Role of Mobile Phones in ecommerce
The global mobile phone user base is 5.2 billion people, and 30% of them are smartphone users.
Online shopping has always been a boon for us. What is more comfortable than shopping a huge variety of things at the ease of your home. But nowadays when we talk about online shopping or ecommerce, we get the thought about shopping and mobile phones. Because there is few audience left that actually access the desktop version of e-tailers. Infact there are many online stores that have shut down their desktop versions and completely focus on mobile versions. Reason? Their 90% of audience come from mobile sites or mobile apps. So why waste resources on maintaining a desktop version, instead focus on making mobile version more user friendly and technical advance.
According to an IMRG report from February 2015, visits to e-commerce sites via smartphone and tablet devices accounted for 45% of all e-commerce traffic in the UK.
The falling prices of mobile devices like smartphones and tablets are making it easier for the consumer to switch to the latest version, if not a latest gadget at least; everyone can now own a phone that have internet access and app loading capability. Also, the slashing prices of internet is also making it easier for the user to visit e-shops.
You must have seen that many mobile devices come with preloaded apps like amazon. Which shows that big ecommerce giants are tying relationships with mobile companies to promote their applications. A good move by ecommerce industry.
There was time when users open a web browser in their mobile phone, search for products on mobile sites. This was more like casual surfing and there was less of a commitment. E-tailers could not bank upon such visitors, as their ROI was upto the expectations.
But the apps have completely changed the scenario. E-tailers can trust on app users, implement codes that shows results in app based upon their search history and frequent notifications helped them a lot in converting the visitor into buyer.
According to data from Google’s Think Insights, 29% of users cite the inability to see detailed product information as a barrier to purchase on smartphones. A pinch-to-zoom functionality enables this.
Well, this type of response cannot be seen on desktop version, may be if desktop apps launched, then they can expect a bit of it… but not equivalent to mobile response.
They way mobile devices are being innovated, user are more relying on what they are seeing. Features like haptic feedback, flexible OLED screens are great features to engage users in good shopping experience.
Mobile phone nowadays act like companion. Apart from social networking or chit chatting, people prefer to spend time or rather kill time by surfing online stores. Which means, if users are stuck on station, waiting for your turn at doctor’s clinic, they may end up buying a few things. This is how e commerce are benefiting from the mobility of smart devices.
