By Kat Matfield
Whether businesses are ready for it or not, m-commerce looks set to hit the mainstream in 2012.
As part of the research for our new ebook, we dug into the latest research on consumer usage of mobiles as research and/or shopping tools. We were expecting to see usage increasing – but we were surprised by just how fast m-commerce is growing.
Here are some of the highlights, based on trends for the last six months:
- 44% increase in consumers visiting retailer sites on mobiles
- 100% increase in consumers reading reviews on mobiles
- 42% higher conversion rate uplift when people read reviews on mobiles
That final statistic is particularly surprising. Businesses often neglect or undervalue their mobile channels because they see a very low conversion rate – and it’s usually because they’re ignoring the tendency of mobile visitors to convert elsewhere. 70% of consumers say they use their phones to research purchases while in-store, and plenty of others will research on their phones elsewhere before purchasing in-store, on desktop internet or over the phone.
M-commerce is gaining a reputation as a multi-channel ‘bridge’ because it’s as effective at driving conversions on these other channels as on mobile. Consumer reviews and conversations help with both of these, increasing m-commerce conversion rates directly, and optimising your mobile channel for pre-purchase research that drives conversions across other channels.
A strategy that combines social commerce and mobile commerce will give you even better results than one that keeps them apart. For more information on the best practices that will ensure you get the best results possible, download our free ebook on mobilising social commerce.