Mobile is set to become the dominant form of computing. Over the past five years, more than half of all internet traffic has shifted to originate from mobile devices. Interestingly though, 51 percent of respondents to a study conducted by German enterprise software giant SAP said they still use PCs to make purchases.
Privacy and security concerns, along with difficulty of use were cited as their primary reasons for eschewing mobile. With that in mind, it only makes sense that the best mobile ecommerce apps would minimize these concerns, while enticing browsers to convert into buyers.
If you’re just starting out, or if you’re considering a new platform to build an ecommerce website, make sure it includes a very robust mobile application with strong security protocols and a user-friendly interface.
Your first opportunity to win a loyal customer begins the moment a user downloads your application. Referred to as the onboarding process, it is the consumer’s first experience with your application. The more you can do to acclimate them while also exposing them to your products the better.
A smart opening move is to offer an incentive for the first purchase in the form of a discount or a free gift. This makes them feel good about downloading the application, ensures their patience while they learn their way around the app and gives them an opportunity to sample your wares with minimal risk.
This strategy also encourages users to engage with your sign-up flow. Here, you want to make it as simple as possible, because again, these are among the first interactions they are experiencing. Facebook Login is a good way to go, as most people have Facebook accounts and have already given them much of the information you’re likely to request. This reduces the sign-up process to one button.
Once they’ve signed up, you can then help them to personalize their experience. They can save items for a second look, create wish lists and compare different items to help them make purchase decisions. Even with Facebook login, you’ll want to provide alternative methods, just in case they’re one of the three people left on the planet without a Facebook account.
Referrals drive a lot of business, so you also want to make sure you provide an easy way for your users to tell their friends how great you are. Native sharing functionality is the best way to accomplish this. That way, messages shared will automatically open in the appropriate application on their devices. Remember to provide a text option as well.
All of the best mobile ecommerce apps include push notifications. It just makes sense. You’re already on their mobile device, so use its functionalities to keep your customer apprised of specials, internet-only deals, flash sales and the like. Just be careful to avoid annoying them in the process. Ask for push permission and give them the option of choosing how often they get them, what kind they get and which products or services they’re about. When you ask, make sure you tell them why you’re asking, so they’ll be more inclined to accept them.
Ok, so now you’re on their device, they’ve signed up and opted-in to push.
Your work is done -right?
Actually, your work is just beginning. Now is when your clever promotions come into play to bring them back into the app to make purchases after the novelty of having a new application on their mobile device has worn off. Key things to remember here are to make sure the promotions are relevant to the individual customer and they are delivered with a sense of urgency so the user is more likely to take action. This can include flash sales, mobile-only deals and the like.
With mobile steadily increasing in prominence and influence, smart entrepreneurs are doing everything possible to ensure mobile shoppers’ security, while minimizing the effort they must expend to find items and make purchases. This is key to your success when it comes to converting shoppers into buyers.