Mobile Websites Are Becoming a Necessity for Retailers

Retailers who want to remain competitive must invest the resources necessary to make sure that they have a good mobile website. I see this as the big shopping development of the future. Consumers are embracing the idea of using a mobile device for shopping like never before.

As this technology improves, I think we can expect to see the numbers continue to rise over time. In the past, it was important for businesses to have an online presence using keywords that would attract potential customers. While that is still the case, now company websites also need to be optimized for mobile users.

Retailers who are slow to get out of this particular gate will find that they are missing a big piece of the potential revenue pie. With many consumers focusing on getting the best deal for products they are buying, I can see them spending some time using a tablet or smart phone to shop around before they set foot in the store. As more people become comfortable with online shopping, busy consumers are more likely to simply look for products electronically rather than taking the time to visit a brick-and-mortar store.

I know that businesses are competing for the same dollars from their customer base no matter how they choose to shop. The brands that will be left standing 12 months from now will be the ones that have taken the steps necessary to optimize their sites for mobile consumers.

Building a Loyalty Program through Mobile CRM

There are plenty of opportunities to engage customers and build a loyal base through rewards and loyalty programs on mobile devices, although many companies are not using this channel to its fullest potential. On average, American consumers are opted into about 18 loyalty programs, yet only carry 1-3 cards on a regular basis. However, most consumers have their phones with them at all times, with two-thirds of Americans reporting they have their phone next to them 24 hours a day, even while sleeping. I know my phone is with me at all times - at home, work, the gym, and yes, even when I am sleeping. When used correctly, mobile can be an excellent channel through which brands can build loyal customers for life.

Reaching customers through mobile can be an effective way to build loyalty and provide them with true value, giving them a reason to opt into a mobile program. Brands can offer loyalty program rewards such as:

Instant coupons – Customers can text or scan a QR code in-store to receive instant rebates. This not only benefits the customer, it will likely increase impulse purchases while customers are shopping. Brands can also track which coupons a customer redeems, increasing their ability to target communications on an individual basis.

 Invites to exclusive sales – One of the main reasons people opt into loyalty programs is to get rewards and offers that are not usually available. Inviting customers to sales that are exclusive to them is a great way to build relationships and create lifelong customers.

 

Special occasion rewards – Almost everyone likes a happy birthday wish or congratulations on an achievement or anniversary, so what better way to build relationships with your customers than by personalizing mobile messages that are uniquely for them. 

 

Alerts & Notifications – Notify customers when new products are available or send reminders for sales, special events, or appointments. This adds value and personalizes the shopping experience for your customers.  

In addition, converting to a mobile loyalty program is environmentally friendly since customers can ditch their plastic rewards cards and paper coupons. Moreover, it is likely the problem of forgetting your card or coupon at home will become outdated as more customers adopt mobile.

As mobile devices increase in popularity, so will the use of mobile loyalty programs. Brands that are smart will start using this channel early and win in the end with a large group of highly devoted customers.

The Hybrid Experience - How Digital, Interactive, Mobile, and Social Interact

Retailers today struggle with what to give customers in store, how to create a memorable experience, and how to create additional value and revenue. All are trying different tactics to increase revenues and loyalty through mobile /social sharing in store.

The question is, are these repeatable models to scale? Who owns this experience in a brand? Is there a central owner? I’ve heard more times than I can count that within each brand there are no short of 5 heads of marketing, each having different P&L, responsibilities and agendas. And then there are the brands’ agencies (plural), which all have different roles and agendas. So which agency and which VP of Marketing owns the “new hybrid” customer experience in store? When you determine who the owner is, where is their knowledge coming from? The lack of knowledge in the industry today on mobile is one of the main reasons so many brands have not done mobile, or have not done mobile well.

Mobile is exciting and it’s all over the news; you can’t help but read about a new mobile campaign rollout these days. Should you make corporate decisions by following what other brands have done? Do you really want to follow exactly what your competitor is doing? Anyone can hit one homerun but that doesn’t get you an over .300 batting average. You have to engage a company that lives and breathes mobile, you can’t run your business day to day and be in tune with every new technology out there.

Now, let’s talk about the new hybrid customer experience. This is the experience in which customers engage with a brand in store in the new “digital, interactive, mobile, social” realm. The reason I don’t give it a name and it can be classified into four categories. No one knows what to call digital interactions in store.

One size consumer experiences do not fit all. We have to look at our new consumers groups and how they want to engage, the channel they want to engage and how to get them to re-engage and come back into the store. This is the biggest miss by brands in the marketplace today.

Each brand usually is targeting multiple demographics. First you must outline a mobile strategy to understand your demographic channels, how to engage and how often to re-engage. It’s just as important to first run “blocking and tackling” campaigns prior to “trick plays”. We see more brands trying to do far out innovative things and a only few will stick, but creating a foundation for building a mobile database that will last and not just be “one timers” is built from the main steps in mobile.

So who are the demographics and how do you reach them?

