mCommerce Best Practices

As mobile technology continues to expand, the smartphone is rapidly becoming an essential shopping and purchasing tool. mCommerce, short for mobile commerce, represents the emerging workspace where buyers and sellers meet to conduct business via a mobile device. Google estimates that 79% of American smartphone users have used their device to shop for a product, and of these users, 74% have converted the shopping experience into an actual purchase. Businesses of all sizes are quickly focusing their attention to the profit-earning potential that iPhone, Android and Blackberry devices present. They are realizing that their customers - and in most cases, their competitors - are already mobile and are forced to react.
Consider the following:

• Over the course of one month, over 6.5 million customers visit eBay's mobile commerce site and native application. eBay projects it will generate over $1.5 billion in sales this year through its mCommerce channel.

• Visa is projected to spend more than $200 million on global mobile services in 2012.

• Sales for Intuit grew 30% with the introduction of its mobile tax solutions and products.

• Forrester estimates that the mobile commerce market will grow to $31 billion by 2016.

Businesses must develop a mobile commerce solution if they don't already have one. But it can be a daunting task. Below are some broad best practices to bear in mind for your mCommerce platform.


DEVELOP A LONG-TERM MOBILE STRATEGY
This is somewhat obvious, but it is essential to take the time to craft a smart, comprehensive mobile strategy. Don't just build a mobile site or application for the sake of having one. The plan should be closely aligned to how the company does business, including clear, measurable goals on how an mCommerce solution will benefit your customers as well as generate revenue. A strategy will help avoid the tendency of trying to do everything at once, and will focus on delivering the "right" things according to a realistic timeline.

Ensure that at least one or two executives are responsible for sponsoring mobile delivery and have the ability to staff the necessary resources. The strategy must also anticipate and react to constant change. Consider that consumers replace or upgrade their mobile devices on average every 20 months, which makes it critical to constantly review the overall market share of mobile platforms and trends, then tweak the strategy as necessary. So target your mobile strategy to the types of devices your customers actually use, but plan to reassess this approach every year or so.


ENSURE BRAND CONSISTENCY
The mCommerce marketing and advertising strategy must incorporate and feature the same branding elements as all other channels. The goal is to maintain a single and consistent brand experience, whether the channel is print, television, the internet or mobile. For example, if your company is launching a holiday campaign, feature the same promotion elements (images, colors, catch-phrases, etc.) that appear on store, online and other marketing media. Brand recognition is key, especially during the holidays.


START WITH A MOBILE WEB SITE, THEN DELIVER A NATIVE APP
In general, consumers and customers are still more inclined to use the Web, so give the priority to develop a mobile web site first. A mobile site appeals to any customer regardless of device. It attracts the mobile searcher rather than expecting a customer to actively search for and then download an app.
Having a mobile site also delivers the benefit of having links, and facilitates the ability for people to share URLs of favorite product pages. One could argue that apps are better intended for increasing relationships with existing customers, whereas a mobile site will appeal to old and new. Listen to your customers, consider all feedback and learn from the overall web experience, then build the app that is geared to your best customers.

DON’T MAKE REGISTRATION MANDATORY
This will frustrate and annoy customers on the verge of making a purchase. Consider moving all personal and/or required fields to be part of the final payment process.

AVOID ANNOYING SPAM AND CONTINUOUS MARKETING PROMOTIONS
Untargeted mobile ads and SMS spam will destroy the customer’s trust and respect.

In my next few blogs, I will highlight and explore some design best practices for your mCommerce solution.