The year-end holidays are here and a recent study by YouAppi suggested that 85% of consumers are going mobile this season. Yet some retailers may not be offering the best mobile apps to attract shoppers. According to the study, faster network speeds and feelings of security were among the benefits of mobile shopping most desired by consumers.
Retailers are advised to utilize apps that offer added personalized features such as sending alerts and notifications of sales and promos, and incentive programs that use options to engage customers. An impressive 69% of holiday mobile shoppers said that special offers grab their attention, however, more than half of consumers didn’t want to see any Christmas holiday campaigns until after Thanksgiving.
The retailer’s benefits of mobile shopping are only obtained if the shopping experience is the best it can be for the customer. Basic functionality is at the core of customer experience as the following was among the highest-ranked requests from consumers: being bug-free; an app experience that flows and makes sense; speed; and fluidity between the app and the online store. These details are important as 68% of mobile shoppers were willing to abandon the sale when faced with functionality issues. Younger generations, Gen Z in particular, are even more impatient and finicky, refusing to use an app that is too slow or difficult to use.
The study found there is still some disconnect between what is wanted by consumers and what is being offered through mobile shopping. Making payment easy was desired by holiday mobile shoppers, as most preferred to pay using a credit card from an existing file. Besides the functionalities, the emotional disconnect to consumers borders on an untapped area of marketing. Companies that appeal to the more human needs of the customer tend to perform better at raising profits, and acquiring and retaining new customers compared to those that do not.
Holiday shopping is expected to bring big numbers this year, regardless of whether sales are achieved as in-store picks or in-hand clicks. Adobe’s analytics suggest that 2017 will be the first year that holiday shopping breaks $100-billion, with year-to-year growth.
It’s not too late to prepare the best mobile holiday shopping experience possible, as your customers’ loyalty could be the greatest gift of the season.
