Mobile E-commerce: How to Reach New Audiences?

Today, the Internet plays an increasingly important role in our society. The devices used to access it have continued to evolve and diversify, moving from desktop computers to laptops, then tablets, and finally mobile phones. The Internet has become increasingly mobile thanks to technologies such as the WAP protocol (Wireless Application Protocol), the development of Bluetooth, and the emergence of 3G and 4G networks. However, it is primarily the mobile phone that lies at the heart of m-commerce.

Today, smartphones are experiencing rapid growth and represent a significant market for e-commerce websites. However, many online stores still make little or no use of the specific features offered by mobile devices. As a result, browsing their e-commerce websites on a smartphone can often be difficult or even impossible.

So, what are the best practices? How can you successfully adapt your e-commerce website to smartphones?

To develop an effective marketing positioning strategy for your mobile e-commerce website, it is essential to clearly understand your target audience. Knowing their browsing habits, identifying their needs, and understanding their user behavior are therefore key factors. The target audience of an e-commerce website optimized for mobile devices is the mobile user, sometimes referred to as a “mobinaute” in French. These users are still too often overlooked compared with traditional Internet users.

Internet users represent the most familiar and widespread type of online user, covering a broad age range from approximately 18 to 81 years old. They tend to be more considered and deliberate in their purchasing decisions, but can also be indecisive. As a result, they often take their time when shopping online, comparing different products and reading customer reviews in order to make an informed purchase and feel confident about their decision.

By contrast, mobile users tend to be younger, typically between the ages of 18 and 35. Highly comfortable with technology, they primarily access the Internet through their smartphones. Their behavior is highly mobile, making it difficult to predict where they will connect from. Whether walking down the street, travelling by bus, or spending time with friends, they take advantage of any available moment during the day to go online.

Although mobile users can connect virtually anytime and anywhere, their browsing experience can sometimes be affected by inconsistent connectivity. As a result, they may favor purchases related to immediate needs, such as train tickets, cinema tickets, music, and similar products or services. At the same time, their purchasing behavior can be more spontaneous: after receiving a promotional email or SMS, for example, they may decide to purchase the advertised product immediately.

Mobile users are also generally very active on social media and frequently share articles or products they enjoy. Their behavior can be spontaneous and often requires stimulation from brands. It is therefore important to pay close attention to their expectations. A website optimized for mobile devices is one of these expectations, highlighting the importance of adapting your e-commerce website to mobile use.

However, mobile payment, which was still relatively unfamiliar to many consumers, could also raise concerns among mobile users. Some buyers may lack confidence in mobile payment methods because of concerns about security, hacking, technical issues, or other potential risks. In these situations, they may prefer to complete their purchase on a desktop computer.

In summary, mobile users expect proximity, personalization, immediacy, loyalty-building experiences, and above all, security.

Although still in its early stages, m-commerce appeared to become increasingly mainstream in 2012. Several factors contributed to its growth: the rise of smartphones and tablets, and above all, the diversification of payment methods through dedicated solutions such as PayPal, 3D Secure, and others.

According to a Criteo study, m-commerce was experiencing rapid growth. Mobile devices accounted for nearly 30% of e-commerce transactions worldwide and 21% in France. In Asia, mobile transactions were even expected to soon account for 50% of e-commerce.

Our society was entering a digital era characterized by immediacy and the emergence of connected devices. Traditional devices were evolving far beyond their original purpose. In the past, a mobile phone was primarily used to make calls. Once connected to the Internet, it became possible to access real-time information and search the Web from virtually anywhere.

But this was not the only technological development. Mobile devices were increasingly being used to make purchases anytime and anywhere, with mobile conversion rates continuing to grow across devices and market sectors. This is why it is essential not to overlook the mobile version of your e-commerce website.

In the United States, for example, the top 25% of e-commerce businesses generated more than 40% of their transactions through m-commerce, compared with an overall industry average of 27%. By contrast, the lowest-performing 25% generated only 5% to 10% of their transactions through mobile devices.

This significant difference clearly illustrates the potential sales opportunities missed by e-commerce businesses that neglect the m-commerce experience of their websites.

