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MCOMMERCE Capturing and converting your mobile customer
So, you want to start selling to your mobile customers? It’s no secret that mobile has fueled a significant change in consumer behaviour. But are businesses keeping pace?
A recent study we conducted with OnePoll discovered that a startling 65.8% of the UK’s 4.9 million small and medium enterprises (SMEs) do not currently have a mobile presence, equating to potential lost revenues of £52.6 Billion in the next 12 months alone.
So where do businesses start? We’ve developed this eBook to give your business a jump start into mCommerce. We’ve outlined the key considerations for investing & developing your mCommerce strategy, but we also try to go beyond the aspect of simply selling to mobile customers. In Chapter 1, we explain how mobile is changing online commerce and how a well-developed mobile presence can improve your brand and increase your revenues. Mobile has also changed acquisition and retention, so in Chapter 3 & 4 we discuss how to adapt your promotional and engagement strategies to meet your mobile customer’s expectations. In the end, we hope that this eBook helps you justify a mobile shift in business strategy and helps you put mobile in the center of your marketing & sales activites.
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The AppsBuilder System: Create, Promote, Engage This ebook belongs to: Create native apps and mobile sites viewable on any type of mobile device. Customize the look, add content and integrate social networks, e-commerce platforms and more!
Grow your downloads with mobile redirect, app landing pages, social share and offline promotional tools. Increase your exposure & submit your app to the most popular app stores! Engage your customers in a personal way and build a loyal mobile audience! Create custom content, activate coupons and loyalty cards, or use geo-targeted push notifications and pop-ups.
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
#1
WHY INVEST IN MCOMMERCE?
#2
MCOMMERCE DESIGN AND USER EXPERIENCE
#3
PROMOTION IN A MOBILE WORLD
#4
ENGAGING AND RETAINING MOBILE CUSTOMERS
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INVEST IN MCOMMERCE? WHY INVEST IN MCOMMERCE?
WHY INVEST IN MCOMMERCE? WHY INVEST IN MCOMMERCE? WHY INVEST IN START YOUR FREE TRIAL
WHY INVEST IN MCOMMERCE? There’s no doubt about it: eCommerce has changed the way we buy, and now mobile is shifting consumer behavior and claiming a bigger slice of online revenues. However, an overwhelming number of businesses still don’t have a mobile strategy. So, why invest in mCommerce? 1.The world is mobile With more than 1 billion smartphones shipped in 2013, smartphone penetration is almost 70% in the US and 71% in Europe. With worldwide penetration hovering just below 40%, the mobile minority has quickly become a majority marketers need to address. It wasn’t that long ago that we would switch to a desktop PC for researching & purchasing. Nowadays, mobile-friendly sites and apps have streamlined the online experience making mobile the fast and easy way to make purchasing decisions. In fact, mobile has recently surpassed desktop usage, accounting for 60% of time spent accessing digital media. Tablets have also helped cut into desktops share of time spent interacting with multimedia, as the portable, larger screen was a game changer for video.
65% %
60%
% 60% % 55% % 50%
52%
53%
47%
% 45% % 40%
40% 40%
% 35% 30% Mar 2013
Source: Comscore
Jun 2013
Sep 2013
Dec 2013
DESKTOP - MOBILE - MOBILE APP
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Mar 2014
Jun 2014
This isn’t to say desktop is dead; actually we are more multi-platform than ever, switching between devices depending on the time of day, the type of content we want to access and our location. 100% 90%
74.0%
73.9%
65.7%
51.4%
80% 70% 60%
11.2%
50% 40% 30% 20% 10% 0%
13.1% 14.8%
16.8%
11.1%
9.3%
18-24
24-34
37.4%
21.2%
35-54
Desktop Only
55+
Mobile Only Multi-Platform
Source: Comscore
Although 18-34 year olds show the highest likelihood of being multi-platform (74%), we’re also seeing a growing percentage of user who have abandoned desktop all together. According to statistics from Comscore, 16.8% of 25-34 year olds are mobile only, while 14.8% of the 18-24 age group have abandoned desktop completely. Surprisingly enough, even seniors are showing a growing affinity to mobile, likely linked to the popularity & accessibility of tablets & phablets. So does this mean the future is mobile-only? It would certainly seem that way. “People do not put their phone down then go find a desktop to do something. They use their phone. And we think with clever use of functions and design, it is possible to give mobile customers 100%.” (Paul Cousineau, director of mobile shopping at Amazon.com)
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2. Consumer behavior & expectation favors mobile We don’t just use mobile to buy things, we leverage on-the-go technology at all stages of the buying cycle. 23
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Shopping: finding a store, comparing price, searching
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for offers, product research, checking availability
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In-store: taking pictures, peer review,
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scanning barcodes
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â‚Ź
Buying: making online purchase via mobile, 23
mobile payment
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Consumers use their phone to research, discover, purchase, and review your 23
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business, so adopting mobile marketing strategies ensures that you are capturing, 23
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converting and engaging those customers with the ease and fluidity of a tap on a 23
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smartphone screen.
