We all know that mobile is big. Mobile commerce is slowly gaining traction in popularity among the online shoppers.
So what are the statistics in favour of mobile?
- According to a Comscore report, by 2017, 25% of the total ecommerce sales are going to be through mobile.
- 60% of the time users spend on social media is through their mobile, says Moovweb.
- Mobile is overtaking desktop. According to a Comscore study, the time spent on mobile is 51% over 42% of time spent on desktop.
Common myths about mobile commerce
In spite of the numerous benefits, mcommerce is still one of the less known and utilised form of commerce. This could be in part due to the cloud of doubt that exists around the industry.
Let us take a look at some of the common perceptions that prevent companies from exploring the benefits of mcommerce.
-
Mobile advertising is not lucrative
Nothing could be farther than the truth. According to a Comscore study, mobile ad spend is set to race past desktop ad spend by the end of 2016. The study shows that advertisements on mobile will hit $40.5 billion by the end of the year. 2019 is predicted to witness ad spending on mobile to take up 72% of digital advertising. This being the case, ecommerce companies will stand to gain from ad revenue. Focus on m-commerce to reap the benefits of ad spending.
-
Mobile commerce is unaffordable
Many ecommerce companies believe that mcommerce is only a luxury that the high flying corporate can afford. The fact is that mobile commerce has helped many a small company in building its fortunes. So focus on your company’s mobile arm to win over the market.
-
People don’t use their mobiles at home
Naturally, when a shopper is at home, the most convenient option would be to reach for their desktop. However, according to Google, 52% of its survey respondents watch TV when using their smartphones. So don’t aim your ads to a user who you assume to be outdoors. Target your campaign to reach users who could be undertaking any domestic activity, like cooking or watering the plants.
- Having a mobile app is all you need for red hot mcommerce
Don’t make the mistake of limiting your customers’ choices. You might recall Myntra’s unfortunate series of events. The company famously declared that it was shutting down its website, and going app-only. It stood strong even when it faced much backlash. Within a year, it reopened its mobile website, and finally, the company brought its desktop website back.
Keep the app and the mobile site running parallel to each other. Only 30% of shoppers have more than two shopping apps on their mobiles, and only 7% have more than five. So focus on building a strong mobile website, and once you have that in the bag, you can take on the app world. And while you are at it, make sure that your app is easily navigable, works fast, and is basically user-friendly. Don’t overload it with media to the point where it crashes when there are a lot of users.
- Mobile is only for the youth
While it is true that majority of users who shop on their smartphones are between the ages of 16 and 24, this should not mean that older patrons would not use mcommerce. A study that WishDigital conducted in 2015 showed that 53 % of people between the ages of 35 and 44 were more likely to shop for things online.
- An iOS app is all that is needed
This will again amount to limiting yourself. When creating a mobile app, ensure that you include different mobile platforms. You will need to look at creating the app in Android, iOS and Apple. Cross platform apps have multiple benefits. Here is a list of tools that will help you develop apps across platforms.
Were any of these thoughts on your mind too? Now that everything is clear, you can get straight ahead. If you need any help, reach out to us at Browntape. We are India’s leading ecommerce service providers. Take a look at our various services here.
