Until recently, consumers mainly shopped online from their laptops, at their leisure, when they had time to take a leisurely look at the offer and make the best possible choice. With the development of smartphones, mobile applications and payments from the phone (Apple Pay, BLIK code, etc.), it has become popular to buy via mobile devices, as confirmed by the results of the latest edition of Gemius' "E-commerce in Poland 2022" survey. (according to which traffic from mobile overtook traffic coming from desktop for the first time). What are the comparative statistics? What are the reasons behind the fact that we are increasingly buying from mobile? And finally - what are the benefits of a greater focus on mobile eCommerce development?
A little data - for starters
According to the "E-commerce in Poland 2022" report compiled by Gemius, the smartphone is currently the most popular device used by respondents in the online shopping process. In fact, 75% of respondents indicated that they shop this way (73% also indicated a laptop, with a smaller number indicating a tablet or desktop computer). Significantly, in the youngest group of respondents, the smartphone definitely rules - it recorded as much as 92% of indications there.
Despite the clear signs constituting the essence of this trend, still 30% of online shoppers encountered the problem of lack of a responsive mobile version, 22% with letters too small on their phone, and 15% with an inconvenient payment method, confirming that there is still much room for improvement in mCommerce development. These indications become even more important when users reach the store's website after clicking on an ad displayed on their social media (most often just from their phone).
Why do we buy by phone?
What is behind the fact that traffic from mobile is growing year after year? Undoubtedly, it is influenced by the fact (confirmed by the Gemius report) that people from Generation Z and younger generations, who are accustomed to using their phone in every situation, are increasingly buying online. However, this is not the only reason. Significance also undoubtedly exists:
Comfort
We no longer shop only at home, but also on public transportation on the way to work, university, on a long trip or at our leisure while waiting in line at the doctor's office, for example. All we have to do is pull out a small device from our purse or pocket and we immediately have access to offers from thousands of online stores and retailers. In just a few moments we can find what we need and make a purchase anywhere and anytime - just the kind of convenience consumers need and expect.
Improved user experience
The development of the mCommerce trend has, of course, been followed by the development of new technologies. Companies are now betting on designing responsive websites (Reponsive Web Design, RWD), creating stores using PWA solutions (combining the capabilities of a store and a native mobile app) or offering users to use mobile apps, which significantly improves their experience and makes it easier to make purchases from their phones.
Speed
Consumers are eager for solutions that make their lives easier and speed up the execution of specific activities. This area is also well suited to mCommerce, which, in addition to convenience and lack of major effort, also provides the ability to place an order quickly. This is because there is no need to find a laptop, turn it on, log in, etc. - from the phone everything happens in seconds and at any time. Such flexibility is very decent these days.
Mobile eCommerce development - why is it worth it?
Investing in the development of mobile eCommerce is therefore a way to ensure that you don't lose customers who entered your online store from a smartphone and left within a few moments, for example, due to the lack of a responsive mobile version. As you already know, the number of people shopping from their phones is constantly increasing - thus, the risk that due to not following the mCommerce trend, the number of abandoned shopping carts will increase as well, and you will lose potentially loyal and returning customers (especially when your target audience includes the youngest consumers). So the desire to gain satisfied customers is the main reason for developing mobile eCommerce. What other benefits can you list?
1. Increase in sales – this situation is directly related to new users of your online store, who prefer to buy from their phone rather than from a laptop or desktop.
2. More competitive – Nowadays, customers expect online stores to be accessible on mobile devices. The lack of a mobile version of your online store can negatively affect your company's reputation and cause you to lose customers, something you would certainly like to avoid. A business that offers its customers the convenience of shopping via mobile devices becomes more modern and attractive to potential customers.
3. Greater marketing opportunities – if you have a mobile application or a store set up with PWA technology, you can take advantage of the opportunities provided by push notifications and send information about new products and promotions this way. With this approach, you will be sure that no important information will slip their attention. What's more, thanks to the data collected from mobile devices, you can more accurately identify your target group and tailor your offer to their needs. This allows you to increase the effectiveness of your marketing efforts and achieve better results.
4. Better Google Search Positioning – In 2015, Google introduced the Mobilegeddon algorithm, which supports websites that are responsive to mobile devices. By doing so, Google better ranks sites that have a responsive mobile version (this is one of the Core Web Vitals), which makes them index higher in the search engine and increases the chance that a user will come across them.
5. Reaching new customers - with a mobile online store, a company can reach new customers who prefer to shop via mobile devices, which allows it to expand its customer base and translates into increased sales at the same time as well.
6. Improving the user experience – online shopping from the phone level can be enriched with the possibilities that characterize AR (augmented reality) technology, giving the possibility, for example, to virtually try on shoes or try on makeup (e.g. to check whether a particular product color matches the buyer's appearance). Such an activity is definitely easier from the phone than from a laptop, and it has a very positive impact on the conversion rate values of an online store.
How to develop mobile eCommerce?
If you care about getting the most out of having an online store, then you should definitely bet on using modern technologies that make eCommerce work great on mobile. After all, you can see that taking care of responsive mobile versions or implementing modern mobile applications available in web browsers or AMP protocols significantly contributes to the growth of commerce via mobile devices. Below we explain what exactly these solutions are and point out why you should take advantage of them.
RWD
Responsive Web Design is a technology that allows a website to adapt to various mobile devices, such as smartphones and tablets. This allows users to easily browse the online store without having to scroll horizontally. Thus, an online store can have one universal version of the site that automatically adjusts to the screen size of the device it is displayed on - there is no need to create a separate version of the site for smartphones, tablets and computers, which saves time and money.
PWA
Progressive Web App is a solution that allows you to mimic the operation of a mobile app on a website to some extent. It makes it possible, among other things, to use geolocation, add an icon to the home screen of one's mobile device and receive push notifications. In addition, PWAs do not require downloading from the App Store or Google Play, making them steadily growing in popularity.
AMP Protocols
Accelerated Mobile Pages reduce page load time on mobile devices and facilitate rendering, which significantly affects users' online shopping experience.
Of course, you should also take care of such elements of the store next, such as plugging in convenient mobile payments, mobile marketing activities or personalizing your offerings.
Mobile eCommerce - summary
Even if you didn't think about providing a responsive mobile version when designing your online store, at this point is the last call to do so - if, of course, you don't want to lose your customers because of it, especially from the younger consumer group. If, on the other hand, you're in the early stages of setting up an online store, consider the latest trends and don't forget about mCommerce development. However, no matter which situation you are in, you can count on us to help you in the area of proposing the most tailored solutions. We will help you provide the best possible experience for your customers on any device!