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Action taken after local search:
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51% visited the location
Over 90% of mobile device searches are local
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48% called the location 23
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29% made a purchase in-store
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Source: Google Mobile Planet Statistics
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Consumers also expect that companies provide a top-notch mobile experience, and are prepared to look elsewhere if yours isn’t up to par. According to Google Research, 61% of people said that they’d quickly move onto another site if they didn’t find what they were looking for right away on a mobile site. And that’s not all…
72%
It is important that a website is mobile-friendly
74%
I am more likely to return to a mobile-site in the future
67%
I am more likely to buy a service or product from a
52%
A bad mobile experience makes me less likely to
48%
brand with a mobile site
engage with a company
I feel like the company doesn’t care about my business when their site doesn’t work well on my smartphone
As you can see, being mobile-friendly and meeting your customer’s expectations is directly tied to your company’s reputation and competitiveness! Source: 2012 Google Research
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3. mCommerceis growing‌ and shows no signs of slowing down According to Internet Retailer, traffic from mobile now accounts for more than half of traffic for top eCommerce retailers, making mobile the primary vehicle for online consumers.
by
2018
$626b mobile spending
Rightly so, mCommerce has grown from 1.8% to over 11% of total e-Commerce spending ($204 billion in 2014). Meanwhile, Goldman Sachs predicts that by 2018Â mobile spending will account for half of total eCommerce spending, projecting $626 billion in sales.
Source: comScore m-commerce Measurement
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That being said, mobile traffic is still behind in terms of conversion, with leading ecommerce brands citing that only 21% of web sales are coming from mobile. So why the disparity between mobile traffic and revenue?
According to experts¹, this boils down to technology and security, both of which have come a long way recently. The popularity of larger smartphone and advances in fingerprint scanners for quicker checkout, will help facilitate easier and quicker mobile transactions, while comfort levels with purchasing via mobile are growing thanks to secure web-based and mobile app checkout. Although mobile payment has not gone mainstream, the popularity of new mobile payment systems like Apple Pay, which makes it easier for retailers to take in-app payments, will certainly help raise consumer’s comfort levels with buying via their mobile.
“Mobile-first and mobile-only customers represent a significant pivot in online retail… even without the latest advances, people are just getting more and more comfortable buying things on their smartphones.” Chris Mason, CEO and co-founder of Branding Brand
1. Internet Retailer: Exclusive: Mobile now the primary way consumers shop
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EXPERIENCE MCOMMERCE DESIGN & USER EXPERIENCE
MCOMMERCE DESIGN & USER EXPERIENCE MCOMMERCE DESIGN & USER EXPERIENCE START YOUR FREE TRIAL
MCOMMERCE DESIGN & USER EXPERIENCE Mobile is known for being the quick and easy way to access information in the palm of our hands. Rightly so, mCommerce sites and apps need to live up this expectation. In fact, 79% of app users say that they would only retry an app once or twice if it failed to work the first time². So how can you ensure that your low tolerance customer actually converts on mobile? The answer is as simple as following the principles of good design and user experience. When it comes to building an mCommerce site or app, planning is key. If your customer can’t easily access what they are looking for, they’ll go elsewhere so think about the types of content and pages you’ll need to create based on the actions your customer will need to perform. Here is an overview of some the key content you’ll want to create and maximize for findability. Homepage What your customer sees on the homepage of your app or mobile site is the first impression they get of your business, so be sure to put your best foot forward. Dedicate space above the fold to promote your latest offers, provide quick links to useful tasks (like shopping cart, search or store locations), and ensure that your menu is simple and clear.
wine&dine.com
WINE & DINE
2. Techcrunch: Users Have Low Tolerance For Buggy Apps – Only 16% Will Try A Failing App More Than Twice
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57%
Users that say they won’t recommend a business with a poorly designed mobile site.
41%
People that have turned to a competitor’s website after a bad mobile experience.
