16 May A Mobile Tsunami is Approaching
Just as online merchants are getting comfortable with the new paradigm of website marketing, another challenge is looming – one with serious consequences for those either too slow or unwilling to recognize its impact on their business.
A mobile tsunami is building with an undeniable force that will once again change the way retailers do business. The signs are there for all to see if we care to take a look.
Mobile devices are never far from our reach. They accompany us in pockets or purses wherever we go – always conveniently available for instant communication, research or shopping. They rest on the table when we dine out and on the night stand when we sleep. We use them to text someone sitting right next to us instead of bothering to speak.
The amount of time we spend with these invaluable devices may eclipse all logic, but it is the new reality. According to one online source – there are now officially more mobile devices than there are people in the world.
A mobile tsunami is building with an undeniable force that will once again change the way retailers do business.
The services who strive to serve the changing needs of consumers are accelerating the speed of this impending revolution. Google now gives preference on its organic search to mobile-optimized websites. And, in turn, online retailers are scrambling to adopt mobile-friendly techniques.
But, it’s not enough for online retailers to simply divert their focus to the demands of mobile commerce.
They must also be able to seamlessly connect the shopping experience from one device to another. A recent study showed that nearly 1 of every 3 mobile shoppers who started their shopping session on a phone or tablet completed their purchase on a different device.
And, though we are addicted to our smart phones, the majority of us still prefer to use our large screen desktop computers for browsing and placing things in our shopping carts – then completing the purchase via phone.
Today’s device-hopping consumers are impatient and demanding. And, once again, they are pushing the boundaries of technology in the name of convenience and accessibility.
Mobile usage is increasing at an alarming rate. Companies who fail to recognize this new shift in consumer shopping habits and do not satisfactorily accommodate their device preferences may be swept away in the undertow.
Stay tuned for more weather reports and tips for survival!