the business and its offering by supplying short and snappy descriptions. It is essential to highlight the best features and selling points that you want to get across.
Many ecommerce content management platforms offer a streamlined, end to end solution that helps business manage its online content for both desktop and mobile. These platforms can ensure businesses’ content will be flexible and streamlined across several multimedia platforms around the world.
