In the run up to Christmas, retailers are under increasing pressure as the intensity of brand campaigns grows in order to capitalise on consumption during the holiday season. There are a number of issues that businesses need to be on top of, in order to maintain the high quality of interactions they have with their customers.
- Hosting
This is often one of the last things that retailers consider, after website design and payment infrastructure. However it really is one of the most fundamental aspects, especially for an mCommerce site. Consider the amount of traffic when a brand’s Xmas advert goes live for example; will the site be able to cope with the influx of customers?
- Aesthetics
So you’ve got customers flocking to your mobile site after seeing your new Christmas ad campaign. But you haven’t thought about how your mobile site represents your brand, worst still you have an mCommerce site which is basic and clunky. Frankly speaking, at that point, you can say “good-bye” to your customers. With mobile traffic now accounting for a large chunk of customers, what does a cheap-looking, bad-performing site say about your business?
- Shopping cart
Now you’ve managed to get your customers onto your mobile site, and even managed to get them interested enough to purchase something. However, in order to do so, they have to enter card details, submit their address, remember online banking PIN numbers; all while on their mobile and potentially in a public place. Not ideal. PayPal, Google Wallet, one-click payments; these are all established technologies, yet you would be surprised at the number of mCommerce operations that don’t use them. Don’t be that business.
- Omnichannel
One of the biggest trends that mCommerce is offering is the ability to shop in real life using your mobile. Stores now offer delivery of products you’ve seen and bought in store. Fancy that jacket but already have too many bags to carry? Using your mobile, your can scan the barcode, pay online and have it delivered to your home. mCommerce facilitates easier purchasing – so make sure your organisations can streamline this process, not make it harder
- Security
And last but by no means least, the elephant in the room of any mCommerce operation: Security. Do you have the necessary physical and digital systems in place to protect your customer data? Many of the features above, such as one-click payments, can help with this, and in turn make customers feel more secure. This is the most important element; if customers don’t feel safe giving you their details then you have little hope of growing the mobile channel of your business.
Peer1Hosting
Connect with Peer1HostingDaniel Hobson is Head of eCommerce at Peer 1 Hosting. Based at their London office, he has been with Peer 1 since the August 2013, and has quickly established himself within the Retail industry throughout the UK, Europe, Middle East, and America. Daniel brings with him 11 years of experience in working for a large international IT manufacturer in both Canada and the UK and has a successful track record in delivering enterprise-class solutions for both large and small (but highly aspirational) businesses in many different parts of the world. In his current position, Daniel is responsible for enabling retailers and merchants to get the most out of their investment in IT infrastructure (whether it is Web-based, back-office, or analytics). Establishing and maintaining relationships with experts and customers throughout the industry, Daniel is the first point of contact for any new commercial engagement with a business looking to maximise their online potential.
