New mobile e-commerce buying behavior: the biggest challenge and opportunity for marketers

Mobile e-commerce buying behavior has changed the entire online retail market.
In general there are two ways to work with e-commerce: a Direct Model and an Online marketplace. In the case of a Direct Model, the company has a website dedicated only to their products. An Online marketplace is shared by multiple manufacturers and vendors (Amazon, Alibaba).

“It’s almost like sleeping with the enemy. And the biggest and scariest is Amazon”

If a company wants to build a brand, the direct model of e-commerce is the easiest way to obtain this. As technology advances, mobile is becoming a crucial channel for e-commerce: mobile traffic is increasing exponentially. Mobile e-commerce has become more important and is shaping up to be the future of omnichannel. Gaining an understanding of mobile e-commerce buying behavior helps companies to adapt to these changes, improving their business.

According to Forrester, 52% of buyers are doing product research in advance with their smartphones. Every website has to have a mobile version. But it is not enough. Companies have to optimize their mobile websites. Visual appeal and simple navigation are crucial for a good customer experience.

What factors can influence mobile e-commerce buying behavior?

The question of urgency is the first that springs to mind when we considering mobile UX engagement. Nowadays people are always running somewhere, they just don’t have enough time to go home, boot-up their desktop and then order what they are looking for. Today, consumers need to order what they want right here, right now.

Also mobile e-commerce buying behavior can be affected by in-store logistics. Over 70% of customers are using mobile devices to improve their in-store experience. The ability to use a smartphone inside of the store is one of key factors for consumers.

According to the latest research:

♦ Almost 50% are using their smartphones to read reviews about the product

♦ 40% are comparing prices for a product with other retailers

♦ 29% are ordering items that are not in stock at the store

♦ 31% are using mobile devices to research the product in a store or even to order a product from online, if they consider that the queue is too long.

During the last year in the US, the mobile market-share of e-Commerce traffic has increased by 5% and now drives more visitors than desktops, pcs or laptops. This phenomenon is spreading, as mobile traffic overtook desktop in 10 countries. Between May 2014 and May 2015, the average e-commerce conversion rate for tablets increased by 7.7%; Smartphones increased by 32.6%; and desktops decreased by 3.45%.

To successfully sell products online, companies have to improve the online experience for their customers. Omnichannel solutions like: live streaming videos, interactive selling platforms, virtual showrooms, online chat and co-browsing are must have for 2016.

Whisbi is the only company that integrates all of these into one universal solution, bringing the real store experience online.

Find out more about how one of our clients has changed their mobile e-commerce buying behavior and is now selling more online.

Whisbi Marketing Team

Our Marketing Team is always trying to give our readers fresh industry related content that keep the reader up to date and transfers the knowledge on how to improve the customer experience for Enterprise.