Experts predict that by 2021, mobile commerce sales will make up for 54% of total e-commerce sales. In the second quarter of 2019, mobile e-commerce spending in the US reached $41.2 bn, and the total number of shoppers who make mobile purchases is expected to reach a smashing 168.7 mln.
No wonder that an increasing number of companies are investing in m-commerce applications. Read this article to find out what mobile commerce is all about and what benefits it brings to businesses today.
What is m-commerce?
Mobile commerce (or m-commerce) is any transaction that is completed on a mobile device such as a smartphone, tablet, or even a wearable device like a smartwatch.
Many people believe that mobile commerce marks the next phase of e-commerce as consumers become more accustomed to making purchases online and now want to extend this availability to mobile.
M-commerce applications allow browsing products and completing purchases on the go, helping consumers to take advantage of innovation such as mobile payments.
Now that we have cleared up the meaning of m-commerce, let’s take a look at the most important advantages such applications bring to companies.
Benefits of mobile commerce for businesses
1. Improved customer experience
In a market where competition is high, delivering personalized customer experience is more important than ever. And m-commerce apps allow businesses to capture the attention of their audiences in unique ways. Since consumers use mobile devices to communicate with each other, it’s smart to include social media integration within mobile commerce apps to allow users to share and discuss their product choices. Exclusive features such as push notifications, personalized discounts, or a variety of payment options boost the customer experience with your brand as well. If you have a brick-and-mortar store, you can improve the in-store experience by equipping your app with features such as push notification with special deals based on the buyer’s shopping history or store maps to help shoppers navigate inside your shop.
2. Targeted timing of communication
Another key benefit of m-commerce applications is that they allow businesses to reach their target audience at the right time. For example, you can automatically send a notification to users browsing items to let them know that a new version of the product they’re looking at will be available in a few days. Geo-tracking and programmatic advertising features help brands connect with people during specific moments in their day to increase the chances of them completing the purchase.
3. Faster buyer journey
Mobile apps are much faster than mobile websites. So if you think that providing your customers with a responsive website is enough, you’re wrong. M-commerce apps load data and search results faster, delivering better user experience and allowing users to browse and purchase products faster. By streamlining the purchasing process, you can accelerate the buyer’s journey to boost your bottom line.
4. Data-driven decisions
M-commerce apps usually have built-in analytics engines that collect data about customer behaviors. They track consumer data from the moment of product discovery to completing the purchase, allowing businesses to learn more about the preferences of their target audience. The level of the available mobile analytics depends on the resources you allocate to mobile app development, but adding them is an excellent method of increasing sales — for example, by reaching your customers proactively with personalized offers.
5. Greater accessibility
In mobile commerce, everyone who has a mobile device is a potential customer. That’s why m-commerce opens new opportunities for reaching previously unexplored markets and consumer segments. Downloading an app is much easier than going to a brick-and-mortar store. With m-commerce, there’s no need to go anywhere or wait in a line. People can access your offer from anywhere and at any time — for instance, when they’re stuck in traffic on their way home from work.
6. New marketing channels
Mobile analytics allows businesses to respond to changes in consumer interest as soon as that happens. For example, when interest spikes, you can increase your mobile marketing efforts to engage users. When consumers are less likely to buy your products (for example, during the holiday season), you can easily downsize your activities and optimize the use of your resources for marketing. Also, m-commerce apps reduce marketing campaign costs because they allow you to reach your customers directly through the mobile app — for instance, via push notifications.
Investing in m-commerce is a smart move
Mobile commerce sales are expected to double between 2017 and 2020, reaching $336 bn in 2020. If there was ever the best time to build a mobile commerce app, it’s now.
Get in touch with us if you’re looking for an experienced mobile development team. We have plenty of experience in building m-commerce apps that increase sales and bring an optimal ROI.
Originally published at https://mobitouch.net.
