There has been a constant surge in digital shopping, and the sales figures are constantly on the rise.
As per the 2020 Q1 Shopping Index by Salesforce, there has been significant growth in the number of digital shoppers since March 2020 when online shopping became more rampant because of the pandemic.
As per the survey released this month, global digital commerce has increased by 58% while digital revenue in the US grew by 45%. There was also an enormous increase in the amount of money spent by shoppers per site visit (31%). So what does this tell us?
The detailed survey points towards shopping habits that may have been formed because of the pandemic but will continue to stay even after. B2B eCommerce businesses need to work on strategies to fulfill these perennially increasing digital orders. A solid uptick in sales figures also means that the complexities of eCommerce have also increased.
As business owners worldwide continue to build their technology stack to survive and succeed in the eCommerce world, it's time to delve deeper into the basics and understand why having a responsive mobile store is the key.
It’s no longer about what you want but understanding what’s on your customers’ minds to make lasting impressions. If a 28-year-old chain like Chipotle changed its ways to adapt to the changing preferences of its patrons, so can you.
Chipotle has recently opened doors to its digital kitchen restaurant where guests can order through their website, app, or a network of third-party delivery partners. The initiative stems from its commitment to providing an unmatched digital experience that is being achieved by maintaining a responsive site.
Curt Garner, Chief Technology Officer of Chipotle "With digital sales tripling year over year last quarter, consumers are demanding more digital access than ever before so we're constantly exploring novel ways to enhance the experience for our guests."
While there is a growing emphasis on offering an omnichannel experience, business owners are now understanding the importance of leveling up their mobile commerce (m-commerce) game.
Research shows m-commerce sales globally will make up for 53.9% of the total eCommerce sales with the worldwide m-commerce share in eCommerce predicted to touch 72.9% by 2021.
Also, the number of mobile shoppers is predicted to go beyond 187 million by 2024. The fact that 67% of consumers have downloaded a retailer app clearly shows the tide is in favor of mobile shopping. This means now is the time to become more responsive and adopt a proactive instead of reactive approach.
Considering that eCommerce businesses get their major traffic from mobiles, it is important that your mobile store is responsive, not just mobile-friendly. What's the difference, you may wonder! Plenty, we would say.
A non-responsive mobile store can be a disaster for your business. It will not adapt to the screen size of your phone, and you will have to constantly zoom in and out to see the content. Even after doing so, there is no guarantee that you will view the image or content well. Often, this leads to a loss in revenue, and the bounce rate will be high. In simple words, online shoppers will be quick to leave the site looking for the same things elsewhere.
Similarly, a mobile-friendly site is just what it says. It will remain unchanged irrespective of the device being used. So, it will look nice, but the customer experience would be terrible on mobile and tablets as it will be difficult to navigate since it won't really adapt to the changing sizes of devices.
A responsive mobile store, on the other hand, will help you win big. It will adapt to the screen size of the device and will work like it was built for that device. The benefits are simply too many to ignore, and the convenience it offers is incomparable.
Non-responsive mobile stores will not take you anywhere. They may help you get off the ground but won't take you far. But a well-designed responsive store optimized for mobile and other devices can make a world of difference to your eCommerce business.
The consumer goods site Etsy is a classic case in point and shows what a good responsive site can do for your business. Neat, engaging, and with a responsive design, it is everything a responsive mobile store should be. Of course, Amazon users will find it easier to understand what responsive mobile stores are.
Considering that about 187.5 million users in the U.S. are expected to have made at least one purchase in 2024 on their mobile device using a web browser or mobile app, it's time you made your mobile store responsive. The growing popularity of smartphones and tablets has got the m-commerce volume rising at a CAGR of 25.5% from 2019 to hit $488.0 billion, or 44% of e-commerce, in 2024.
Your mobile store can give you the following benefits when made responsive:
Responsive mobile stores are super flexible allowing users to browse seamlessly using any device, navigating their way through products and pages as quickly as they would like to. The content is not distorted; the images are clear with correct dimensions and resolution, and the page load time is impressive.
A single site that works the way you want on every device is way more cost-effective than maintaining two different sites for website and mobile browsing. Besides, you can have a common SEO campaign for both.
Since users can shop from anywhere, irrespective of the device, the possibility of cart abandonment is less. 61% of users will not return to a website if it is not optimized for mobile, while 80% of smartphone users will choose to purchase only from those brands and companies that have easy-to-navigate mobile sites and apps.
Google has always treated user experience as one of its top priorities and hence to align with the changing consumer behavior has updated its algorithms.
It has adopted a mobile-first approach and in its post stated the reason that inspired it - When it comes to search on mobile devices, users should get the most relevant and timely results, no matter if the information lives on mobile-friendly web pages or apps.
Elaborating further, the post continued - We will be expanding our use of mobile-friendliness as a ranking signal. This change will affect mobile searches in all languages worldwide and will have a significant impact on our search results.
Consequently, users will find it easier to get relevant, high-quality search results that are optimized for their devices.
A responsive mobile store offers a consistent experience to users while allowing you to manage everything such as analytics, tracking, and reporting in one place. All you need is the perfect platform to help you manage your eCommerce needs in just a few clicks.
Rob Garf, VP, and GM, Retail at Salesforce, explains, "Retailers were forced to be scrappy last year as they reacted to an influx of new digital shoppers and embraced new tactics like curbside pickup to help keep consumers safe. The growth in digital commerce over the first quarter is a signal that retailers will need to continue to scale their investments in digital while refocusing the in-store experience.”
There is a growing focus on going beyond transactions and sales to know customers and delight them every step of the way. This means eCommerce businesses, be it B2B or B2C, need to work hard on every aspect - right from operations and supply chain to delivery services and customer loyalty programs. Though none of this can happen without mobile responsiveness.
As the eCommerce landscape evolves, the concept of eCommerce is shifting from being product-centric to solution-centric.
In a digital world, it is easy for customers to find what they are looking for. The same blue travel bag or LED fixture will be sold by several other vendors. Customers simply have to search, compare, and buy.
It's no longer about selling products but delivering those that serve as a solution to their problem.
If that’s the case, you would want to show her beautiful cocktail dresses not just in black but in other striking colors too to see if something else catches her fancy.
Personalization is a lot easier to achieve when you understand the customer's intent. You need to provide an entire experience to your customers.
Luckily, there are AI-powered eCommerce platforms that provide you the tools you need to understand your customers, communicate with them through the right channels, and even create personalized catalogs for them as per their unique preferences and purchase history. Artificial Intelligence has been helping business owners understand their customers and offer them personalized shopping experiences.
Mobile responsiveness can do wonders for your business. Consider a B2B platform that helps build a mobile-responsive eCommerce site while offering third-party integrations, data analytics, and AI-powered capabilities for greater power, speed, and value.
ewiz commerce offers all this and has been leading B2B eCommerce businesses through the much-needed digital acceleration to navigate through an overly crowded market in these trying times.
ewiz commerce is the world’s only B2B eCommerce platform with built-in AI-powered marketing tools to help you create personalized shopping experiences for your customers.
Call us today to explore over 100 features for your unique business objectives, including building a perfectly responsive mobile store.
It’s all about 'mobile shopping' now!
