As consumers use their smartphones for a growing number of tasks, retailers are being advised to keep up.
As m-commerce reaches an explosive growth rate, retail mobile apps are becoming increasingly important to consumers as they shop. In fact, this trend is becoming important enough that retailer are now being cautioned that if they don’t start offering the right tools to attract and keep shoppers over their smartphones, they will already be losing out.
Due to a growing number of analytics reports, it has become generally accepted that more traffic comes from mobile than PC.
The figure currently sits at around 60 percent. Within another handful of years, it is likely to rise to be closer to about 80 percent. While North American consumers are still shopping more and are making bigger purchases over their computers in terms of the actual purchases they make online, smartphones are playing an unparalleled role in the shopping process as a whole.
Retail mobile apps are helping consumers to research stores and products, regardless of whether they make the final purchase on computer, mobile web, an application or even in person. Shoppers are using their devices to inform themselves, making these gadgets an integral part of the overall purchasing process.
However, not all retail mobile apps are generating the same results and many retailers aren’t focused on the channel.
A recent study from Cartful indicated that even though purchases made through the use of mobile apps have a three times greater likelihood of being completed than those made through a website, only 10 percent of the leading 500 retailers actually offer their own application. This represents a potentially important missed opportunity.
Cartful’s data shows that, despite the expense associated with the development of mobile applications, the outcome of a well-made app is improved brand engagement, connection with the consumer and loyalty as well as faster checkout and a significant boost on sales conversions.
The firm said that consumers stay longer on retail mobile apps than websites and that they return more frequently. Shoppers also have an improved overall user experience, easier navigation, better speed and a smoother path to purchase.
