[dropcap]M[/dropcap]obile Commerce (more commonly known as mCommerce) is taking leaps in the online retail industry. With over 6.8 Billion smart phones worldwide, people have quickly adapted to mCommerce. Custom mobile application development has been significantly increased in the past 5 years. Every retail giant now offers a customised app for mobile shopping.
Mobile Shopping provides an easier way to shop when people are on the move. Research suggests that about 78% of mCommerce traffic is received when a user is travelling, making use of travel time to shop via mobile devices. mCommerce not only constitutes smart phones but also traffic from Tablets. The introduction of iPad followed by a number of tablets has given users rich browsing experience.
With the rise in mCommerce, small retailers have quickly exploited this opportunity by offering Web Responsive Websites that are compatible on all known devices irrespective of their resolution. This is to provide a smooth, rich shopping experience. Some retailers take it a step further; invest a little more money to offer custom mobile applications. Leveraging powerful multitasking & notification features, they can attract and retain loyal customer by offering app based promotions on a regular basis.
In the initial boom of mCommerce, there were concerns regarding security and authenticity of payments via mobile devices. This is has now set a new benchmark in the industry. Introduction of new secure protocols, gateways like PayPal, Amazon Payments & Google Wallet have made immense improvements on the security front.
The world of Smartphones and tablets is changing fast. On an average a manufacturer releases a new device every 18 months, while Operating systems are constantly updated and patches are released every now and then. Manufacturers are looking at making their devices more user-friendly while at the same time enhancing speeds, performance and usability. Retailers and development agencies have to be updated with trends if they want to be in the game.
Another amazing feature that Mobile devices have to offer is Location Based Services. This can be used to a great advantage if used correctly. Simply put, a mobile device can detect the current location of the user and offer products & services available in the near vicinity.
Video is another medium thru which retail traffic has increased and a majority of credit goes to tablets allowing customers to view High Definition videos. Many retailers are now opting for video descriptions or video tutorials for their products. This has become somewhat of a trend lately to which customers have responded very well.
There is no doubt that mCommerce will be the future of eCommerce. Developments in t areas like near field communication, payment peripherals etc will be the new standards for mCommerce. It will change the world shops in-stores & online. If your business is thinking of entering into mCommerce, now would be the best time.
