Breaking Down Mobile Commerce and the Best Mobile Commerce Platform

Mobile devices now not only function as communication tools, but they have multi other functions as well, including online shopping. Mobile commerce has grown significantly in the last few years, so does the topic of the helpful mobile commerce platform as a result. Online merchants are creating the most favorable shopping possible.

Over 6 billion people in the world own a smartphone. If you are one of them, you certainly know how much mobile devices have affected your everyday life from the mobile first experience. Most of us, especially Millennials and Gen Z, bring along our smartphones 24/7. In recent years, mobile devices have been considered a popular medium for online shopping. Therefore, mobile commerce has started to step in and grab this amazing opportunity.

What is Mobile Commerce?

Mobile commerce, or m-commerce, is the business model allowing monetary transactions to be completed through smartphones, tablet, or other mobile devices. This advancement of eCommerce allows people to buy and sell goods from almost anywhere with the internet.

eCommerce solutions

In addition, mobile commerce is not only a simple improvement of eCommerce, but it also becomes a trigger for new industries and services. It has helped existing ones grow, including mobile money transfers, electronic ticketing and boarding passes, digital content purchases and delivery, etc.

Different Types of Mobile Commerce

M-commerce covers many different transactions, but there are three main categories of them:

1. Mobile shopping

This type is not too different from eCommerce, but it can be accessed via your iPhone or Android. Mobile shopping now can run on a mobile-optimized website, an eCommerce app, or a social media platform.

2. Mobile banking

Mobile banking is also quite similar to online banking. However, some transaction types are limited on mobile devices. Mobile banking is processed based on a dedicated app and some banks have started to use chatbots and messaging apps.

3. Mobile payments

Different mobile payment options will be mentioned in detail further in this article.

Common Benefits of Mobile Commerce

In the past few years, larger companies like Walmart and Amazon have had no choice but to create mobile apps and use mobile-friendly platforms as urgent eCommerce solutions. But the high cost of running mobile drops has made more and more companies reap the benefits. 

Following are some advantages of mobile commerce that all small and big businesses need to know to scale their eCommerce business.

Better Customer Experience

The appearance of eCommerce was already a big step up in the way we do shopping. When customers can shop right at their home with their desktop computer instead of going to a store, they have a wider range of products. Also, they can compare pricing quickly to make a better deal. 

But now, shoppers don’t need a desktop computer, but can still do all of these things. What they need is only a phone in their back pocket. In addition, m-commerce has some natures that take over eCommerce or multivendor eCommerce:

• Mobility: Though desktop computers are portable, shoppers will not always have a laptop on-hand. Meanwhile, most people never leave home without their smartphones. M-commerce makes online shopping far more available and convenient.
• Reachability: Online merchants can text message to reach out to their customers and push notifications even when they’re out. 
• Location tracking: M-commerce apps can identify user locations using GPS technology and Wi-Fi. This will provide data for location tracking and personalization.

Large Growth Potential

The industry growth of mobile commerce shows no sign of stopping. By 2025, Statista predicts that m-commerce sales will take over 10% of all US retail sales. If it is, there will be a growth of 7 percentage points since 2018.

Improve Omnichannel Experience

Omnichannel commerce is to sell both in-store and online through different channels. They could be on your eCommerce website, eBay, Amazon, Instagram. This will create a seamless experience and cohesive message across all channels of your brand.

Moreover, an omnichannel experience will help you meet your customers where they are and enable them to buy more easily. Mobile devices are the ideal means for omnichannel commerce because most customers have their smartphones on hand at all times.

Variety of Payment Options

Mobile devices bring customers a variety of payment options like Apple Pay, Amazon Pay, PayPal One-Touch, or Visa Checkout.

Also, many eCommerce stores now offer one-click checkout. Customers will enter their payment details only once, and the data is saved for the next time they make a purchase.

Differences Between a Mobile App and Mobile Website

According to the data of eMarketer in 2021, US adults spend an average of more than 4 hours on mobile internet. And 88% of that time was on apps rather than mobile browsers. About 70% of sales are processed via mobile branded apps.

Mobile first experience

Mobile apps allow online businesses to control the customer experience. Instead of opening websites to find and compare products and pricing, mobile customers can download and open mobile apps. 

With mobile apps, eCommerce sales rate gets higher than websites on mobile browsers. Moreover, the mobicommerce app builder has created a great tool to retarget loyal customers with optimized incentives like promotions and discounts. Your branded app can also reach out to specific customers with a unique experience.

Disadvantages of Mobile Commerce 

Mobile commerce is getting more and more popular, but for some online businesses, m-commerce might not belong to one of the most effective eCommerce solutions.

Development Resources is Limited

As there are a lot of differences between mobile commerce and traditional eCommerce, not all the resources and talent are transferred to a mobile store. 

It requires the right talent to go mobile. That’s why it is essential to have an in-house or outsourced development team for mobile operation. Without the specialized resources, you will have trouble getting the results you want.

Target Customers are not on Mobile

Before starting building a mobile site or app, make sure that the audience you’re targeting uses mobile devices. As of 2021, only 61% of US adults over 65 years old used smartphones. So, if your business’s target customers are older adults, then perhaps mobile commerce isn’t where you should invest in.

How to Leverage Mobile Commerce

When you are ready to go mobile, let’s see essential m-commerce tips to have a successful launch.

