Mobile devices have clearly changed the way people shop. From my own personal experience, as I was doing some Black Friday shopping last week, I turned to my I-phone on several occasions for price comparisons, check inventory to see which store had the item I was looking for in-stock, and to read consumer reviews.
In e-commerce, the mobile revolution is here.
Based on research by eMarketer.com, in 2012, people spent $25 billion on purchases made from phones and tablets, an increase of 81 percent from the year before, according to eMarketer, which compiles data from 120 sources that track commerce.
E-commerce sales is expected to reach 15 percent by the end of this year. Many economists are predicting that the percentage of e-commerce will be $87 billion (or 25% of all e-commerce) by 2016. But marketers need to be wary, there are still challenges with using mobile devices to shop — like small screens that make it hard to view items and type. But consumers want the mobility and flexibility their mobile devices offer and they want to do everything from work to play on their tablet or smart phone.
Studies also show that mobile shoppers spend a surprising amount when using these devices — an average of $329 per order when on tablets and $250 when on phones. That is a huge opportunity for your business to capitalize on. Tablets in particular have significantly changed the way people shop. While in 2011, people spent more money making purchases from smartphones than from tablets, shopping on tablets surpassed phones last year: $13.9 billion was spent from tablets and $9.9 billion from phones. People are more likely to use tablets while they are in a shopping mood, like lounging on the couch. And their bigger screens make shopping easier than it is on smartphones and in some cases easier than on computers, because shoppers can zoom in or drag items to their carts with their fingers.
I recently read this article in AdWeek which states that according to Millward Brown Digital, people who shop from their mobiles visit more retailer sites than those who shop from their PCs (6.2 retailer visits per month on mobiles versus 2.9 on PCs). Mobile shoppers also use search engines and social media sites more than PC shoppers do.
What is your company’s marketing strategy doing to stay competitive with mobile device shoppers? You certainly don’t want to lose that business to your rival! Our team at Interactive One can help you make sure your mobile strategy is air-tight, we are here to help you!
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