Mobile commerce covers a wide range of ways in which users can buy things through their mobile devices – whether it’s shopping from the mobile browser, paying with airtime for apps and games, or using the phone’s built-in technology at the point of sale.
Setting up a successful mobile commerce experience requires that you consider who your mobile customers are. What sorts of devices do they typically own? Are they comfortable with shopping online in general, and have they bought items on their mobile phones? Use these answers to inform your strategy.
Since there are so many physical, electronic and mobile payment options available, ensure that you cater to your market by providing a wide range of popular payment options. Do some research to discover what consumers in your region are using.
Mobile shopping
Mobile shopping has become hugely popular because of the flexibility and immediacy of mobile devices. Users can purchase goods or services wherever they are via the mobile web. They are also able to search for and compare products and prices. A spokesperson for eBay finds that mobile users follow through with purchases more often than desktop users do. A quarter of their new customers are on mobile devices.
What do people buy online?
People buy most things online. While the final purchase of a car may be uncommon, the research that goes into making this purchasing decision is often rooted in the online and mobile space.
Apps and music are currently the most popular items bought through mobile devices, most likely because they involve smaller payments and less risk. This does not mean that other categories remain unexplored, however. The graphic below demonstrates that entertainment and content items dominate as the most popular currently.
various factors that influence a mobile shopper’s behaviour
There are various factors that influence mobile shoppers’ behaviour and interests. The device and its interface have a significant impact on a mobile user’s actions. Nielsen and Yahoo conducted research on mobile shopping and established nine mobile principles that define a user’s mobile shopping experience.
These are:
- Location – Mobile ads should be relevant to a user’s current location.
- Goal orientation – Users actively shop and look up category information and know what they need to do and how to achieve it.
- Attentiveness – Users often give their full attention to category information
- Killing time – Users access the content because they are bored.
- Taking my time – Consumers use as much time as they need to complete a task.
- Urgency – Users experience a sense of urgency about completing a task.
- Routine – Users embrace the same method or process used to access category information.
- Passion – They display a sense of enthusiasm about category information.
- Trust and security – Users want to access a trusted and secure source.
Mobile commerce best practices
When building any mobile experience, and especially a mobile store, priorities the user experience above everything else. Mobile users are purpose-driven, search orientated, and clear on exactly what they are trying to locate – so make it as easy as possible for them to achieve their goal – which is to find and purchase an item.
- Include a prominent search bar and incorporate auto-suggest to make searching easier and quicker.
- Keep the menu short and clear, with only the most important items displayed. Focus on goals rather than simply long lists of items or categories.
- Make it easy to navigate by incorporating a prominent ‘back’ button at the top of every page.
- Layout individual product pages simply, with the most important information at the top and a clear ‘buy’ button visible.
- Include an ‘add to wishlist’ or ‘save this’ button so that customers can find their favourite items later. This is especially handy if you also have a full eCommerce site since customers can browse and research on mobile and then evaluate their purchases later on their desktop computers.
- Use images to draw attention and illustrate products.
- Allow users to sort search results so that they can quickly find exactly what they want.
- Ensure that users do not have to register to make a purchase – many will abandon the process if they are forced to fill out a complex form on the small screen.
Mobile commerce
Build the payment system with good security, and reassure users that their details are secure – after all, most people are afraid of transacting on mobile because of security concerns. Include a privacy policy and information about the security measures you have taken for users who want to access this information.
If you want to venture into mobile commerce, it is recommended that you start by developing a mobile site before you spend time and money creating a dedicated store application. Not only are people more likely to find you through a web search, but the barriers for entry are much lower since a site does not require the user to download anything. Program your full eCommerce site to redirect mobile customers to the mobile site to improve their experience.
Finally, promote your eCommerce platform across your other media (your website, social media channels and offline promotions). Offering a special mobile-only coupon can drive traffic to this platform and will make customers feel more at ease since they are being directed there from more trusted sources. You can also experiment with QR codes, depending on whether your market is aware of and comfortable with this technology.
