In Switzerland, people store particularly frequently via mobile. Mobile is booming. Studies show that more and more people are spending their time on the internet - thanks to mobile devices such as tablets and smartphones. Online purchases are also being made more and more frequently on mobile devices - and seem to be particularly common in Switzerland: Zalando recently reported that one in two purchases there are already made via mobile devices, the highest figure of all 15 countries in Europe. From a retailer's point of view, this development is nothing short of revolutionary.
Smartphone and tablet: not all mobile is the sameBut what consequences does this have for the online offering on smartphones and tablets? And does it even make sense to consider both devices together? Although they are often grouped together and categorized as mobile traffic, their use is actually completely different. While smartphones are primarily used for quick, targeted access to information - usually on the move - the usage situation for tablets is fundamentally different. People mainly pick up a tablet when they have made themselves comfortable, for example on an armchair at home or on the sofa, and a survey of tablet owners found that as many as 92% of respondents reach for their tablet when they are lying on the sofa. Tablet use is also significantly longer and is dominated by inspiration. Information transfer via tablet should therefore take place on an emotional or visual level. In addition, tablets are almost always used via Wi-Fi, which means that there are fewer restrictions in terms of bandwidth than with smartphones. Webshop operators can therefore use high-resolution images and videos to appeal to customers on an emotional level without hesitation. Another difference: fewer apps are used on tablets, as most shopping offers work in the browser. Apps must offer significant added value on tablets for them to be installed.
Native or app - which technology should retailers use?The situation is different with smartphones. Although a certain app fatigue can also be observed there, an app is still more likely to be loaded due to a lack of alternatives. As a representative study commissioned by PayPal shows, 61 percent of mobile shoppers use installed apps, while just under half (46%) of those surveyed use mobile websites to complete their purchases. A small proportion use both. But here, too, the following applies: without added value, people no longer install apps. The trend is clearly moving away from apps towards mobile-optimized websites for smartphones. There are two camps here: some swear by responsive technologies, others by mobile-optimized web templates, which can also be further developed and additionally marketed as hybrid apps via app stores.The following rule of thumb applies: the simpler a website is and the fewer interactions are required, the more suitable responsive solutions are, where the same website is delivered for desktop, tablet and smartphones and adapts accordingly. Depending on the screen, the available elements are repositioned, displayed differently or even hidden. However, mobile-optimized websites are used for more complex websites or process-oriented platforms such as larger online stores, extensive information platforms or company websites. Here, different content is delivered for the smaller screens of smartphones. This means, for example, less programming code or different image material to keep loading times short. Processes can also be simplified with other templates, such as a checkout: if it takes place in five steps with more options on the desktop, it only comprises three steps on the smartphone.
Beacon technology as part of the mobile strategyFor these multi-channel companies in particular, however, mobile offers far more than just another sales channel. It is undisputed that a website optimized for mobile is essential for all retailers - if not for all companies. However, a mobile strategy that only covers information retrieval, purchase initiation or buying on the move falls short. For many brick-and-mortar retailers, mobile also offers a means of identification in the field. Retailers who do not use a loyalty card rarely know their customers in-store. This could change with the intelligent use of smartphones. For the first time, the use of modern beacon technology offers retailers the opportunity to recognize and address their customers as they enter the store. 60 percent of recipients of a beacon message open it directly at the point of sale and the conversion rate of 70 percent also shows that sales promotion really works here. The project is currently taking place in Düsseldorf city center; 72 stores are involved. The major advantage of beacon technology is that retailers can recognize their customers as soon as they enter the store and address them via smartphone. Navigation tools then help the customer to find personalized offers, for example, or the retailer can react to certain interests of the customer and recommend new products that have arrived since their last visit - after all, the retailer has the customer's complete purchase history for the first time. Unlike the customer card, which only allows identification at the time of payment, the smartphone can recognize customers right at the start of their shopping trip and therefore offers excellent advice and sales options.
Mobile payment at the end of the customer journeyThe smartphone is also currently repositioning itself as an electronic means of payment - on several levels: On the one hand, international mobile payment concepts such as ApplePay, Paypal and others are becoming increasingly important. On the other hand, many companies such as Swisscom, Swiss Post and various Swiss banks are experimenting with mobile wallets. Strategically, however, it makes no less sense to integrate your own means of payment into the mobile app. These are those that are already available in the online store and are used by the customer. This also allows purchases to be consolidated across all touchpoints in line with the cross-channel concept and completes the customer journey. The Internet World trade fair has formulated seven key questions for store operators to help them find the right mobile strategy for them:
1. goals and target groups: Who are the users and what is the primary goal of your presence on the smartphone or tablet?2. content and scope of services: What are the content and services you want to offer?3. marketing and branding: What marketing and branding effects should be achieved?4. identification and payment: How can the mobile device also be used for identification at the POS or even as a carrier of loyalty and payment functions?5. cross-channel: What role do mobile devices play in the cross-channel strategy and what connecting functions are available?6. processes and functions: How should the content be used or processes supported?7 Implementation and operation: How much can it cost, both for implementation and operation?The topics of mobile, cross-channel and linking the offline and online worlds at the point of sale will also play an important role at the Internet World trade fair and in the congress program:
www.internetworld-messe.de
