Mobile commerce is still a new market,however, it quickly gained acceptance from a massive number of people. Consumers just cannot resist the convenience when it comes to researching products or making orders through their smart phone. Fortunately, it is relatively easy for most businesses to create their mobile storefront and thanks to the mobile devices themselves, they are now in a better position than ever to locate relevant customers.
One great thing about mobile commerce is the fact that the consumers have ample time to research and decide on what brand and model of the product they are looking for is best for their needs. These days all that is needed to make a purchase is a mobile app, one does not need to set foot in the store. Consumers find it easy to learn more about products and get to know them in detail via mobile applications.
Customers love to use their smartphones while in the store too. In fact, 73 percent prefer to use their smartphone for simple tasks while in stores rather than speaking with an employee and seventy-one percent prefer to use their smartphone to find if an item is in stock (Retail Wire).
Having the proper information about a product gives customers the confidence to go ahead and make the purchase. Additionally, the ease of making mobile payments also attracts many consumers.
This article will show you some of the tips which can be very helpful in helping you improve your mobile commerce. The techniques which you can put into use are endless. Here are some of them.
#1. Focus on an easy-to-use user interface when developing your mobile app
The appetite for mobile apps has grown amongst the consumers for years. These days, consumers are very familiar with apps and won’t accept one that isn’t easy to use. Most large retailers know this and have focused on the user experience to create huge sales. If you get your design interface, speed and user experience right, then you will have a leg up on the competition that hasn’t focused on this key area.
#2. Don’t skimp when doing the photography
What attracts the consumers to your app has a lot to do with how presentable it looks. Most people want to see the things they are about to purchase. You have to therefore make them look as attractive as possible. Don’t skimp when it comes to photographing your products. You may decide to link your pictures to Instagram or Pinterest for social exposure.
Let the customer get to know your product by providing multiple angles and being detailed. Remember to focus on the essential features. This way, the consumer will find it easy to make an informed choice as all the facts will be on the table.
#3. Have a tool for comparison shopping
This is a very important tool which can always go a long way in helping you improve your sales. With this feature, the buyers will have an opportunity to decide on which product to choose and whether they should buy from you or one of your competitors.
Beyond just comparing prices and features with your competitors, let your customers compare your products against each other. This helps them validate their thought process and helps increase conversion ratios.In fact, research has shown that the smart phone is the number one device for looking up product information for 16-34 year olds (Kanter).
#4. The content you offer should be as brief as possible
You should always provide all the relevant information about the product since this will go a long way in helping consumers choose your product, however, you should skip items that are not relevant and keep your content as brief as possible. Most customers these days do not readlong irrelevant content.
Additionally, mobile devices and how consumers use them tend to demand that content be brief. Mobile screens do not accommodate overcrowded,lengthy content. Only talk about those things which are obvious and cannot be ignored. Otherwise your consumers will have to keep scrolling and scrolling. Nothing can be more tiresome than this. Get directly to the point. It does not help beating around the bush.
Also, make the text on your mobile app large and clear, so it’s easy for customers to read. If your users have to pinch and zoom to try to read things, they will most likely just end up moving on to another mobile application.
#5. Create an effective shopping experience
A strong shopping experience will go a long way in improving on your mobile commerce. Make it easy to add products your shopping cart and make it easy to buy them. Simplify the experience. A screen that is packed with content will be difficult for your users to navigate. Make buttons big, simplify navigation, make the most important copy stand out and don’t forget to make it intuitive.
This isn’t the time to get overly creative, leverage patterns of behavior so your customers don’t have to stop and figure out how to use your shopping cart. Mobile shopping carts that are cluttered with unnecessary items that interfere with the transaction or that have an excessive number of screens will lead to high abandonment rates. Businesses who streamline their mobile checkout process will lower abandonment rates and increase conversions.
#6. Regularly alert your consumers
You should have a section in your mobile app which guides people on how they can sign up for alerts. The alerts can be on different things. You can alert people on the new products you have in the stores, changes in price on different products and other vital pieces of information. An app is a great platform to interact with your customers and always stay in touch.
In addition, geo-targeting will always help. This is a very big plus to your mobile commerce should you see the wisdom in using it. With your app, you will be able to deal with customers who can be found within a specific location. This makes it much easier to reach interested people since you will only be dealing with your specific target audience.
Final Thoughts
Depending on how well you make use of it, the mobile commerce app can be a very huge determinant of your business success. The use of proven principles can help you achieve more success with your mobile app and drive you towards the sales growth businesses are looking to achieve.Remember that mobile is no longer an optional strategy for businesses today. Customers use their smart phones for pretty much everything, including shopping. So it only makes sense that you need to learn the nuances of how to sell to customers via mobile devices.
Images “Highway Signpost with Mobile Commerce wording/ Shutterstock.com“
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