I just like to say “Shopability”! But retailers today need to be able to say it and do it. All retailers need shopability to compete in today’s mobile world. Technology advances are changing shopping behavior at lighting speed. With the democratization of information and the multitude of shopping venues online and offline, retailers must be much more engaged with consumers.
eMarketer reports e-commerce sales in the U.S. were at an impressive $225.5 billion in 2012, and they are on track to reach a staggering $434.2 billion by 2017.
Mobile is so important to today’s retail activity. According to findings in the 2013 Mobile Path-to-Purchase study, fifty percent of respondents said they use their mobile devices to start the search process; 46 percent use mobile exclusively when performing research online. Even Google noted last year that 65 percent of online searches began on a smartphone.
Think this is only for big brands? Think again. Mobile research for local is BIG. Sixty percent of consumers expect a business to be within walking or local driving distance from their current location. One out of every three smartphone users search for a business’s contact information.
What does all that research add up to? Seventy-four percent of smartphone related purchases are completed offline in-store, and 54% of tablet related purchases are completed online through personal computer or mobile device.
For today’s shoppers, you have to be able to navigate these surfing habits and ensure no bad research, shopping or purchase experiences. Irrelevant content, slow-loading sites, poor search, and lack of engagement lead to no purchase, and even worse, no future visits.
