The time has come where consumer has starting craving for contextually relevant and targeted offerings from mobile, like it happened in the PC era. Consumers always have their mobile device with them, no matter where they go and need the most relevant information due the time & of course the screen size, constraints. Marketers need to realize that getting consumers to buy a product or service is not as important as providing a tailored experience that gives them exactly what they want and need.
Need of the hour is Personalization, which ironically, is not a new concept but has evaded the mobile domain, as of now. It will be a key differentiator in mobile offerings and the key factor for success of mobile commerce. Marketers should focus on personalizing their efforts to better reach their audience rather than focusing on the next sale. The ideal situation warrants knowing exactly who the user is and giving them exactly what they want.
It’s should not be about the rut race i.e. me too on mobile. Marketers are focusing too much on getting their mobile campaign up and running rather than pay attention to see if it would attract their ideal demographic. Same look and quicker simpler routes like item catalogues or store locators won’t work in the long run. They can surely be just a part of the engagement.For example, finding restaurants nearby a specific location that the user is currently staying at versus sending the user deal information on different locations as food for thought for their next trip.Another example could be for a hotel, on whose mobile app/web the offering changes according to whether you are looking for a room or staying there.
Understanding the Consumers
Personalization is very important to mobile commerce success. The more customized you can present information on a small screen; the more relevant that data is likely to be. But there is a fine line between usefulness and intrusion. Using customer’s location and other phone information, the more likely consumers is to engage further but the catch here is what if consumer may be put off by seeing personalized information if they don’t feel that they have opted into share their specific information on that device. Also, what we need to keep in mind is that consumer on the move are less ready, willing and able to enter lots of data.
Marketers should use mobile to deliver relevant offers that are based on personal preferences, location, and other very personal real-time data, as well as link responses to actual transactions. If done right, this will help brands and retailers stand out from the crowd.
Keys to Success
Marketers should know who their target demographic is and what they are looking for. For example, we can create a more personalized experience by seeing what consumers are browsing for via the company’s mobile site and apps and next time the company’s customers use the mobile site or app, the homepage can display the items they are looking for or offer them something similar. Additionally, if a consumer is buying a dress, the company can offer that customer shoes that go with the dress, which will not only help drive more sales, but have consumers coming back for a tailored shopping experience.
Obviously, the best incentive for consumer is the special price/offer which allows the consumer to view mobile app/site as a resource for saving.
Few Pointers:
1. Currently, many brands and marketers are running mobile campaigns that lead consumers to unoptimized landing pages, making them pinch-and-zoom to view the content. Putting a QR code on a print ad is easy, for example, but the results are usually disastrous if the consumer experience is not tailored to the device being used to access the message
2. Call for Action should be there. The engagement either through mobile site or app should lead you somewhere meaningful. Marketers should build a mobile campaign around experiences and real world products interactions and ensure the site they land on is mobile optimized and connect it to a mobile commerce transaction whenever possible.
3. Doing too much on mobile is a recipe for missing your campaign goals.
Remember, according to Google 57 percent of consumers won’t recommend a business with a poorly designed mobile site.