Moms with kids

• High text frequency
• Use text to keep contact with kids
• Search for locations and products on the go
• Opt-in to mobile campaigns to get value add
• Growing in smartphone usage

Minorities

• Cell phones are primary household phones
• Low landline usage
• Low in-home internet access
• Primary text users and watch cell phone minutes carefullyLow smartphone usage, typical phones are WAP or xHTML

Business Stakeholders

• Sales, technology, and management
• High smartphone usage
• Uses a combination of text, email, and internet
• Typically has 7-10 applications downloaded and uses 2-4 regularly

Corporate Business

• Corporate America employees connected through Blackberries
• This group works for corporate America , uses Blackberries frequently due to fast response via email and text
• Low adoption rate of smartphones due to security issues with iPhones and Androids
• Uses internet often, limited applications downloads

Tweens

• Uses feature phones and "smaller" Blackberries
• Parents pay phone bill to reach this demographic
• 90% texting, 10%
• Very limited smartphones in this demographic due to cost

High School/College Kids

• Similar to tweens, using text frequently, voice less often
• Limited smartphone usage due to costs, although growing in college aged demographic
• High Facebook usage, although connects through mobile web vs. application

Non Mainstream Male

• Early adopters of latest in technology and gadgets
• Gamers, surfers, skateboarders, and musicians 23-35 year old male.
• Highest demographic using Android OS powered devices
• Uses mobile devices for gaming and texting, not a fan of "voice" conversations

So how do you connect and make an emotional connection and experience with these different consumer groups in store? You understand the key drivers around purchasing behavior, social behavior and choose interactions and experiences that go across multiple mobile channels to appeal to each demographic.

If you roll out a QR code program for tweens or minorities it will fail. If you roll out a QR code and SMS program for tweens, minorities and Moms, you will see the interactions by channel and give these groups multiple ways to engage with the brand.

More on Hybrid experiences and closing the gap in my next post.

iPad Users More Likely to Buy Products

I didn't realize that the type of mobile device that a consumer is using has an impact on whether he or she will make a purchase. It turns out that iPad users are more likely to get their wallets out than Android or PC users. Not only are iPad users buying more often, they are making larger purchases.

Mobile shopping is becoming more popular, and consumers are becoming more comfortable with using this technology to make purchases. A full 46 percent of shoppers in the United States plan to make a holiday purchase via a mobile device, including tablets, this year.

Retailers will be responding to this surge in mobile device use by making sure that their sites are ready to respond to shoppers' desire to make a buying decision and conclude the transaction quickly. Using the iPad means that shoppers have the convenience of shopping virtually anywhere, and someone who is focused on getting the purchase completed quickly will not be interested in using a web site that makes completing the transaction a complicated or time-consuming experience.

With the holiday shopping season approaching quickly, iPad use will only increase. Consumers already have very full schedules, and any strategy that can help them save time when choosing gifts for friends and family members is something they will certainly utilize.

QR Codes from untrusted companies carry malware risk

QR codes are becoming the hot new item among major brands and retailers to drive consumers to websites, promotions, sweepstakes, and more. What's easier for consumers than to scan a code with a smartphone app and instantly go to a mobile website to learn more, compare products, or complete an action in order for you to capture critical customer data? A simple click is all it takes to access this information, quickly and conveniently.


Unfortunately, some consumers have found that snapping images of QR codes has also led to infection of their phones by malware. According to one anti-virus software company, a smartphone was infected with a code that sent a number of expensive text messages.

Malware is not the only risk associated with QR codes. They have been linked to phishing scams, too. If a smartphone user is asked to provide a user name and password for his or her e-mail account or a social networking site, this is a red flag that something may not be right.

Businesses and advertisers that use QR codes should be aware of these scams and create measures that increase consumer trust, such as only working with reputable QR code companies and listing traditional contact information near the QR code for the customer, in case they want to confirm.

Mobile Websites Will Drive Sales for Retailers This Holiday Season

The annual holiday shopping season is about to start, and mobile retail websites definitely have a role to play in helping consumers get the most bang for their buck. I can’t say that I enjoy shopping as an activity at any time of the year. Any technology that can make it a quicker and easier experience is something that I am prepared to embrace with open arms.

Recent surveys and data about consumer interactions with mobile web offer some very interesting results. It found that consumers are turning to mobile websites to provide them with information they need to make an educated decision. A full 63 percent of respondents said that they had visited a store’s website from a mobile device and I was surprised to find out that 41 percent of them have done so from within the store itself.

Using mobile devices to check out offerings does not necessarily translate into loyalty, though. Shoppers reported checking out the offerings from another store during the same visit.

Mobile sites can act as more than just an electronic brochure for a retail establishment. They can be an effective promotional tool for retailers. Shoppers who are already interested in researching prices and taking advantage of store coupons to find the best deals on the perfect gift will simply reach for their smart phones. Savvy store owners will make sure they are providing that information.



Source: http://eon.businesswire.com/news/eon/20111020005358/en/mobile-marketing/mobile-advertising/research