Homescreens on your mobile app of site should be streamlined, with quicklinks to the most popular tasks & features. Navigation lists can be “hidden” in sliders or drop down menus. (H&M and Amazon.ca)
Product / Service Catalogue Your product catalogue is the meat of your mobile site or app, so it’s no surprise that the majority of your efforts should go towards optimizing these pages. Catalogues should be searchable and sortable to facilitate discovery, with rich images and key product information.
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Catalogues should be visual, sortable and searchable (Asos)
Clicking to your product pages, users should have a simple overview of the key product features, with the possibility to get more information by expanding drop down menus or swiping, pinching or double tapping photos for more views. At this point, customers are also looking for availability, delivery times and shipping terms, as well as the possibility to favorite or share the product via social media, so make sure these options are only a click away. Finally, and most importantly, make sure you have a clear button to add to cart, with the possibility to select quantities, styles and sizes with easy to use menus.
Product page features swipe-through image gallery, large CTA buttons, social sharing, descriptions and other product recommendations as you scroll down the page (Asos)
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Shopping Cart The shopping cart page should provide an overview of the items your customer want to purchase, giving them the option to edit their selection and proceed to payment.
Give customers a clear review of what they have put into their cart (H&M)
Other content As mentioned, you want to give you customer access to any information that they will need to complete the purchase, including delivery terms, shipping conditions, etc. But what about the customer who may not necessary complete the purchase via mobile? Facilitate later desktop viewing with a “email this to me� feature on product pages, get customers to visit to your showroom or office by providing map with directions to your location, make it easy for them to contact you via click-to call or email buttons, or have customers fill out a form for more information.
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Pro Tip: Touch interface Tap, swipe, pinch. Your smartphone’s touch interface is intuive but mobile sites often fail when they are not designed with this in mind. If you’ve ever had to zoom into a page because your finger keeps taping the wrong link, you know exactly what we’re talking about. Avoid this by spacing links far apart, using drop down menus to select option, enabling swipe slideshows for pictures and invoke customer keyboards (ie. Numeric vs full keyboard). Luckily for you, AppsBuilder has thought of these things and built ready-to-use templates that are fully optimized!
What about payment? You’ve built great product pages that get customers to place items in their shopping cart, but how do you treat the purchase process you ask? Depending on your mobile strategy you have two options for selling your products and services. Web-based payment With web-based payment, you’re creating a user-friendly transactional site where customers can pay via PayPal or credit card, much like the desktop version many consumers are used to. Web-based payment can be used with HTML 5 webapps and native apps. You can also integrate a third party shopping cart (like Magento, Shopify, etc) to seamlessly manage payment via mobile-optimized transaction pages. Mobile app payment (Native integration) Unlike web-based payment, integrating paying within the app does not direct the user to another transactional site, but keeps the user in the app. This option is only available for native apps. Keeping you customer “inside” your app can have its benefits, the most important being that mobile app payments can be done quickly, as users only need to verify payment via their Google Wallet or Apple Pay account.
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IN A MOBILE WORLD PROMOTION IN A MOBILE WORLD
PROMOTION IN A MOBILE WORLD PROMOTION IN A MOBILE WORLD PROMOTION IN A MOBILE START YOUR FREE TRIAL
PROMOTION IN A MOBILE WORLD Mobile shouldn’t be a second thought when it comes to promoting your business. In fact, if you’re serious about an investment in mCommerce, mobile should be central to your marketing efforts. Here’s a rundown of ways to transform your promotional strategies for a mobile world. Search Local search is key for businesses. In fact, according to Google, local searches lead 50% of mobile users to visit a store. Spending a bit of time making sure your web and mobile sites are optimized for search engines can help you see a nice lift in your organic traffic. • Check your page titles and descriptions
This is the copy that shows up in search, so put your best foot forward.
Be sure to include keywords and synonyms that your potential customer
might search for, as well as the USPs that set you apart from your
competitors. The goal is tR craft a message that will make people
want to click – keeping it between 150-160 characters.
• Get some inbound links
When we say inbound links we don’t mean links from your mom’s blog,
but from websites that are well regarded in your area or sector. For
example, if you have a restaurant try getting your local newspaper to
link to your site when they are running a story on places to wine and
dine. You’ll need to a flex a little PR muscle, but once you have a few
quality inbound links, search engines will take notice.
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• Ensuring your online listings are correct
€
Any discrepancy in your businesses address is going to throw warning
signs out to potential customers and Google, so be sure that all listings
are correct. Think industry listings, review sites, Yelp, YellowPages, etc.
and, if need be, reach out to webmasters to have details changed.
• Sign up to Google My Business
Google My Businesses helps connect you to people looking for
businesses like yours in Maps, Search and Google+, making it simple
for people to contact your business, see reviews and get directions.
