6 Benefits of mCommerce

Being able to access a world of shopping through your fingertips has redefined eCommerce and it’s not slowing down any time soon.

With mobile internet traffic making up close to 60% of total online traffic and 4.67 billion mobile internet users worldwide, mCommerce is now a crucial revenue driver for online retailers.¹

Below we discuss the benefits a fully optimised mobile experience can have for your online store and the actions you can take to improve your customer journey for mobile users.

What is mCommerce?

mCommerce gives users access to online shopping platforms without the need for a desktop or laptop.

There are two key devices that are driving the mCommerce revolution: smartphones and tablets.

Consumers are reliant on digital devices now more than ever and they have the potential to completely overtake customers’ preferred shopping channels within the next five years.²

If you haven’t already got a mobile-optimised site, what are you waiting for?

You have the opportunity to open your doors to a whole new range of consumers and we’ve pulled together the benefits for yourself and your shoppers.

Benefits of mCommerce for eCommerce retailers

Having an optimised mobile site has many benefits for eCommerce businesses, from improved customer experiences to increased conversions and reduced basket abandonment.

As a starting point, we’ve pulled together the six main advantages of mobile commerce and the benefits it can have for your company.

1. Improved customer experience

In an age where customers are demanding more from the companies they interact with, offering a seamless customer experience is vital.

Customers want a hassle-free buying journey where they can shop wherever and whenever they want through their wireless devices.

Getting the mobile experience right can open up doors for businesses from a whole new range of shoppers.

From a customer standpoint, the biggest benefit of mCommerce is that it’s quicker, easier and more convenient than other shopping channels – meaning more conversions for you.

What you can do: It’s crucial that your search functionality returns quick results and is optimised for mobile users, who may be shopping on the go.

2. Increased product discovery

You may have your eCommerce site, your social media and potentially a brick-and-mortar store, so why not combine these to create an extra marketing channel to sell products to end-users?

Social media platforms such as Facebook, TikTok, Instagram and Pinterest have all introduced “buy now buttons” that allow shoppers to make purchases without leaving the platform.

At the end of the day, if social media sites are where consumers spend their time, why interrupt their product discovery process by navigating through to other pages?

As social platforms continue to grow and develop, they can be a major contributor to sales growth amongst Gen Zers and Millenials.

Younger generations are increasingly influenced by products they discover on social media and through influencers, so why not continue their product discovery experience and allow them to make their purchases right there and then?

That’s why having a fully optimised site for mCommerce – or better, an app – is the key to better shopping experiences and increased conversion rates.

Related: Drive sales with a personalised product discovery experience.

3. Reach a wider audience

Mobile shopping allows you to enter new markets that you couldn’t before.

Each customer will have a preferred way to shop, whether on their desktop, mobile or through social media, so this is perfect for acquiring new customers in the mCommerce world.

At the end of the day, every user with a smartphone is a potential customer. With 83.72% of people having smartphones in 2022, that’s plenty of opportunities.³

You can have a new audience to acquire and focus on generating and nurturing those customer relationships to take your business further.

4. Capitalise on impulse purchases

Having a mobile app or a mobile optimised site gives your shoppers the ability to find out information in just a few clicks.

This is perfect for the on-the-go shoppers who want to quickly complete a purchase.

First things first, for these shoppers you need to make it easy for them. Don’t make them jump through hoops just to find your CTA.

These impulsive shoppers often rely on the instant gratification of completing a purchase and the combined rush of stress and excitement from quickly grabbing a deal.

It’s a great way to secure sales from this audience of consumers and drive sales in the long run. Plus, if they have a positive experience with you, they’ll likely return.

Things to consider: You can offer personalised, AI-driven Recommendations on-site to enhance the product discovery experience. This connects your shoppers with their next purchase and increases AOV.

5. Better pull of data and analytics

Mobile generates a larger pool of customer data due to higher traffic and more frequent use, this can be used by retailers to provide valuable insights into their customers.