Mobile Commerce Platform is more Important than Design Trends

It’s easy to pay more attention to the latest design trends than optimize your mobile site. A responsive design can help make a mobile website more attractive, but it doesn’t affect many results in sales. So it is important for you to work on an effective mobile commerce platform.

Read more:

• How to create a mobile-friendly eCommerce store?
• 10 Best eCommerce Platforms to Start Online Business in 2022
• Newest Methods to Drive Traffic to Your eCommerce Store 2022

Mobicommerce app builder

You should move to another platform if it is a better working space for your business and use a shopping cart migration tool to simplify this process.

Rely on Social Commerce Features

91% of social media users join social channels through their mobile devices. And 80% of the total time people spend on social media takes place on mobile platforms. It’s obvious that social commerce is what people engage in the most. Social commerce platforms such as Facebook Shop, Instagram Shopping, and Pinterest Business are creating a seamless buying experience. Mobile users can browse products and make purchases without leaving the app.

Brick and Mortars can Provide In-store Pick up

Brick and mortar are important because the best mobile commerce websites always need a thorough omnichannel strategy. This creates a holistic experience across online and offline channels. 

In 2019, Statista showed that mobile users go for online shopping, but also for in-store shopping experiences as well. 

To link mobile and in-store shopping, you can offer click-to-mortar options, like buying online and picking up in-store. This makes it easier for shoppers to browse and buy from the comfort of their homes. And it doesn’t take them several days for delivery.

Leverage Mobile Chatbots

Insider Intelligence shows that global consumer retail spending via chatbots in 2019 was $2.8 billion. But it is estimated that the number will reach $142 billion by 2024.

Shoppers want to have 24/7 customer service. Therefore, online retailers increasingly rely on utilizing chatbots and virtual assistants to be able to answer customers’ questions more quickly. And give support at the customer’s beck and call. 

Chatbots drive customer communications, making it easier for merchants to focus on other aspects of their business. Chatbots create a more engaging mobile experience with any time contact with the customer support team.

Build an In-app Loyalty Program

Coupons and special offers were found by Statista as the number one reason for mobile users to download retail apps. And the second top incentive was loyalty and reward programs. 

When making a purchase, customers can earn points that add up over time. They can get an award when the point gets redeemable. They could receive a discount on a product or buying priority to a new collection. 

All of these reward programs will encourage shoppers to download your app. And more importantly, shoppers are more likely to come back to your store in the future. 

Utilize Mobile Augmented Reality (AR)

During the COVID-19 pandemic, augmented reality has become a powerful tool for online merchants to replicate in-person experiences. It is extremely true for the fashion and beauty industry. 

3D and AR technologies allow online shoppers to see exactly how they look when taking on a clothing item. AR and VR fitting rooms detect customers’ contour and give them a clear picture of the size and style of a product. 

Another great application is furniture. Augmented reality helps customers envision how a couch will fit in their living room. After taking a photo of their living room, customers will upload it in the app and place 3D models in the photos. Then, they can get a better idea of how the product will look in reality.

Top Mobile Commerce Platforms

SAP Hybris

This platform is well known for digital transformation capabilities, such as context-driven marketing, customer data management, and unity for omnichannel eCommerce. With this commerce solution, companies can target and engage their customers no matter where they are. SAP also provides a wealth of customer insights and large scalability.

SAP Hybris

Businesses can support customers at every point in their buying journey. By responding to real-time data, companies can deliver the best possible customer experience. This mobile commerce platform also offers powerful API integration capabilities to extend its functionality. Advanced mobile commerce setup and optimization can benefit users. And data management tools allow them to tailor product listings to a particular customer segment.

Pontis

This platform is one of the leading mobile commerce platforms in digital customer engagement solutions globally. Pontis enables online merchants to engage with their individual customer segments. And with many years of experience in digital customer engagement, Pontis helps to improve strategic KPIs, including boosting customer satisfaction and loyalty.

Pontis users can access real-time Big Data capabilities, real-time dashboards, predictive modeling based on machine learning. Also, they can get Business Intelligence reporting and insights into real-time customer statuses.

GPShopper

Online retailers and brands use GSShopper to build a host of solutions. GPShopper contains prebuilt commerce integrations. So businesses can accelerate their mobile app time-to-market when delivering both iOS and Android applications.

GPShopper

Customizable reporting dashboards allow you to see cross-channel metrics and dig deeper into the data. It is also integrated with analytics from big providers, like Google, and comes with mobile commerce app features like push notifications and social media integrations.

IBM Mobile Commerce

IBM’s platform includes functions such as marketing, sales, customer service, and other great functionalities in an integrated package. 

With this mobile commerce platform, companies can send marketing messages and promotions personalized to their customers. It will let customers compare products side-by-side and offer store locations. You can get accurate information of all the orders and availability.

Oracle Commerce Platform

This mobile eCommerce platform from Oracle brings you scalable and battle-tested support. This feature is essential to deliver an omnichannel experience. Business owners can manage omnichannel experiences better, as well as deliver personalization, control promotions, content, and navigation.

Oracle commerce

Oracle can help businesses quickly launch sites for new brands, markets, or individual campaigns. It targets new locations and segments to offer companies a great chance for global expansion. 

In Short

Mobile commerce is growing in popularity, and most online businesses cannot miss out its benefits. If you find this type of commerce is impossible to ignore, hopefully, this article has given you an idea for a mobile commerce platform to start from.