It should now be clear that mobile devices are going to play a huge role in how customers research, search for, and buy products for the foreseeable future. This is a fact that we have known for a few years now.
However, while more businesses are starting to make investments in mobile, several studies have made it abundantly clear that we are a long way from getting it right.
Part of the issue is the complexity of the shopping experience and the role that mobile devices currently play.
In order to get mobile marketing right you need to think about a lot of things, many that extend beyond the mobile device itself.
Many marketers are still trying to use their traditional ways of advertising to people without taking into account what is happening all around consumers as they interact with the brand on their mobile devices while out and about in the offline world.
Therefore, it’s not surprising that many businesses haven’t had much luck with their mobile marketing efforts.
In fact, according to the recent “CMO Survey Report” sponsored by Deloitte, the American Marketing Association, and The Fuqua School of Business at Duke University, most responding CMOs do not feel that mobile marketing currently makes a substantial contribution to their company’s bottom line. In fact, 40% said that mobile marketing makes no contribution at all. (Note: I would argue that measurement is partially to blame for these responses.)
As time goes on, brands and retailers will start to listen to customers and give them more of what they want and need. When this happens, we will not only see more happy customers, but a better return on investment for the businesses that use mobile devices to properly communicate with their customers and prospects while they are interacting with the brand in other ways.
Why Customers Don’t Shop on Mobile Devices
As I have pointed out in the last few posts, most retail transactions still take place in a brick-and-mortar store and about two-thirds of e-commerce transactions still take place on a desktop.
A recent GfK study that was commissioned by Facebook IQ has some insights into why omni-channel shoppers (those that research and bought items via a variety of channels including smartphones, tablets, desktop computers, and in brick-and-mortar stores) aren’t currently shopping on their mobile devices.
When omni-channel shoppers were asked why they shopped on a desktop vs. a mobile device, 56% said that it is easier to see all the available products on a desktop, 55% find it easier to use devices with bigger screens, 27% said that they find it difficult to compare products and retailers via a smartphone or tablet, and 26% said entering personal data is not very user friendly on a smartphone or tablet.
All these responses indicate that brands and retailers need to improve the User Experience (UX) of their mobile apps and websites. Even the responses that have to do with the size of the screen can be improved with better design.
When looking at why omni-channel shoppers chose to shop in a brick-and-mortar store vs. mobile, 47% said they like to touch and feel the products, 46% said that they don’t want to wait, 41% said that the shipping costs too much, and 25% said that in-store shopping is relaxing/enjoyable.
Two of the issues here can be fixed with shortening the time it takes to ship the product and by offering reduced-priced or free shipping to customers.
However, the other two issues really aren’t issues at all. They are actually opportunities that brands and retailers can take advantage of.
Thinking About the Whole Customer Shopping Experience—Both Online and Offline
As mentioned in the past, Forrester Research estimates that 49 percent of total sales in 2016 will be influenced by online interactions.
Many of these interactions will happen on a mobile device when a customer is in your store.
Brands and retailers need to be thinking about everything that a consumer wants and needs when they are making a decision to buy a product or service. This includes the interactions that consumers are having with your brand offline and via a mobile device. Each of these can reinforce the other and make them more effective than they would be alone.
In a recent post on the iMedia Connections blog, Jeff Hasen, Mobile Strategist and Founder of Gotta Mobilize, highlights the fact that businesses haven’t caught up with the times.
In the post, Jeff Hasen quotes Martin Sorrell, chief executive of the advertising group WPP.
“The essential problem is that big companies are not thinking about mobile in the right way,” Sorrell is quoted as saying. “They’re thinking of it as an extension of digital, just a way to reach consumers. They’re not thinking of it in a way that changes their businesses or adds values in a way they weren’t able to do previously.”
Final Thoughts
Mobile devices are changing the way that consumers live their lives. This includes the way that they shop for products and services.
This is something that experts will be talking about for a long time. And, for good reason.
Businesses need to adapt to these changes. Those that do it first will succeed. Those that don’t will be forced to follow, because their customers and prospects will demand it.
Photo credit: gail on Flickr.
