Integrating Mobile Commerce into the Cross-Channel Commerce Mix

While mobile commerce is one channel among the many used by consumers, it has the potential to be the heart of all commerce channels. People carry their mobile devices with them everywhere they go, using them throughout the day to look up information, access applications, and connect with their social network. In fact, mobile devices offer a unique opportunity for you to engage with consumers as they interact with your brand.

The Complexity and Promise of Mobile Commerce

The rapid evolution of mobile devices and enabling technologies are catalysts for a mobile commerce experience that matches — or even surpasses — the online shopping experience. With larger screen sizes, higher connection speeds, and unlimited data plans, more consumers are starting to turn to their mobile devices without hesitation throughout the buying process.

Because mobile devices are used by consumers throughout the purchase process, they are the natural connector across all channels.

These consumers offer a tremendous opportunity for you. According to a consumer research study commissioned by ATG and published in March 2010, nearly a third of consumers are using their mobile devices to browse or research products and services at least periodically, while 13 percent are using them to make purchases. Moreover, 32 percent of those in the 18-34 age group use their mobile devices to browse or research monthly, and 15 percent are completing transactions with their mobile devices monthly.

Third-party research on early adopters of online shopping indicates that they are highly desirable consumers, with 29 percent earning over $100,000 annually and all of them tending to make higher-value purchases (Source: eMarketer. Sep '09 — Mobile Commerce: Ahead of its Time.") on average. In fact, these online shoppers aren't bargain hunting — they want a convenient, easy way to shop for the products and services they desire.

That said, consumers are overwhelmed by the variety of mobile devices and applications on the market. Consider that in 2009, nearly 1,200 new mobile devices were announced worldwide (Source; SpecTRAX Service). Right now applications and devices from Apple and Google are the ones most frequently used for online browsing and shopping. However, the market will further fragment as more manufacturers make inroads with consumers and develop new types of devices, such as tablet computers.

Addressing Mobile Commerce Needs

Where does this leave you as a merchant? First and foremost, you need to incorporate the mobile commerce channel into your overall cross-channel approach. Remember, it's not important where the final transaction occurs — what's important is that you encourage consumers to move through the buying process, supporting their needs every step of the way. The key is to make it easy for consumers to use their mobile devices to access the information they need and shop seamlessly with you across every channel.

To deliver a consistent commerce experience across all channels, you need to address the variety of mobile devices and applications being used by consumers. The first step is to optimize your site for mobile browsers. This enables you to address the entire market with a better shopping experience for those on mobile devices.

The second step is to determine the devices being used by your customer base and assess which ones warrant investment in device-specific applications. If you're going to develop these applications, make sure you leverage the unique attributes of each mobile device to optimize the experience, such as by taking advantage of built-in GPS to help locate stores or to push notifications about sales at a nearby store. Key to the success of this effort is to streamline initial development and ongoing maintenance of device-specific applications.

ATG Offers Products, Programs, and Applications for Mobile Commerce

ATG offers comprehensive e-commerce functionality through ATG Commerce, incorporating search, personalization, catalog management, and a Mobile Reference Store, to name a few. While all of these products are configured for developers, we provide management tools that make it easy for business users to centrally set up and manage this functionality.

Plus we've created a unique open source, community-supported program — ATG Catalyst — that enables new extensions to ATG products, and integrations with partner technologies and emerging technologies, such as mobile commerce and social commerce tools. Designed to accelerate innovation and development, ATG Catalyst helps you keep pace with — and make the most of — the rapidly evolving e-commerce market. As part of ATG Catalyst, we've developed a range of applications — including ATG Mobile for Apple iPhone® and iPod touch® — that make it possible to serve up mobile content on different devices. Plus, we continually monitor market adoption and usage of devices and platforms as they are released, and introduce further Catalyst Assets as warranted. Combined, this e-commerce functionality, unique program, and applications allow you to satisfy consumer expectations for a cross-channel experience with mobile commerce at the core.