This year has opened consumers’ minds to using mobile for doing research, gathering opinions and sharing them with peers via social media, as well as making purchases.
Because of these consumer trends, this year it is more important than ever to have a mobile presence, especially for the 2010 holiday season. Retailers are realizing this and have made mobile a priority for 2010.
The main point is that this year the sheer number of smartphone users has more than doubled, and industry experts predict at least 65 million more to be enabled by year’s end.
Opportunity
It is not just about smartphones either. IPod touches and tablets are big now too.
For the first time there are more smartphones than desktop computers being sold, according to market researcher IDC.com. The desktop is dying and smartphones are the way of the future. More people are going to carry them around and that is a powerful opportunity for retailers.
The demographic of smartphone users is attractive to retailers. The average mobile subscriber is age 25-34 and nearly twice as likely to make more than $100,000, according to NielsenWire. The demographic is great for retailers in terms of the customer base they want to reach.
Experience
Consumers expect a great mobile experience. A good mobile experience reflects positively on a brand and a bad one reflects negatively on a brand.
Mobile represents an additional or incremental revenue opportunity because people can buy anytime and anywhere. It also lets them buy immediately, playing on the impulse purchase.
Driving in-store purchase
1800Flowers said that mobile consumers search and evaluate products on their devices.
One consumer walked into a store with her mobile phone and said she wanted to buy what she had found on her mobile device. She picked the item she wanted using her mobile phone but came into the store to actually complete the transaction.
This example illustrates a great way to take advantage of mobile and drive people into stores.
Social media is becoming a big component of the mobile Web strategies of retailers. Consumers post stuff on their Facebook and have friends and relatives evaluate products.
If the response is positive, then consumers go and purchase the product or the service. Social via mobile is a great way to generate response and also useful for instant feedback.
The ratings and reviews around products help consumers make that decision, which is great during the holidays.
Best practices
For mobile Web sites, the experience should be unique for mobile. It should not be the desk top Web site revamped for mobile. Think in terms of better fitting the mobile consumer.
During the holidays that may mean highlighting special offers and special promotions right up front.
There is a lot of activity from retailers that want to enable for the 2010 holiday season. It is a major priority this year for retailers.
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