Ten reasons why you need a mobile commerce site

Econsultancy has just published a Mobile E-commerce Best Practice Guide, which outlines some of the best practices currently in use on mobile commerce sites and apps, and provides recommendations for making the mobile user experience as smooth as possible.

To tie in with the new guide, here are ten reasons why retailers need a mobile commerce site...

Increased mobile internet usage

More and more people are using their mobiles to access the web, and this means more opportunities for mobile retailers. According to the Pew Research Center, 57.8m American consumers access the web via mobile devices on any given day, while in the UK web traffic from mobiles is already estimated to be growing eight times faster than traffic from PCs.

Increased exposure to customers

A mobile site allows you to reach consumers even when they are shopping offline. Having a mobile commerce site means more opportunities for people to purchase from your site.

Keep up with competitors

If you don't have a mobile site and your competitors do, then you are allowing them to establish themselves with mobile customers and gain a head start in a fast growing channel.

Appeal to an affluent audience

According to a recent Essential Research survey on mobile internet adoption, 42% of mobile internet users earn over £40,000 a year, and spend more on their mobile bills.

Relatively low development cost

A mobile site doesn't have to cost the earth. Really.

Increased sales

The extra sales channel and exposure to customers shopping on the move means more sales from customers who simply cannot wait until they get home to make a purchase.

Opportunities to drive users into local stores

Multichannel retailers with mobile sites can drive offline sales by providing locator tools, contact details, and reserve and collect services.

Appeal to comparison shoppers

Some consumers use mobile phones to seek out the best deal while shopping offline, with sites and apps like Reevoo and Sccope offering this service. With a website optimised for handsets you have a better chance of grabbing some of this business.

More people have smartphones

The advent of devices like the iPhone makes the mobile web more accessible and usable for consumers, and makes it more likely that they will buy goods using their phones.

Mobile commerce fits with your business model

While most online retail sectors have the potential to sell on mobile, some are especially well-suited as they sell the kinds of products people may need while out and about. Pizza Hut offers a great example of this, and its iPhone app has driven $1m in incremental sales by allowing customers to order pizza on the move.