With Google being the predominant engine for search, it’s vital that
local businesses establish a presence to increase visibility and
engagement.
Search engine optimization is a complicated beast (penguin, panda, hummingbird – oh my!) but following these steps should help your business’s position on search results pages. And, if you have a bit of budget, you may also want to consider investing in SEM (AdWords, Bing Ads). Social Media Connecting to social networks is one of the primary activities mobile users do, with 75% of smartphone users and 64% of tablet users checking social media at least once a day³. In fact, Facebook is the most widely used app in the US with over 86 million monthly users! A recent report from Forrester’s suggests that mobile users are more likely to engage with and share company published content, so businesses must think “mobile” when crafting content. That being said, it can be difficult for brands to reach consumers and grab their attention. So how can your business captivate the social-mobile user?
3. 2014 Mobile Behavior Report, Exacttarget
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• Concentrate on storytelling Social media users are turned off by messages that are too sales-y, so make your posts or tweets compelling, personal and share-worthy. Do this by digging to the core of your brand or marketing strategy and connect with users on an emotional level. Dove is a great example of a company using storytelling brilliantly on social media.
With over 64 million YouTube views & 275,000 followers on Google+ it’s no surprise the Dove Real Beauty Sketches campaign won Titanium Grand Prix at 2013 Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity.
Don’t have a big budget like Dove? No problem! Post a video or image of someone using your product / service in a unique or meaningful way, and link to a (mobile optimized!) blog post or landing page so people can learn more about your company, brand and product – and then share it!
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• Diversify your social mix Mobile users access different social networks differently, so make sure your activity is representative of the devices most used. For example, if you’re brand is leveraging Pinterest (which boasts 92% of traffic as mobile), ensure the images and links are mobile-friendly. 32%
68%
14%
86%
98% Twitter
46% Pinterest
1%
99% Tumblr
74%
26%
54%
8%
92%
2%
100% Vine
Snapchat
Mobile - Desktop
source: comScore
Mobile only social networks like Snapchat, Vine and Instagram are also to be considered, especially for consumer products and retail businesses. It’s also interesting to note than although consumers don’t buy via social, social media users spend 31% more than the average online user!
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• Invest in social advertising Unfortunately the days of reaching new users on many social networks for free are behind us. However, the good news is that social media advertising can be done even on a small budget and can be targeted to specific users to help drive traffic and sales.
• Promote your page posts
• Promote your tweets
• Create Facebook offers to drive
• Use targeted Twitter Ads to increase website visits,
• Use Facebook Ads to target by age, gender, location,
conversion, app installs or to generate leads
demographic, interests and connections • Use Custom Audiences to remarket to website visitors
• With Promoted Pins you
• +Post Ads can help you
can target users and pay
amplify your page posts by
only when users click
sharing it across the web
through to your website
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• Slowing rolling out Sponsored images
Email Email is a great way for brands to let customers (who have opted-in) know the latest and greatest news and offers. With 91% of smartphone owners reporting that they check their inbox from their phones, emails not only need to be mobilefriendly, but the offers and links need to be targeted and optimized to the mobile userâ ´. The majority of people who sign-up to receive emails are looking to receive coupons or offers (80%), with 84% of consumers saying that they have made a purchase based on the email they receivedâ ľ. Make it easy for your mobile user to convert from email with our checklist:
Email is personal, even more so on mobile. Make sure the From field is recognizable and personal.
Subject line is shorter in email, so take advantage of the preview text to improve open rates.
Mobile-friendly email layout. This includes text, images, video and call-toaction.
Ensure links lead to a mobile site or deep link to native app
Use segmentation and localization to target different offers to mobile users
4 & 5. 2014 Mobile Behavior Report, Exacttarget
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What about once your mobile traffic arrives to your site? Mobile redirect Once mobile traffic arrives on your site give the user the ability to pick how to experience your site, be it viewing your mobile site, redirecting to download a native app or even giving them the option of viewing the desktop version. • Offline Marketing Strategies Thinking mobile should also extend to your offline marketing strategies. Here are a few tips for bringing the digital realm into the real world. • Speak about the benefits of your app in your PR activities (press releases, interviews)
• Include QR codes or shortlink to your app on any and all printed materials that your customer receives (ie. Special invites, print catalogues, menus) • Include QR codes or shortlink to your app on promotional swag • Include QR codes or shortlink to your in advertisements • Print a QR code or shortlink onto your booth at tradeshows • Print a QR code or shortlink onto your vehicle fleet
• Sign customers up to your mailing list while they are in your premise (ie tablet station, manually at the POS) and include a link to your app in a welcome email
• Promote your app in-store or at the POS with signage (i.e download today and save on purchase)
• Promote your app on a decal outside your storefront, near the hours of operation
• Have sales and support staff let customers know about the app benefits (ie. Customer calls to enquire about store hours, staff can let customer know to download the app to stay up-to-date with store hours and the latest news)
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ENGAGING & RETAINING MOBILE CUSTOMERS
ENGAGING & RETAINING MOBILE CUSTOMERS ENGAGING & RETAINING MOBILE CUSTOMERS START YOUR FREE TRIAL
ENGAGING & RETAINING MOBILE CUSTOMERS When eCommerce first came on the scene, marketers were thrilled to be able to engage users based on data like visits, views and purchases, using tools like direct mail and personalized content.