Mobile software can easily collect customer data, including location, buying history, and email addresses. This data can be used to segment your customer lists based on their characteristics and help you provide more targeted marketing campaigns.

This greater pull of data through mCommerce allows retailers to analyse user behaviour and build up a clearer picture of their shoppers.

6. Greater engagement and communication with customers

mCommerce works to increase engagement and communication with shoppers by providing:

• Immediate contact with customers: In the form of push notifications which promote your discounts, and new product releases, mobile shoppers have quicker, easier access to your latest content.
• Greater communication through omnichannel marketing: You can interact with customers through multiple different channels such as SMS, mobile apps, social media platforms and emails. This omnichannel approach expands the possibilities of marketing materials and leads to greater engagement with your communications.
• Expand the customer experience: You can connect with your shoppers in many different ways and develop a tone of voice they come to know and love. These opportunities for greater communications allow your shoppers to build up a relationship with your brand and increase your shoppers’ loyalty.

Mobile makes it possible for retailers to communicate more effectively and reach consumers quickly, across different platforms.

What can eCommerce retailers do?

So now we’ve outlined the benefits mCommerce can have on your business, we’re going to discuss some tips and tricks you can implement to ensure you optimise your user experience and increase sales.

Getting stuck in with the most important factor – usability.

Nothing screams poor usability louder than long forms, poor payment experiences, slow load times and navigation issues.

Although there are various things you can do – big and small – to improve the mobile experience, we’ve pulled together three key ways you can optimise your site.

1. Optimised UX design

Granted mobile phones nowadays are pretty much the size of a small iPad, but they can still be a bit finicky to navigate.

Combining this with a poorly designed mobile site is a recipe for disaster, or in other words, lost conversions.

Try to consider the size of phones and holding positions. 49% of users use one hand, 36% cradle the phone and 15% use both hands.⁴

Ensuring your site is optimised for mobile by having larger, clear CTAs will make sure you don’t miss out on sales due to someone being unable to find or click the purchase button.

It’s not just your CTAs, but think of your images, product names and copy, this is why there is such a strong emphasis on building your site as a mobile-first experience.⁵

Prioritising content and visibility of your items will allow for easy navigation on your site or mobile applications and ultimately lead to increased revenue.

2. Quicker checkout process

Mobile commerce became increasingly popular due to its ease of use anywhere and anytime.

If you already have a fully optimised site for mobiles, don’t put customers off their purchase with a lengthy checkout process.

Oftentimes mobile shoppers will browse on the go, on public transport, on their lunch breaks or a cheeky browse in the queue. All they need is an internet connection to access a plethora of eCommerce sites.

These shoppers want to navigate your site and check out their purchase quickly and efficiently, so a guest checkout or one-click payment is the key to reducing basket abandonment.

3. Improve your mobile site loading time

Website speeds are particularly significant in a mobile-first world and it’s not just a quick checkout mobile shoppers want, but quick load times.

Optimising both your eCommerce and mCommerce experience will reduce bounce rates and improve your overall customer experience.

Mobile shopping is frequently on the go and there is a higher risk of shoppers leaving your site if it takes too long to load an item as it’s such a quick-paced process.

Plus, prioritising your site loading time can help increase conversions and keep your shoppers on-site longer.

Conclusions

Mobile commerce will continue to expand so it’s key to optimise your site, app and overall mobile experience for your shoppers.

One of the most important pieces of advice we can give you is to test your site, if you find yourself getting frustrated in any way, your customers probably are too.

This applies all around, your mobile site, your mobile app, your social shopping links and even your eCommerce site.

¹ Mobile internet usage worldwide -statistics & facts – Statista

² Rise of mCommerce: Mobile eCommerce shopping stats & trends in 2022 – Business Insider

³ How many smartphones are in the world? – Bankmycell

⁴ Optimising your website for mobile use – Blue Frog

⁵ How to Optimise Your Website for Mobile Users- Geekflare