The power of Mobile Commerce is making great strides in helping businesses understand what makes their customers tick -- and their cash flows grow. MOBILE COMMERCE: AN OVERVIEW
“High-Tech” Pocket Phones
mobile apps for android, mobile apps for iPhone, mobile ordering Mobile phones are marvels of technology, and their power lies in their versatility and the limitless options they offer to users. Not only are they avenues for communication, but they also build channels for mobile users to express their personal choices -- and even build new ones if there aren't any. There are currently around 3 billion mobile phones in the world today. The past two years alone has seen mobile devices go from zero penetration to over half of the Australian population. It is forecasted that 64% of Australians will own smartphones while 39% of households will own tablets by the end of 2012. So how do people use mobile phones? A study made by the AIMIA in 2012 showed that the growth rates for the period of 2010 to 2012 were as follows: • Sending and receiving emails - 25% • Getting information - 21% • Visiting websites, and/or searching or browsing the internet - 20% • Banking, including transfers and bill payments - 19% • For entertainment purposes - 15% • Buying things online - 16% These are important findings for today's marketers and businesses. Mobile devices are now giving businesses the opportunity to use highly effective and innovative ways for their customers to shop and transact business more directly. MOBILE ORDERING Purchasing Goods the “Mobile” Way Mobile phones are now playing a significant role in online purchasing, product research and development, and even payment transactions. They are bringing business strategies and innovation to the forefront. In fact, over 1 in 2 Australians are using internet capable mobile or tablet gadgets as an important part in discovering consumer activity and even the buying process itself. The number of Australians transacting via their mobile phones has also seen an upward growth spurt over the past 18 months. In 2011, only 12% of Australians did their transactions on their mobile phones, which has now surged to 32% this year. Much of this growth can be traced to the strengthening penetration of mobile gadgets across all demographics. It’s therefore not surprising to see how mobile ordering is fast gaining momentum in mobile commerce and marketing. And whether a person uses mobile apps for Android and mobile apps for iPhone, the term “mobile ordering” simply means ordering and paying for products and services by using a mobile ordering system. It allows customers to browse through menus or retail items and order everything through the mobile phone. Benefits of Mobile Order Systems There are many advantages to using mobile ordering. First, it reduces costs by shortening order-taking time and avoiding errors that normally goes when people call in their purchases. Additionally, its barcoding capabilities also eliminate data entry mistakes. Second, it widens sales channels, allowing customers to order right at fingertips. Third, mobile ordering systems can help increase customer loyalty and consumer satisfaction by looking at their buying trends and purchasing behavior. All these advantages drive consequently drive profits up, especially when combined with social media marketing. Mobile Ordering System + GPS = Increased Customer Base (and Profit) One unique feature that makes mobile ordering stand out from traditional online ordering system is its capacity to leverage GPS location signals to service customers. Imagine a customer looking for a cab in a very remote area at midnight. She doesn’t panic; but calmly uses a mobile ordering app to get the nearest cab to her current location. This is exactly what SAAVI, a market leading mobile application developer, has created for ubiCabs (http://ubicabs.com/), a company that specializes in providing taxi services all over London. SAAVI has created mobile apps (https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.ubicabs&hl=en) for iPhone as well as mobile apps for Android that allows ubiCabs to help customers get a taxi anywhere in London. Yet this feature doesn’t stop there. Knowing the location of customers can actually be very helpful in creating marketing strategies for businesses and determine the success of a mobile ad campaign. Using the locations a company has gathered over time can be used as a guide when choosing the most locally-relevant context that should be used for displaying advertisements. For instance, mobile users who are searching for “X Café” can come across an ad that gives the exact distance and direction to the nearest “X Café” within their vicinity. This makes for an effective mobile ad campaign. Additionally, this powerful mobile marketing tool allows businesses to text their customers, reminding them to download coupons at a store that they are in at the moment. It can even be used to inform customers if they are in an area that is now having a sale or an event. Mobile ordering systems allow companies to build their customer base, which results to bigger profits. Its possibilities are endless; and utilising it in a business setting is one of the best strategies that can be used to get the best results. Author – Phil Talbot is founder of Saavi.com.au – the mobile ordering specialists and the resident expert in mobile ordering systems. You can follow Saavi on Facebook.