Partner Article

5 reasons retailers should drive mobile marketing

Why should retailers sit up and see the potential of mobile marketing? A sheer number of people are now equipped with smartphones and tablets.

In turn, mobile devices are quickly becoming the first choice for purchasing online, as consumers shift towards the convenience, ease and variety of online transactions. Consider the following to discover why mobile marketing could work for you:

1. The Development of Mobile Purchasing

Over the last few years, retailers have seen an unexpected growth of mobile commerce, or “m-commerce”, changing the way people shop and browse online. With unlimited opportunities to engage with a wide range of potential consumers, retailers begin to see the benefits of mobile. In 2013, m-commerce took 15% of the UK’s retail e-commerce sales, as the use of smartphones and tablets promote sales, by extending the length of a shopping day.

2. Mobile improves customer experience

In the past, if something caught your eye online whilst browsing on your mobile phone, it was troublesome to purchase. Commonly, you’d have to add it to your ‘saved items’ or leave it in your ‘basket’ and return to it later on your desktop; more often than not resulting in basket abandonment.

However, an increasing amount of retailers are now redesigning their sites to harness the m-commerce boom. Therefore, barriers are beginning to be removed, making for an optimised shopping journey and enhanced customer experience.

In the last few years, the adoption of tablets and smartphones has risen, as people become increasingly drawn to mobile devices for performing a variety of activities. As consumer confidence increases, smartphones and tablets are being used for browsing a wide range of products in online stores, comparing prices, finding the best deals and making purchases, with just a few clicks.

So, instead of lugging yourself around sweltering shopping centres, facing the dreaded dressing rooms and standing in long queues, consumers now prefer to make their purchases from the comfort of their own home - and do we blame them?

3. Mobile increases impulse purchasing

Smartphones and tablets drive an increase in impulse purchasing. A survey, completed by Rackspace, investigated the attitudes of 2,009 smartphone and tablet owners. Within the study, 17% of respondents explained that owning a mobile device increased their impulse purchasing habits, and 71% of this group explained that their increase in spending is due to fact that making purchases via smartphones and tablets is so simple.

Therefore, as browsing and purchasing via mobile devices has become an effortless process, many retailers have invested in creating a strong mobile presence. With this, retailers endeavour to increase productivity and profitability.

4. Social shopping online

Make sure that content is sharable. Social media is now commonly used by retailers to promote products and discounts, competitions and gift ideas. Getting the message across to an unlimited amount of consumers with social media is free and effective. Therefore, social media is a mobile marketing tool that can send consumers flocking to your site.

5. The expectations for mobile commerce

With more and more retailers offering customers a convenient, user-friendly mobile store to buy online, m-commerce is a purchasing trend that cannot be ignored. By 2017, mobile sales are expected to grow by 33%, making up a total of 9% online sales in 2017; although this would seem like a small percentage, mobile marketing is still worth investing in, as mobile presence generates significant traffic and return on investment.

With all of this in mind, retailers should drive their mobile marketing by ensuring that their online presence caters for the mobile shopper; making shopping online with smartphones and tablets easy, consumable and efficient.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Michelle Hughes - Miromedia.co.uk .