We all know that online retail is nothing new, but mobile retail is and it’s here to stay and it opens up a fantastic opportunity for small and mid-range online sellers to not only enter but really cause some waves in the market. mCommerce offers more value and more convenience to both buyers and resellers.
Over the trading period of Christmas 2014, 31% of all online purchases occurred on mobile devices. All aspects of eCommerce are booming but mCommerce will take online sales to a whole new level.
eCommerce becomes mCommerce
At the beginning of 2014 mobile eCommerce (mCommerce) behaviour was simply showrooming – kicking the tyres so to speak – customers used their mobile devices to look, research, compare, try it on, but the actual purchase was completed via a desktop or laptop online. But by the end of 2014 we saw huge growth in the number of consumers not only initiating, but completing a purchase on their mobile device. To put the rise of mCommerce on smartphones into context; in 2013 tablets outnumbered smartphones two to one, by 2014 they were at parity, by the end of 2015 smartphones are set to eclipse tablet usage – are you ready?
And not just on a tablet, the most significant increase was in those using a smartphone to buy. To put the rise of mCommerce on smartphones into context; in 2013 tablets outnumbered smartphones two to one, by 2014 they were at parity, by the end of 2015 smartphones are set to eclipse tablet usage. Can you customers buy from you on their smartphone?
Why is mCommerce so popular?
Convenience. In the past many apps or websites offering online shopping or even specifically mobile shopping, were difficult to use or even unusable but now they are optimised and buying is easy. Consumers will shop where and when it is the most convenient for them to do so.
Mobile sales are expected to reach $119 billion worldwide in 2015 so if you sell online then your customers will expect to be able to buy from you via either a mobile optimised eCommerce site or a specifically designed and optimised mCommerce app, so get this part of your business sales funnel sorted now or risk losing relatively easy sales.
Contact the Website Design Centre team to discuss both your eCommerce and mCommerce options to ensure your business takes advantage of the mobile rise in online retail.