Samsung, Apple, and HTC are among the best-known smartphone brands, representing a huge variety of devices available on the market. Despite this diversity, smartphones generally share a number of common features, such as touchscreens, cameras, QR codes, NFC (Near Field Communication), GPS (Global Positioning System), voice recognition, web access, and mobile applications. All these features can be leveraged within your m-commerce strategy to create mobile experiences that engage consumers.

It is important to remember that one of the main advantages of m-commerce is the ability to purchase products anytime and anywhere. With this in mind, companies such as McDonald’s, Decathlon, and Celio have successfully incorporated m-commerce into their production, communication, and distribution strategies.

You may now be wondering how your company can also take advantage of m-commerce by adapting your business to mobile devices. Now that the target audience has been clearly identified, you have a better understanding of mobile users and their expectations. The next step is to meet those expectations.

To achieve this, businesses need to adapt to mobile consumption habits while taking advantage of the specific capabilities of smartphones. This can be achieved through technologies and trends such as online payment systems, NFC, GPS, omnichannel strategies, and augmented reality. By combining these technologies, businesses can create innovative new experiences for mobile commerce.

1. Loyalty and Personalization: A Strategy That Pays Off

The widespread adoption of smartphones has contributed to the digitalization of loyalty cards. Customers no longer need to carry multiple physical cards in their wallets, saving them time and making the experience more convenient.

Decathlon, for example, has used mobile technology to simplify the customer experience. At checkout, customers can use their smartphones instead of presenting a physical loyalty card, with their loyalty account directly accessible through their mobile device.

M-commerce loyalty strategies can therefore be fully integrated into the mobile experience. Smartphones can also replace traditional discount vouchers, helping brands provide more personalized offers to individual customers.

When customers make purchases online using their smartphones, purchase information can be stored and used to provide more relevant offers. Combined with technologies such as NFC, this can make it possible to offer discounts directly in stores. For example, when a mobile customer enters a store where they have previously made a purchase online, they may receive a personalized discount directly on their smartphone.

The mobile phone is, after all, one of the most personal devices consumers use every day.

2. Geolocation-Based Marketing

For both customer loyalty and communication purposes, brands such as L’Oréal and Celio have used smartphone GPS capabilities to develop geolocation-based marketing campaigns.

In the United Kingdom, for example, L’Oréal introduced a system of geolocated discount coupons. When a customer using a mobile device passed near one of the brand’s retail locations, they could receive a promotional offer directly on their smartphone.

Celio adopted a similar approach as part of its brand communication strategy. When customers entered the store’s local catchment area, they could receive an SMS informing them about promotions currently available in the store.

The objective is to attract consumers at the right place and at the right time. This approach can provide brands with a relatively cost-effective communication channel while allowing them to reach a large number of potential customers.

3. Remote Purchasing

Continuing with the objective of saving customers time, remote purchasing has been made possible in part by contactless mobile payment technologies.

This type of technology has gradually become more widespread and represents one of the major developments in mobile commerce. In some pilot cities, innovative services have already demonstrated how consumers could purchase a cinema ticket near a movie poster or buy a bus ticket simply by bringing their smartphone close to a dedicated terminal.

These experiences can be enabled through NFC technology. By equipping products, retail locations, or advertising materials with NFC tags, brands can connect physical environments with online purchasing experiences.

For example, by bringing a smartphone close to an advertisement, consumers can access additional information, discover promotional offers, make a reservation, or potentially purchase a product directly.

McDonald’s has also integrated m-commerce into its sales process through online ordering and in-store scanning systems. This helps customers save time by reducing waiting times.

Once again, this approach responds directly to the expectations of mobile users by providing a purchasing experience that is instant, convenient, and personalized.

Adapting an e-commerce website for mobile devices is the first step in optimizing your online store. The next step is to take your m-commerce strategy further by making full use of the specific features and capabilities of mobile devices.

As we have seen, these technologies provide valuable opportunities that can be leveraged and highlighted throughout your e-commerce experience. The development of m-commerce reflects the emergence of new consumer behaviors and new expectations among mobile users.

It is therefore essential to understand that the mobile market has its own characteristics and distinct purchasing habits. M-commerce should not simply be considered as purchasing from a mobile device, but rather as purchasing thanks to a mobile device.