With half (48%) of mobile users now making regular purchases online, more consumers are shopping online than ever before. Additionally, more than 1 in 5 consumers browse through retailers’ websites before making a purchase in stores.
Mobile as a shopping channel has essentially caught up to computers. However, studies have revealed most retailers are unprepared for this change in behavior. For example, a recent survey found that more than 22 percent of consumers who left stores without making a purchase left because they found a better deal online (compared to 13 percent last year), and 27 percent couldn’t find what they needed in stores (compared to 14 percent last year). The study also found that, overall, fewer customers engaged with store attendants and made it to the stores’ checkout areas.
All of these stats should be alarming to retailers. Over the last five years, consumers have dramatically changed the way they make purchases, and their behavior will only continue to evolve. At this point, it is imperative businesses have a brand presence across all digital media.
One way stores are targeting this new consumer is through apps using beacon technology. These beacons will sense when a shopper with the downloaded app is within a particular radius of the store. If the customer is close, the app will send an alert to the customer’s mobile device with special offers and product descriptions.
So, instead of trying to compete with the mobile channel, smart retailers have chosen to embrace it to provide more value to potential customers. And the best way to exploit the technology is by listening to your customers and providing inventive and practical solutions to meet their changing needs.
If you’d like assistance in developing a mobile marketing strategy for your retail business, please contact Baer Performance Marketing today!
Sources: http://business.asiaone.com/sme-central/tete-tech/mobile-the-driving-force-online-shopping