The digital age has changed the way people buy everything. More eCommerce shoppers have discovered the convenience of buying on mobile with their phones and tablets rather than on computers.
US online retail sales climbed to a new record of $1 trillion in 2022. Yet fewer and fewer are using their desktops or laptops to make purchases.
When it comes to eCommerce and marketing, how can you reach all of these new mobile consumers? How should your eCommerce strategy change?
mCommerce – The New eCommerce Shoppers Trend
mCommerce, or buying through a mobile device, rose to $356 billion in the US in 2021. This is over one-third of all online US sales. In China, mCommerce already accounts for half of all online sales. Experts predict that US mCommerce may outrank eCommerce, (buying with a computer or laptop), within the next 3 years.
As a result, retailers are scrambling to provide more mobile commerce options.
How To Reach eCommerce Shoppers on Mobile
Getting ready buyers to your app means nailing down your ideal buyer profile. Doug Palladini, global president of Vans, explains that the company is open to everyone, but it’s not for everyone. They target ages 16-34 with clothing for self-expression in four areas: art, music, street culture, and action sports.
This means saying “no” to a lot of things that don’t fit within these four spaces. Palladini is confident this will help maintain its brand identity while reaching younger generations.
Limeroad is an online marketplace in India that targets young women with an interest in fashion. While their app and site mention men and kids, their main focus is a female audience.
Are your products or services aimed at people of a specific age, gender, or interest? Doing this can greatly increase the effectiveness of your mobile advertising.
Why You Need A Marketing Mix for eCommerce Shoppers
If your buy button needs to appear on mobile devices, it only makes sense that your ads should appear there too. Yet many people are ignoring banners and photo ads. How do you get prospects to pay attention?
This is why you need to supplement your mobile strategy with other marketing methods. For example, you could use TV, mobile video, or offline advertising. People need to see your ads a number of times, even in several ways, before they begin to recognize your brand and pay attention.
Keep Customers Coming Back To Your App
Did your coupon get people to buy? Great. Now you need to keep them engaged. How do you keep people using your app?
Wise use of push notifications can help. Don’t drive people away with too many, but don’t let people forget you by sending too few.
Software that sends notifications can help you to track people’s responses. For example, someone opens your app at 2 PM. The next day, they open it at 2:05 PM. The software can know to send them a notification at 1:55 PM the next day with an offer.
How Can You Let Customers Market Your App?
Content marketing is a hot trend, but user-generated content is even hotter. Happy customers can refer others and add a human factor to your marketing.
After people buy, encourage them to leave a review and share their experience with your brand. Offer promo codes, not only to customers who market you via social media but also to the new buyers they attract.
Retarget Where Possible
Don’t let the lack of cookies on mobile devices keep you from retargeting. Several new services are appearing that open up retargeting opportunities.
One is dynamic retargeting. This means your app sees what else your customer is browsing for online. Instead of just showing them the same ad for belts, they now see pants similar to what they were browsing.
Dynamic creative building means that your marketing team creates a list of options – images, products, offers, etc. Based on the preference that an individual viewer chooses by their browsing, they see an ad with an option that matches their preference.
Automated product feeds are a way to tell Google, for example, about your list of products or services. This helps people find info about your brand across various Google searches and pages.
Make It Easier To Buy
Collect as much viewer information as possible without being creepy. This is a fine line. Older generations worry about their privacy more than teenagers.
Use this info to tailor your product offerings and make it as easy as possible to buy. Savvy marketers use tracking to learn and then offer exactly what shoppers want to buy. If you’ve reliably learned your buyer’s address and zip code, you don’t need to ask them again during the buying process.
Amazon popularized the “Buy Now” button. Retailers are also taking a cue from the gaming industry: games make it easy for players to buy advantages, lives, etc. Most devices now have some form of payment info already set up. Why not use this where possible?
What This Means For You
Focus on a specific type of buyer. Use a variety of marketing methods. Use notifications and offers to keep people interested in your mobile app. Encourage reviews and incentivize social sharing. Use new services to follow up with buyers. Collect as much info as possible so you can make the best offers and give people the easiest buying experience.
As more eCommerce shoppers go mobile, use these strategies to keep your sales numbers healthy. First Direct Marketing enjoys helping people succeed with their mCommerce strategy. Get in contact today to find out how we can help you.
