How eCommerce Can Take Advantage Of Mobile And How It Can Be Used To Boost Profits?
Internet and smartphones are an incessant combination! Consumers nowadays prefer to use their mobiles for many things before diving in for a purchase, for example- product & price comparison, reviews, availability of a product, etc.
The fact that people are always on the go, crunched for time, and carry a hand-held device all the time, it’s a money-minting opportunity for eCommerce retailers. They can reach out to a wider section of customers, through a mobile version of their store and make themselves globally visible.
An app provides a deeper level of engagement with your brand than a website. They get the undivided attention of the consumers, unlike a store where the customer interacts with a brand or a list of brands.
Let’s take a sneak peek at how making use of mobile can boost your e-commerce business.
Convenient Shopping
Mobile apps are a one-time download and can work offline too, except of course during the payment process. Since they have no page loading constraints, they provide better navigation and enhanced user experience.
A well-designed mobile app allows customers to easily scan through the product list and place orders from the convenience of their tablet or smartphone, any time of the day.
In case a product is out of stock for the moment, customers can place those products in their Wish-list, making it easier for the retailer to analyze the demand and notify those customers when it’s back in stock again using an in-app notification feature.
The app can also help in locating the traditional in-stores for a specific area. Consumers can save time by reviewing and deciding upon the products of their choice through the app, even before entering the respective traditional in-store for purchase.
Easy Payment Methods
Mobile apps allow customers to pay within an app. Since the payment process is hosted by the app platforms like Android or iOS, they don’t usually require a third-party payment gateway, which means customers have a more easy and secure transaction.
This process also enables the customer to avail of more personalized or premium offerings from the service provider or to purchase add-ons of an app.
Customers can use Mobile Wallet technology too which allows them to maintain pre-paid account, from which the amount can be used for transactions. This is extremely beneficial from the perspective of cyber crimes and staying secure.
Such improvisations on online payments are a win-win situation not only for customers but also for retailers as well, since it –
- Reduces Fraud
- Decreases the payment time
- Acts as an additional communication channel
- Provides for personalized promotion
- Increases online sales.
- Attracts better customer loyalty- built through sales and incentives sent directly to smartphones.
Instant Connection with Your Customer
It’s important for the customer to remember you! Keep reminding them of your brand through emails, SMS, or in-app messaging.
Push notifications provide an instant connection with your customer. You can send your attractive offers or deals to the customers’ mobile devices as many number of times as you want (provided they have installed your app) and link them to the right product page on your site. These notifications contain your brand logo which continuously reminds the customer of your app.
You could also track the customer’s browsing history or previous purchase details and customize your advertising to suit their interests, and maybe recommend future purchases.
This personalized and relevant messaging encourages the customer to open your content which can lead to a sale.
Digital Value-Add At The Time Of Purchase
Retailers can offer loyalty rewards or coupons at the point of sale to the customer to bring them back. With mobile apps, you can even digitize loyalty by offering deals like a free download for an app, song, coupon code, e-tickets, etc that can easily be stored and scanned through the hand-held device.
Another way to value-add is to ask for feedback and respond accordingly. Place easy & accessible buttons for reading and writing reviews within your app. You can also provide instant chats.
Make your customers feel that you listen and care for them, and provide excellent customer service. Happy customers in turn will pull in more customers for you.
These benefits are exclusively for app subscribers which can help in motivating and retaining them as customers.
Conclusion
Statistics show that mobile shoppers are definitely on the rise and needless to say, we have reached a stage where we can’t IMAGINE a life without a smartphone!
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