If you want to make the most of mobile commerce for your business, you’ll need to get involved with mobile responsive web design and start thinking like your target audience – the consumer. What do they want when they click to your site, or come into your store? How do they want your business to interact with them via their mobile devices? Do you know? If not, ask them, but in the meantime consider the following tips for making the most of mobile commerce.
Fast Loading
Keep it simple so that everything loads quickly, because people will just click on to something else if the site doesn’t load fast enough. Always test it out, and seek to improve loading times.
Responsive Design
Your website should be responsible to whatever device the user is using. It should not matter if it’s a PC, an Apple, uses an open source operating system, or is a well-known mobile device. The website should work for all and respond to the customers’ device.
Reliable Information
Ensure that all the information on your site is reliable and not outdated. Also ensure that you update your phone numbers, your address, and maps associated with your location so that mobile users aren’t sent on a wild goose chase.
Location Based Data
This is most important for local businesses. Whether you have a physical business location or meet clients at coffee shops, ensure that your local information is available because consumers want to find you when they are there using their mobile device to find out what is near them. If you are a place where only locals go but travelers are passing through, even travelers should be able to find you when they search.
Personalized
Consumers want the website to be personalized for them and their needs. They do not care that the site is “optimized for xyz browser”; they want it to work on their choice of device and their choice of browser.
Findable
SEO (Search Engine Optimization) is still important on mobile responsible websites. If a customer cannot locate you using search, it won’t matter what device they’re using because they will not even know you exist.
Environmental Factors
Always consider your customers’ environment. If your company is locally based and the weather is bad, what can you do? Say you have an outdoor miniature golf business with some indoor gaming available, and today it is storming. How about offering a coupon for some of your indoor activities that day?
Relevant Content
Consumers want content that is relevant to them, and in the form they want it. Some want to be able to see it on your site, some want to see it in email, and some want it in text. Let them decide.
Specials and Sales
All customers want to be offered specials and sales. Customers want to be spoiled and want to feel important. Give them what they want and offer deals, sales, and offers to them the moment they click or come to your location. This can be accomplished easily with QR Codes and mobile devices.
Thankfully it’s really not difficult to get involved with mobile commerce today. Nearly everyone has a mobile device and due to that the technology is fast coming along to help our businesses adjust. Even the smallest business can get involved with mobile commerce by simply using on site point-of-service checkout via their smart phone – something that is offered from many credit card providers as well as PayPal.com.