How Mobile Apps are changing Websites and eCommerce

Recognizing many companies are expanding in eCommerce and utilize Websites and Apps to facilitate providing information and doing transactions, the direction is with Mobile Apps to realize the significant benefits associated with the ” convenience of Mobile ” and the “ power of Apps ”

In conjunction with this, contributing factors to “ Mobile eCommerce “ surpassing “ eCommerce Websites “ are –

1. Apps make it quicker and easier for the User to find information, do a transaction, etc.
2. Apps enable the audience to be more targeted and engaged with
3. Apps provide a consistent and better user experience
4. Apps enable the organization to ” reach out ”
   – versus websites, where the expectation is ” people will come to you ”
5. Because people spend more time on apps than on a Mobile Website and browse 286% more products in apps than on Mobile Web, you can –

   A. learn more about User interests, shopping behavior, etc.

   B. do various metrics to better understand individuals, market segments, specific and overall trends, etc.

   C. make purchase suggestions for additional products / services, related items, etc.

   D. further engage Users with automatic updates / alerts / push notifications of industry / community / company / product NEWS, etc.

6. Apps have high stickiness because they tend to be more engaging and have sole User attention
7. Since Apps are a direct marketing channel , this –

   A. facilitates increasing awareness of your business and attracting Users

   B. enables the organization to manage Client expectations and the User experience

   C. is a pro-active strategy to expand business opportunities

8. Apps make it easy to do business because they are convenient, familiar and seamless with our life-style

For these reasons, Apps matter and are expected to generate revenue of US $188.9 billion by 2020 from App Stores and In-App Advertising.

The preference for ” Mobile Apps ” over ” Mobile Websites “

While Apps complement a website to expand the options for people to engage with your organization, studies have shown that customers prefer mobile apps over mobile websites because –

1. Apps make it easy to do inquiries, perform tasks, trigger a transaction, etc. (ie: select an icon and stuff happens)
2. Greater automation with Apps to simplify processes –

    A.   by using smartphone capabilities along with App workflow and other features for payments, checkout, alerts, links to other information sources, personalization, localization, context sensitive displays, etc.

   ie: An App makes it easy to pay by using a Mobile Banking App, scanning your credit card, using a digital wallet, etc.

   B.   with a Mobile Platform / Service to make Apps quickly having –

   i.   flexible interfacing / communications with many Connectors and extensive API support for information access / exchange with – many systems, various applications, 3rd party products, IoT, beacons, mobile devices, etc.

   ii.   workflow / logic capabilities for information processing, provide personalization, support location based services, targeting updates / ads / etc.,
   -to better manage mobile display presentation, User navigation, etc.

   iii.   many libraries / re-usable sub-routines – to reduce the time to make and deploy Apps

    

   

    

3. Apps deliver a better User experience than Mobile Websites since –

   A.   Apps are simple to use and have fewer connectivity issues

   B.   Apps make use of smartphone features such as Bluetooth, GPS, voice, camera, etc. to provide richer visuals and a more intuitive interface to Users

4. Apps for eCommerce sites provide a convenience with quick access to relevant information that is usually easier to navigate than most Mobile Websites (on a phone browser)

   ie : When the User is in transit or in a remote location, they can use an App to perform tasks (ie:make inquiries, do research, make a purchase, etc.)

5. With the pervasiveness of Mobile, Apps are an opportunity to further build brand by increasing presence in the strategically important Mobile market
6. The ability to improve the User experience with personalization and localization so a person only sees what they are interested in, have targeted push notifications for relevant news, a promotion, a special event, etc.
7. Increase the rewards from Business Innovation since Apps enable you to collect User data to assist in understanding behavior and how to engage with them.
8. Further, with the help of Mobile Analytics, you can make use of the data to further enhance the User Experience – to be close to your audience, customers, partners, internal corporate personnel, etc.

Apps are improving business outcomes

Since Apps deliver major benefits and resonate with Users. Apps are a huge business opportunity and changing the way people engage, learn, know what’s happening, do shopping, make decisions, etc.

And when combined with successful ” Business Innovation ” initiatives, building out an Enterprise App Store fast tracks moving the organization forward with – higher sales, more profit, greater appeal to attract new Customers, additional relevance and opportunities with current Customers, competitive advantage, etc.

For additional insights on improving business outcomes, please visit – www.cail.com/mob-inno

May 26, 2017          CAIL                  …. from Mobile Industry commentary

info@cail.com                           800-668-5769                            905-940-9000