1 - What is mobile commerce?
Mobile commerce, also known as m-commerce, represents the ability to sell a product or service through mobile devices such as mobile phones, smartphones or PDAs.
The m-commerce allows advertisers to add an additional sales channel. The advantages offered by the proximity of mobile terminals to users are numerous:
- The proximity of the mobile phone
- Increased brand image by the innovative nature of the operation
- Emphasis on dynamism and adaptation to new modes of communication
- Reinforcement of brand loyalty
- Increase proximity to customers
- Advertisers, who use mobile commerce, target consumers who are impulsive buyers and "crush" shoppers. As a result, not all types of products and services can be sold through this new sales channel. We will see, later, that French mobile users have an idea of the services or products they want to find on their mobile.
However, experiments have already taken place in France, Canada, the United States ... for a year, in very varied sectors such as transport with RATP or SNCF or even distance selling with FNAC. The first results are encouraging. The SNCF had announced at the end of 2007, on its website that the beta had brought 6000 unique visitors, 600 put options and 20 payments by credit card per day even if these results may seem low for the number one agencies on-line travel.
2 - M-commerce, new means of secure payment
New modes of payment are developing, the best known is Paypal.
PayPal
It is the historic leader in the field of online payment methods, which was launched in August 2001 in France. Currently, Paypal is present on 22,000 sites and has 5 million active users in France16.
Buyster
One of the new payment methods is Buyster. It was launched on September 30, 2011 by Atos Origin and the three mobile operators: Bouygues, SFR and Orange16. With this service, the user can pay from any connected terminal: computer, smartphone, tablet, ... 17 To make his purchase on the internet, the user will simply enter a confidential code buyster from his mobile16.
Kwixo
Another payment method was launched in June 2011 and developed by Crédit Agricole, Fia-Net and Banque LCL: Kwixo. This system makes it possible to provide an e-mail or a telephone number as identifier of the means of payment. The transaction is then carried out on the attached card (the bank accounts are only used for cashing) 18.
Lemon Way
Lemon Way is another method of payment that was launched in November 2011 by Damien Guermonprez, the former boss of Banque Accord, and Sebastien Burlet, its founder and leader. The user will simply have to open an account on the website lemonway.fr and supply it by means of a transfer with his credit card. His phone number and password are then sufficient to pay for purchases or make money transfers19.
Perspectives
The m-commerce is expected to exceed 13 billion euros in revenue in France in 2015, against 500 million euros in 2010, according to a study published by consulting firm Xerfi. This study has shown that the m-commerce would experience annual growth of 90% per year, linked to the rise in the number of smartphones and mobile users. Note that the study includes in the m-commerce sales of mobile applications
3 - Challenges of mobile trade
If millions of downloads are available for digital content such as applications, ringtones, music or movies, the challenges remain nonetheless present for mobile commerce. Phone designers and application developers have to deal with issues such as consumer authentication or secure payments. The work is done in coordination with payment intermediaries such as Paypal.
Regarding the user experience, developers must ensure that mobile interfaces are device-specific to optimize the use of m-commerce.
M-commerce has become a real support for companies to convey their message and boost their sales. The commercial sites are burgeoning and the uses of the so-called traditional trade are being jostled. We buy now from anywhere, from home or work, especially in countries where the internet is well developed.
Given the increase in the number of smartphones, considered the best and most used modes of access to the Internet, the boom experienced by the m-commerce is expected to rise majors in the coming years.
4 - The benefits of mobile commerce?
What are the real benefits of m-commerce for your business? What actions can you put in place to benefit from it?
The benefits for your business:
Better targeted promotions (behavior, geolocation);
The drive-to-store: "Google Now" could soon alert the user when he passes close to a product on which he has already done online ... and for which he has every chance to crack;
Disseminate information in real time;
Identify compulsive buyers
Promote instant interaction and increase customer satisfaction;
To retain its consumers;
Act on the brand image through innovative operations;
Increase proximity with customers
Highlight its dynamism and modernity;
What actions to put in place?
Let's take a look together at the first leads to set up your strategy and monitor the effectiveness of your actions:
Start by designating a mobile specialist in your company and assign a working group to it;
Your first priority is to create a responsive-design website, optimized for mobile, that you must optimize continuously: optimize the size and length of your content, your visuals and above all, highlight your call-to-action ;
Establish a behavioral profile of your mobile users and answer the following questions: When are you looking for them? Where are they and how far are they from your company? Then refine your strategies for sponsored links and incentives for action;
Track your conversions on your site, taking care to count sales via your mobile site (or dedicated application), but also the following channels: store locator tools, call button, ...
Deliver rich media and mobile video ads to boost your branding message and engage the mobile audience;
Ensure that your marketing actions are adapted to the different contexts of use of your consumers. Screen types must also be considered.
