You might have seen some high-profile buyers standing with
their iPhones or Blackberry's in shopping stores, researching product reviews
and making cost comparisons. You would also have come across customers,
clicking product pictures and sharing a link to seek advice from friends in
their social networks such as Facebook, Twitter and so, prior to their
purchase. Well! That's the exciting world of m-commerce i.e. mobile -commerce.
With the immensely high demand for mobile phones, PDAs and
other handheld devices, a new worldwide business frontier of m-commerce has
been created. The introduction of mobile internet has provided for this new
sales channel which can be customized to the consumer's location. The concept
of buying anything- from any place- at any time- is indeed appealing.
Although Mobile-commerce is a variant of e-commerce but it
is a unique distribution channel based on the emerging 'transactional' role of
mobile devices. Mobile-commerce has originated from the concept of
"virtual goods" like ringtones and applications which have gradually
paved way for the sale of "real" products. Today, m-commerce has
reached a stage where retailers are getting increasingly driven to this new and
powerful channel of conducting business.
Through m-commerce, retailers can also take the advantage of
location-based GPS services to entice customers into their stores. Coupons and
other promotional offers can be pushed to customers' phones depending upon
their locations. Other information about products and their prices can also be
accessed through such location-based services by customers. A mobile presence
can engage consumers and provide valuable information with a simple and unique
design. But, before retailers decide to move forward with mobile-commerce, they
clearly need to define and plan their desired goals.
Before moving on to m-commerce, retailers must take into
account different approaches of creating their mobile presence. Mobile presence
can be created in two different ways: either by optimizing the retailers' sites
for mobile devices or by creating a mobile application. While a mobile website
is a simple design for attracting more potential buyers; a mobile application
on the other hand, can create interactive features and can keep loyal consumers
happy. But both the mobile site and application must develop a balance of
providing enough information without overwhelming the mobile connection because
not all phones are created equal. Mobile devices are still in an evolving stage
and an over-complicated or slow running feature can turn a potential buyer
away.
The influence of mobile-commerce technologies on people's
lives and on their buying decisions is undeniable. Hence, retailers who plan to
take their business mobile will most likely be able to attract loyal and
tech-savvy customers. And even though mobile e-commerce website solutions is
still in its early stages, its technologies can capture the new multichannel
consumers - whether they are at home or at work, or shopping in or near your
stores.
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