How much time did you spend on your smartphone today? In an increasingly connected world, the smartphone has become an essential part of our daily lives. This accessory not only allows us to communicate with our loved ones, but also to make sales and purchases. This new sales channel has also adopted a name. We then speak of m-commerce, a phenomenon that is currently ahead of so-called “classical” e-commerce. What exactly is it about? How do you implement this trend? An update on this new and booming trend.
The term “M-commerce” appeared around the year 2012 to refer to mobile commerce. It is an extension of e-commerce and digital marketing. M-commerce corresponds to all commercial transactions carried out via mobile terminals such as smartphones or tablets. It gives the possibility to sell or buy any product or service, from any location.
But that's not all! M-commerce also allows consumers to consult information about a product, service or store. From their smartphone, the prospect can find out about the opening hours of a store or the level of satisfaction of other customers.
Mobile commerce has many functions that allow, among other things, to use your phone as a payment method, to integrate a loyalty card, to carry out bank transactions, etc.
The main difference between e-commerce and m-commerce is in the medium used to carry out online transactions. In e-commerce, sales and purchases take place from a website using a computer. As far as m-commerce is concerned, commercial exchanges are carried out through a smartphone or tablet, through a mobile application or a mobile version of a merchant site. The user can then make purchases wherever they are, as long as they have access to the internet.
In addition, the non-portability of the PC limits the ability of e-commerce to track the location. This is not the case for m-commerce where applications can track user locations via GPS or Wi-Fi. Businesses then have specific information relating to the location of prospects. For example, they can use it to target customers in a particular location.
Finally, m-commerce offers more extensive security than e-commerce. Indeed, online commerce often uses credit cards as a means of payment. However, buyers are sometimes reluctant to share their credit card numbers on the web.
Mobile commerce then proves to be a more secure alternative by offering more extensive security measures. In addition to two-factor or multi-level authentication, m-commerce can also offer biometric authentication. In addition, it allows mobile wallets such as Android Pay or Apple Pay to be used instead of credit cards.
If mobile commerce is booming, it is because it is responding to a new consumer habit. The advent of the connected smartphone has something to do with this. Used by approximately 95% of French people aged between 15 and 64, this gadget has become inseparable from the user.
In addition to communication, the consumer uses it to make purchases. According to FEVAD (Federation of E-Commerce and Distance Selling), m-commerce represents 22% of turnover French e-commerce sites in 2021. This share can also increase to 35% for leading sites. Various factors have contributed to this expansion of m-commerce.
The rise of mobile commerce can be explained by the expansion of wireless and connected technologies and the arrival of 3G. In addition, smartphones and tablets are now accessible at increasingly affordable prices. Many people now have a probable telephone and can conduct electronic activities, including online commerce, via mobile devices.
The smartphone is much easier to use than a computer or a tablet. The screens are more ergonomic, offering an alternative to laptops and tablets that are too bulky. The consumer thus prefers to use their smartphone for reasons of convenience.
The craze for social networks is one of the main factors that propelled mobile commerce. Indeed, most smartphone owners are active on social networks. This has strongly pushed e-commerce on these various platforms. Indeed, according to a study by Salsify Consumer Research, 32% French consumers who participated said they purchased directly from a social media platform (Instagram, Facebook, etc.).
A company has every interest in launching m-commerce, as the advantages of this niche are numerous.
With mobile commerce, you can reach more customers. Indeed, this sales channel makes it possible to go beyond geographical borders and go beyond your catchment area. This allows you to reach a wider and more varied target.
In m-commerce, your products and services are visible 24/7. Customers can order anytime and from any location. This gives it a major advantage compared to the physical store, which is limited by precise opening and closing hours.
Mobile commerce makes it possible to collect reliable consumer data in order to optimize services. Its mobility and portability tell you about the specific needs of the prospect. This allows you to respond to them in a personalized way and to maintain a close relationship with each customer. Every buyer appreciates feeling valued. He will therefore not hesitate to repeat his purchases and even recommend your brand to his acquaintances. As a result, you generate more sales.
M-commerce is easy to deploy. Its implementation does not require colossal resources. All you have to do is adapt the website so that it is optimized for mobile.
Mobile plays a major role in an omnichannel strategy. It is a real entry point to customer relationships.
Mobile allows you to collect data on the habits of your customers. This allows you to create personalized and contextualized interactions according to user needs.
You should also know that the mobile is the preferred source of information for the French, after the computer. 42% of Internet users use it to find out about a product or service before buying.
In the phygital era, retailers often use mobile technology to improve the customer experience at the point of sale. For example, some offer applications to locate a product on the shelf or even contactless payment options. Others provide QR codes that the customer can scan with their smartphone in order to obtain information on a product.
Mobile commerce stands out for its instantaneity. This technology gives the advantage of staying in constant contact with customers and prospects. This makes it possible to optimize the customer relationship
The switch to mobile involves the implementation of a new mobile-designed website format. To do this, you have several options: responsive design, the mobile website or even the mobile application.
Responsive design is undoubtedly the most common technique. The aim is to include a feature in the code of the website so that it adapts to all screen sizes (computer, tablet, smartphone). You thus have an e-commerce site that can be displayed on all media.
This solution consists in designing a site specially dedicated to mobile. When the user visits your merchant site from their smartphone, they are automatically redirected to the mobile version. So you have two separate sites with two different URLs.
Creating a mobile website promises a better browsing experience. On the other hand, this option requires a greater investment.
You can also decide to create a mobile application in order to offer a more efficient interface to your visitors. However, its implementation requires a larger budget than the creation of a website. This tool must therefore be of real interest to the user in order for him to download it.
In addition to the creation of a website or a mobile application, the transition to m-commerce leads to a long process of change within the company. This digital transformation involves:
To fully launch yourself into m-commerce, it is interesting to entrust your logistics management to a professional external partner. Get in touch with one of our business experts to discuss your needs and devote yourself fully to your core business.
