With major trends on the internet today involving both mobile and retail, it comes as no surprise that many are wondering what effects the two are having on each other. Since the beginning of the last decade, people have been increasingly using their mobile devices to make purchases online. The ramifications for many brick and mortar retailers have been severe, resulting in all too many either going out of business or having to adapt. Unfortunately for some, there are still plenty of businesses out there that are not taking full advantage of the mobile trends and advantages that an internet presence offers. We’ll discuss what mobile retail looks like today – in raw numbers – in order to give you some more insight as to what you should (or should not) be doing.

Mobile Marketing

A key part of any successful mobile campaign, mobile marketing is essential in order to attract the right customers to your products and services. Most people will not have heard of your brand before they see it in an ad; how else are these people supposed to find you without pinging search engines and social media with advertisements? Yet more than half of all retailers currently do not have a mobile marketing strategy in place. This is ignorant, especially when you consider that one-third of all internet traffic now comes from mobile devices. In order to be at your best from an e-commerce perspective, you must target mobile devices via marketing.

The State of Sales

As we mentioned above, mobile marketing plays a huge role in how much business you can expect – and of course, how much business you can expect from mobile devices. It comes as no shock that roughly the same number of businesses that have no marketing strategy for mobile report that less than 20 percent of their business comes from mobile. Nearly three-quarters of all brands report that their mobile conversion rates are not as high as their traditional website conversion rates, which suggests that more businesses need to take a fresh look at their mobile strategies and determine what works and what does not. The biggest reason for failed mobile campaigns is a lack of diversification and response to changing conditions.

Do Apps Matter?

Many notable brands have made great strides in developing their own mobile apps. While your business may not have thousands of items for sale, the justification for a mobile app is resounding. First of all, your newly-created app will be pinging search engines with links to your site from credible and authoritative link sources. The bigger direct benefit, however, is the fact that customers can quickly find the products you offer without jumping from page to page. Apps provide a more flexible shopping experience that can be streamlined to ensure more conversions and sales.

Conclusion

The future of mobile retail is bright, but its past and present is littered with the corpses of frustrated brands and stubborn businesses. You need a comprehensive marketing strategy that caters specifically to mobile – as well as an app to showcase your offerings. In addition to this, keeping a close eye on your conversions and sales through metrics will help you determine whether these strategies are working, or whether they need to be tweaked.