Tablets: M-Commerce or Not?
A recent article on Internet Retailer talks about the debate over whether or not tablets should be counted as m-commerce. It's an interesting discussion and one that will continue to get more focus as m-commerce sales keep climbing. Industry studies show that tablet sales are currently included in m-commerce figures and are widely considered a mobile device among retailers. Mark Beccue, a senior analyst at ABI Research, argues that e-commerce that...read more >>
M-Commerce: Mobile Shoppers are Task Oriented
As we and many others have discussed more than a little, smartphones and tablets have become an intimately connected part of online retail. Retailers and manufacturers without good online content are in the minority (and will suffer accordingly), and the same may soon be the case for those without good mobile-optimized content. Retail blog Practical eCommerce recently did a Q&A with Brian Horakh, CEO of the 12-year-old e-commerce solutions company...read more >>
Key Metrics for Evaluating Your Mobile E-Commerce Site
I've seen the good, the bad, and the ugly when it comes to mobile versions of e-commerce sites, so I know it's not a level playing field out there. Regardless of where your mobile site lands on the scale of good-to-bad, it's important to know how much traffic your site is experiencing. A recent post on Mashable shares three key metrics that will help when evaluating your mobile site performance. The "ABCs of Mobile Metrics" as Mashable calls them...read more >>
Walmart Struggles to Catch Its E-Commerce Rivals
Walmart is trying to light the fire beneath its "lagging e-commerce operation," according to a recent Bloomberg article. Over the past year, the world's largest retail chain has spent more than $300 million to acquire web-related companies, hired more than 200 people, and started an upgrade of its web platform. Yet there's still the feeling that Walmart.com has a lot of catching up to do. And they have to be quick about it, as Walmart.com is losing...read more >>
Using Mobile Video to Drive Retail Sales
There is no denying our love for shopping with tablets and smartphones. According to comScore’s 2012 Mobile Future in Focus report, more than half of the U.S. smartphone population used their phone to perform retail research while inside a store in 2011. While e-commerce retailers work out new ways to turn that in-store research into more sales, a recent post on Video Commerce offers up four ways they can do just that through the use of mobile...read more >>
Consumers Frustrated with M-Commerce
A few weeks ago we talked about how brands are falling behind in mobile commerce, despite reports that show consumers willingness to spend big. In case you don't recall, a 2011 report by Forrester shows that mobile commerce sales are expected to quintuple over the next five years, resulting in $31 billion in sales by 2016. This week we're here to tell you that consumers are noticing retailers' slow adaptation, causing frustration levels to soar. A...read more >>
Scan-and-Scram and Content Merchandising
It's known as "showrooming," and it is not something giggling hippies do in the woods. What I'm referring to is the growing habit of visiting a store only for the purpose of researching a product and with the intent of purchasing the item elsewhere for less--usually online. It's also called the "scan-and-scram." Regardless of which term you choose to embrace, you can add this activity to the list maladies plaguing brick-and-mortar retail (while benefiting...read more >>
Dynotag’s Murat Divringi: QR Codes Offer Retail Innovations
I recently put on a funny hat and piled into a photo booth with a group of friends. This was a modern, QR code-enabled photo booth... that sent me to a poorly designed, non-mobile-enabled website. For all of you who read my colleague Will's excellent introduction to QR codes, you realize how often QR codes can act as shortcuts to disappointment and annoyance. But it doesn't have to be that way. QR codes have the potential to provide a bevy of useful...read more >>
The Basics of QR Codes
There is a lot of talk among e-commerce pros on the topic of mobile marketing--and for good reason. One study found that the use of smartphones for product research grew by 320 percent between August and November of 2011 alone. One intriguing new tool spawned by smartphone proliferation is the QR code. For those who don't know, QR (quick response) codes are those pixelated, black-and-white stamps commonly found on product packages, posters, buses,...read more >>
Brands Falling Behind in Mobile Commerce
All of last year we were inundated with stats telling us that mobile commerce was charging forward at a bulls' pace. According to Forrester’s 2011 report, "m-commerce sales are set to quintuple over the next five years, resulting in $31 billion worth of sales by 2016." The latest mobile reports gauging mobile marketing practices among top brands are in, and the results aren't pretty. Despite the growth in mobile sales, a large number of retailers...read more >>