Mobile E-commerce vs Desktop
It is hard to imagine life without a mobile phone, we practically always have it next to us. Pew Research Center’s survey has concluded that 96% of Americans own a mobile phone, meanwhile, only 74% own a laptop or desktop device. Cell phone ownership has grown by over 50% in the last decade, and soon, the vast majority of the population, young and older, will be owners of smartphones. In other areas of the world, particularly in emerging economies, smartphones are much more easily acquired due to two factors, the cost and the lack of widespread internet. Smartphone ownership has been on the rise in developing countries over the last few years, with a 22% increase in the Philippines and 28% in Lebanon, according to Pew Research Center. With this growth in mobile phone usage, it is also important to highlight that more purchases are being conducted online. A study has shown that over 51% of online shoppers make their purchases on their mobile phones, and this number is continuing to increase as more websites and mobile applications arise.
Despite the increased mobile traffic, mobile e-commerce sales are not as impressive. This is because most websites are not optimized for mobile use. There are a few simple ways to link the desired product and allow the customers to easily locate it as well as check out, unfortunately, most businesses do not utilize these strategies. According to statistics from Monetate, the mobile conversion is lagging at 2.25% when compared to desktop traffic at 4.81%. User experience seems to be the solution for this gap in conversion rates.
User Experience
User experience is ultimately the deciding factor when consumers make their purchase decision. According to the Global Consumer Survey Report investing in user experience should be a top priority for businesses. Combining the power of social media along with a touch and swipe option enabled in your mobile shop, businesses can increase the conversion rates they receive from mobile users as well as increase customer satisfaction and experience. Oftentimes, shoppers struggle with the non-mobile optimized websites that force them into going through multiple steps just to add the item to cart, while “quick add to cart” has been a frequently implemented feature, it is still not as convenient as touch and swipe. By enabling the touch and swipe feature, your customers can enjoy the shopping experience as well as remain on the page they were on to continue browsing uninterrupted.
The power of social media and stories, as well as story highlights, has proven to be extremely effective. According to Emarketer,55% of Gen Z users said their purchases were influenced by posts and stories they saw on social media platforms. By linking the product with an option to go directly to it, brands can significantly increase their conversion rates. At this time, around 33% of most-viewed Instagram Stories come from brands and businesses. It is very possible to turn those viewers into paying customers by utilizing tools that help with finding the product and checking out with ease. One of the best tools to utilize in this scenario would be the touch and swipe, as it works with all mobile-optimized shops that are linked to social media. It enables the shopper to not only find the product quickly, but improve the speed of the add to cart and checkout process and allows the customers to shop with ease, all while enjoying their social media experience.
The Takeaway
As consumers change the way they shop, businesses must adjust their operations and promotional tactics along with them. With the increase in mobile e-commerce sales and the mobile phone ownership trend, brands can convert their mobile traffic into paying customers by utilizing tools such as the swipe and touch option in your mobile shop. Customers are spending an increasing amount of time on social media each day, and the mobile phone will soon be the primary tool used for shopping and other daily tasks. By taking advantage of this trend while providing a great user experience on your mobile-optimized website, customer acquisition and sales could increase significantly in the long term.
Comments