Mobile commerce is growing in popularity and here’s how you can take advantage

Customers are increasingly choosing to shop online rather than in-store. They’re not only choosing to shop online, they’re also choosing to do so from their mobile phones. Yes, from the small device that fits into the palm of their hands. And, for this reason, retailers need to be prepared to improve their mobile commerce presence.

Why is mobile commerce becoming more popular?

Research has found that 51 percent of Americans prefer to shop online rather than in phyiscal stores. In addition, this figure jumps to 56 percent for Gen X and 67 percent for millennials. These statistics make it clear that retailers and marketers need to fully embrace and take advantage of mobile commerce to survive. Today's consumers are active on several different devices – smartphone, tablet, and multiple computers – and they expect an online shopping experience that's quick, easy, user-friendly and the same as that they've become used to in-store.

Mobile commerce is becoming more popular because it’s easier. It's unfortunate but brands which don't deliver, or fail to create, an online presence for themselves will cease to exist. It’s that simple. Consumers can now buy goods or purchase services on the spur of the moment without putting too much thought into their actions. And they can even do that without getting out of their pajamas or leaving the house. And who wouldn’t want to do that?

How to do mobile commerce right

The first and most important step of the process is to understand your customers' behavior. Some like to browse in-store and purchase online. Others prefer to look at products online and then buy in-store after seeing the products in person. Once you know this and their other shopping preferences, you can begin to create the online store your customers actually want to spend their money in. Of course, it’s essential that your website is responsive for all mobile options and devices.

There’s another side to mobile commerce, and that’s when consumers shop in a brick and mortar store but prefer to pay using their mobile device. This is becoming increasingly popular as pop up stores become more common. Let’s face it, millennials, in particular, are well-known for never carrying cash. They want the ease and convenience of mobile payment. Luckily, it is becoming increasingly common to whip out a mobile phone while in-store and use Venmo, Snapscan or Square to pay the retailer in question. Within seconds, consumers can walk out of the store, goods in hand without ever touching their wallet. These mobile payment options are increasingly prevalent in areas where the population tends to be unbanked. SMS solutions make it simple for money to ‘change hands’, without physically ever having to change hands. Payment services for the unbanked is a growing industry, with SMS solutions seen as a sustainable solution as it's the one ubiquitous, secure system users’ are guaranteed access to.

The one essential for every mobile commerce store is the ability to send messages and one-time-pins (OTPs) to users. Think about the last time you bought something online, you likely received quite a few text messages in a very short space of time before the transaction was complete. That’s why it’s important for mobile commerce stores to have access dedicated routes for this type of time-sensitive messaging. Our bulk messaging solution, Clickatell Platform, offers exactly that. It allows you to SMS enable any app with one easy integration. It offers dedicated routes to deliver urgent messages like pins and alerts. Clickatell's SMS Platform also enables you to make use of both one-way and two-way messaging option, making it your ideal simple, affordable bulk SMS solutions provider.