Author: Denny

The rise of mobile shopping is changing the way consumers behave in the digital space

Consumer behavior is beginning to have a significant impact on digital commerce. Many consumers are becoming more mobile-centric, relying on their smartphones and tablets to research and purchase products that they are interested in. A recent report from Forrester Research shows that merchants may have to begin focusing more heavily on the mobile space as a result, as mobile commerce is becoming a very powerful force in the retail space, especially as more consumers become comfortable with the concept.

More consumers are beginning to use their devices in physical stores

According to the report from Forrester Research, 82% of consumers in the United States make purchasing decisions while in a physical store, with 56% of these consumers using their smartphones to check prices online. The report also shows that the capabilities of mobile devices are also changing consumer behavior. When in stores, more consumers are beginning to scan barcodes with their mobile devices in order to read reviews and compare prices. Consumers are also scanning codes to take advantage of special deals being offered by merchants.

Loyalty programs may help secure the growth of mobile shopping

Mobile commerce has become a very significant concept for the retail industry. One-third of all e-commerce transactions made throughout the world are now done via a mobile device. A recent report from Goldman Sachs predicts that mobile commerce will account for nearly half of all e-commerce transactions made worldwide by 2018. As this sector continues to grow, loyalty programs may become much more important to retailers than they already are. Approximately 46% of consumers are more willing to provide personal information if they can make use of a loyalty program of some sort.

Consumers are less likely to share personal information outside loyalty programs

While loyalty programs may provide merchants with more information about their customers, these people have limits when it comes to the information they want to provide. Outside of loyalty programs, consumers are less likely to share personal information. This is something that retailers will have to keep in mind once they begin focusing more heavily on the mobile commerce space in the future.

A new report by Outsell has shown that digital ad budgets will rise, while print ad spending will fall.

Outsell has now released a report that has shown that digital and mobile advertising budgets will be increasing in 2016 while at the same time the amount of budget dedicated to print ads will be on their way down.

The research looked into the spending preferences of marketers, finding that top priority went to companies’ own sites.

After websites, the next largest amount of the ad budget went to television and e-mail marketing. That said, the report pointed out that social marketing was a growing trend. Mobile advertising would be seeing a significant boost in the amount companies were dedicating specifically to that channel, as well. That said, on the flip side of the coin, non-digital methods of advertising, such as custom print, direct mail, print directories, and ads placed in newspapers and magazines are all continuing to droop due to a growing consumer dependence on digital techniques for placing brands and messages in front of consumers.

Mobile advertising comes with the significant advantage of placing ads in front of consumers at any time.

This is something that print simply cannot achieve. Social is particularly effective in that effort, especially over platforms such as Facebook and Twitter as companies seek to boost engagement with their target market through the new social brand building and lead generation tools that are now easily accessible to businesses of all size.

Outsell’s report predicted that mobile marketing advertising spending could increase by 38 percent by the close of the year. Social ad spending will also be increasing, but by 15 percent.

Mobile advertising will have risen to $23 billion in spending and is now considered to be the fifth largest form of digital marketing, immediately after social and search. Marketers appear to have made the discovery of its true value in 2015 and are now scrambling to use this channel to be able to reach consumers through a range of different ad formats. Fifty four percent of marketers have said they will be focusing their mobile ad spend on various types that reach consumers by way of apps.