Category Archives: mobile application development

Shopping Popularity Advances on Mobile Devices

According to new report from Usablenet, most smartphone owners are reaching out with their smartphone to shop, and not to talk. Over three-quarters (79 percent) of American shoppers and two-thirds (64 percent) of British shoppers are using smartphones for browsing and shopping via both websites and mobile apps.

Looking deeper at the report we find that 70 percent of American shoppers have their mobile phone while shopping in-store and that a full 30 percent of US shoppers report that they use those mobiles to get a better in-store shopping experience. Additionally it is reported that 77 percent of American shoppers prefer browsing via their smartphone but buy using a tablet or computer. Not surprisingly, most American shoppers do not bring tablets into stores with them (78 percent).

“Right now, we are seeing retail shoppers regularly using their mobile devices to check all sorts of store and product related information while they are shopping” states Kimber Johnson, Pacific App Design’s Managing Director. “Currently there is a massive opportunity for retailers to integrate mobile with their in-store experience and we are seeing savvy businesses taking advantage of this opportunity.”

To better appeal to mobile shoppers, Usablenet suggests that retailers should focus making it simple to buy online, or in-store, by expediating check-outs and making it quick and easy to find about product availability or other product data.

The Power of Rich Media on Mobile Devices

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In a recent report from JumpTap, new data shows that auto ads are currently quite successful at grabbing the attention of mobile users’ due to the use of rich media. The data further shows that tablet users are engaging a full 180% more with mobile auto ads that are built using rich media.

Some other interesting items in their data indicate that drivers of trucks are more likely to use Android devices while SUV drivers are more likely to be using Apple devices. And that auto related information is most likely reviewed in the early morning on PCs but on mobile devices early evening is the prime slot.

But it isn’t just auto buyers who are responding more often on mobile devices. Mobile consumers are looking for all types of video on mobile devices. And while many are watching video, others are reading content from publishers. Confirming PQMedia’s recent digital media spending forecast that predicts that digital media content and technology spending will push $1 trillion by 2017.

“We are seeing growing numbers of customers looking to build mobile applications that utilize rich media such as video,” states Kimber Johnson, Managing Director of Pacific App Design, “As the mobile application industry is rapidly maturing this is one of the trends that is standing out. Along with strong growth of mobile application use in retail settings and more and more powerful and functional business applications, this is one area that is making strong headway.”

Along with the growth of the use of rich media, better integration of online display advertising with mobile will be a key driver for increased spending on mobile display marketing next year. As evidenced by the success in the auto industry, we are seeing this need starting to be filled.

Desire for Location Based Offers Grows

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A new poll by Harris Interactive found a 19% increase in interest by users in getting local mobile offers since 2009, assuming the users has given permission for the offers. Harris Interactive asked, “Assuming you gave permission, how interested would you be in receiving mobile alerts about new products, sales and/or promotions from your favorite merchants, restaurants, or stores on your cell phone/smartphone?”and 45% answered that they were at least ‘somewhat interested’. In 2009 only 26% responded similarly.

When those polled were asked what effect a mobile alert for an offer that they could redeemed nearby would have, over 75% said they find such location-based alerts at least “somewhat useful” and “more relevant” than traditional coupons. Clearly this is one of the areas we are seeing mobile applications mature in as users usage patterns starting to become more defined.

According to Pacific App Design’s Managing Director, Kimber Johnson, “Consumers are looking for offers. Smart organizations are including these offers as part of their mobile offering as these offers are valued by their consumer base and often these offers are the driving force for their consumers to keep regular contact with a brand via mobile application.”

Survey participants in additional questions offered further insight and responded that “offers via mobile were easy to act on” (89 percent), “made them aware of retail locations they had previously not known about” (87 percent), “encouraged them to try out new things” (83 percent) and “promoted spontaneous purchases since they are near the store” (73 percent).

Kathryn Koegel, Chief of Insights at Primary Impact Research, says that this increase “suggests that mobilized consumers are increasingly aware of how easy it is to use mobile phones to save money and time, and have come to value offers that incorporate their location”.

Let Customers Be Able to Find You via Mobile Devices

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In the last few years we are seeing people utilizing computing power in a vastly different way with smart phones and tablets often becoming the device of choice over laptops and desktop computers. Many small business have discovered that by being easy to find on these devices they have been able to increase sales and growth.

No longer can businesses just put up a web site and expect that to be enough. A business needs to be able to be found in a wide variety of places to insure that customers can find them where ever they are looking. Whether its via mobile web site, traditional web sites, mobile applications (including iPhone and Android apps) or social media, your business needs to have an established presence.

Here are some key items to think about regarding improving your presence in these mediums:

Mobile Web Sites: The number of searches completed on mobile devices has climbed 20% in the last year. Business owners without mobile web sites are missing out on a significant amount of searching. According to Nielsen, those who use mobile devices to search for you are statistically more likely to follow up on the search. 55% of mobile searches result in a purchase. A survey by comScore has revealed that searches done on mobile devices are much more likely to result in a sale than searches done on computers.

Mobile Applications: Mobile apps provide consumers a regular way to keep contact with your business. Applications are fantastic at deepening markets and businesses need to provide content that keeps loyal customers coming back. Is your app a one shot deal or something that consumers want to keep readily available to visit? Do you provide something of value to those that have downloaded your app? Apps that users return to over and over help generate repeat business at a tremendous rate.

Social Media: About 40% of those surveyed use social media to interact with businesses. This is a huge number of people that your business could reach. Social media outlets are well formulated to the mobile environment and a great way for consumers to find you via their mobile devices.

It is essential for your business that you and your products are readily findable on mobile devices. Once consumers get to your mobile site or app, make it easy for them to find most relevant information about your business: your address, phone number, and hours. This is important with social media as well. Make it easy to find your physical location on your digital presence.

Savvy businesses are embracing these trends and leveraging the power of mobile to propel growth.

Mobile More Important to Retail Than the Internet

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Mobile is having a massive effect on the retail industry and is expected to have a bigger impact on the industry than the Internet ever did according to a new analysis from Deloitte.

Deloitte’s new Consumer Review is showing a sound 14 percent rise in smartphone use in the UK to 72 percent. Based on the rise in the number of shoppers with mobile devices in hand, we see retailers are quickly installing WiFi into stores, developing mobile apps, and optimizing marketing campaigns and mobile web sites for tablets and smartphones. In fact in a survey of 1,000 UK consumers, it was found that one third had already used some form of online wallet.

“There is no doubt that mobile is rapidly redefining the way consumers and brands interact even more than the Internet did,” said Ben Perkins, head of consumer business research at Deloitte. “Consumers are expecting convenience, simplicity and security in exchange for their loyalty. It is only by embracing mobile’s full potential with the right strategy that a consumer facing business can compete in a mobile-centric world.”

Savvy businesses that fulfill customer expectations are reaping the rewards while others that do not are at risk of being left behind. “Right now we see smart companies embracing the new business paradigm”, according to Kimber Johnson, managing director of Pacific App Design.”Those that are giving consumers the mobile experience they are looking for are seeing great results but I wouldn’t want to be in the shoes of a business that isn’t keeping up right now.”

This brings to light the importance of usability. Consumers are no longer content to just see a business has a mobile presence, but rather as the industry has grown and matured they are expecting that presence to be easy to use or they will abandon it.