With the growth of social media, marketers tapped into the power
of social sharing and advocacy to increase their brand equity and
give support to their customers 24/7.
Now, with mobile, a new day is dawning where our customer is on the go, and is no longer looking for “touch-point” marketing messages, but a flow of relevant content that speaks to their individual needs. Mobile doesn’t reinvent the wheel, but it does give marketers a whole new set of tools to use to achieve their goals. Using location based marketing, push notification, QR codes and a host of other strategies, you can put mobile in the center of your acquisition and retention strategies.
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Key mobile applications GOAL
ACTION
CONTENT
CUSTOMER ENGAGEMENT
Mobile messaging and push notifications
New product & offers
COMMUNITY INTERACTION
Social commerce features
Reviews, recommendations and ratings
OFFLINE SALES
Location based services
Alert shoppers in vicinity of time sensitive promotions
REDEMPTION OF SALES PROMOTIONS
Coupon & offers
Timely offers, mobile only coupon
IN - STORE ENGAGEMENT
QR code & image recognition
Real time product information
REPEAT SITE VISITS
Push Notifications
Product availability, sales & promotions
Source: Adapted from www.developingrevenues.co.uk by eibDIGITAL
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MOBILE CUSTOMER RELATIONSHIP MANAGEMENT (MCRM) CRM is a system businesses can use to guide a customer’s journey to purchase, facilitate continued engagement and prompt repeat purchases. Thanks to the increased capabilities of mobile apps, businesses can adapt their CRM strategies to deliver a more relevant experience for mobile users before and after a purchase.
Offer incentives & coupons
Consumers look to branded apps for incentives such as special deals,
discounts, coupons or additional services specifically devised for mobile
users. Make sure users can access coupons when making a SD\PHQW via
mobile.
â‚Ź
In-app pop-up alerts
In-app pop-ups can help you sell more to an already engaged customer.
Use pop-up alerts to suggest add-on items, remind users of items in
their shopping cart or to highlight special promotions.
PROMO FOR YOU
Push Notifications MESSAGE
Did your customer leave mid-purchase? Use notifications to bring them
back. Remind customers of the benefits of the product they viewed,
point your customer in the direction of similar products, or let them
know the product they liked is now on sale! Just remember to direct
users to mobile-optimized pages or deep-link to your app.
FOR YOU
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Leverage the power of social media
Social networking is a friendly and effective way to engage with
customers, keep in touch with old clients and encourage peer
review and sharing.
Take your customer service mobile
Mobile apps are a great way to get to know better customers and
learn how to satisfy their needs. Businesses can use an in-app wall
chat to engage customers and encourage them to exchange opinions
with other customers. Businesses can also provide quick click to call or
email links to their support center for quick issue resolution.
Bring your loyalty program mobile
Reward customers for their purchases (via mobile or in-store) with
savings or gifts. Drive repeat purchases & increase customer fidelity,
and get an overview of who your most loyal customer are.
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KEY TAKEAWAYS THE ESSENTIALS: 1. MOBILE IS CHANGING HOW WE DISCOVER, RESEARCH AND SHOP 2. CREATE USEFUL & VALUABLE CONTENT THAT YOUR USER WILL LOVE! 3. MCOMMERCE GROWTH IS SHOWING NO SIGNS OF SLOWING DOWN; BUSINESSES NEED TO CATCH UP OR RISK LOOSING THE MOBILE CUSTOMER TO COMPETITORS 4. DESIGN YOUR MCOMMERCE SITE OR APP KEEPING THE KEY TASKS YOUR CUSTOMER WANTS TO PERFORM IN MIND 5. ADOPT A MCRM STRATEGY AND NURTURE YOUR MOBILE LEADS START YOUR FREE TRIAL
Hungry for more app education? Check out these eBooks:
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