With e-commerce now fully established - over £40 million spent online last year, it seems 2008 could be the year that m-commerce finally takes off in the UK. With the introduction of new devices such as the iPhone, web usability on the mobile is going to be vastly improved, creating countless opportunities for the retail sector.
More people own a mobile phone than a PC and our mobiles are much more personal to us than our computers. 4,000 texts are sent in the UK every second, highlighting the close relationship consumers have with their mobile device. This makes it an ideal platform for retailers to capture customers.
Most research carried out in m-commerce has highlighted that currently people in the UK use their mobile to research product prices and locations of stores – the challenge for retailers is to convert this research into conversions.
Retailers must ensure they secure consumers trust in their mobile websites reflecting the issues that originally plagued e-commerce in the early days. Guarantees of credit card safety and secure payment methods will ensure consumer confidence in mobile websites and as a result, sales.
The key to success in the m-commerce market is offering consumers a better quality of service than other retailers. Enabling orders made via mobile to be picked up in stores as well as permitting users to stop and restart sessions at their convenience would greatly encourage people to purchase goods using their mobile device. New developments in mobile platforms such as the iPhone are a promising sign that mobile browsing will soon be much easier for consumers. Retailers must ensure their mobile websites are as clean and user-friendly as possible. Unlike web browsing, vertical navigation is a must with focus on text rather than images.
The potential of mobile technology for the retail sector is endless. Many retailers are already using SMS to alert customers of special events and offers and Bluetooth technology could lead to customers receiving sales messages the minute they walk into stores.
To find out more about m-commerce strategies and the increased sales you can expect contact our mobile team
