While the term "e-commerce" was considered to be the catch phrase of the last decade, m-commerce has now taken centre stage. If you are not familiar with mobile commerce, this is simply another way of addressing the growing number of users who access websites through the use of their smartphones. Should you have a website, this is very important to keep in mind. So, how can you address this growing audience and what benefits are you likely to experience?
If you are like most of us, you regularly access the web through the use of a mobile device. This is a trend that is only expected to grow as these phones continue to advance. In fact, there are some analysts who predict that the majority of Internet access will be via these phones in the very near future. Why is this so important in terms of marketing and website development? Let's take a closer look.
First of all, let's never forget that some web pages are not considered to have mobile-friendly designs. This is another way of saying that they will not display correctly on the smaller screens associated with smartphones. Some will be difficult to navigate while others may fail to load entirely. It should therefore be obvious that the first way to target the mobile audience is to upgrade an existing page to one that can be seen with a mobile phone.
Otherwise known as mobile applications, "apps" have become critical for many businesses. These can be thought of as tiny "banners" that will remain present within the memory of a phone. So, one-click navigation to a website is now a reality. This is much easier than having to manually enter in a web address while you are out and about. Companies that wish to get their product or service across to a mobile-friendly audience are investing a great deal of time into the development of these applications. Of course, the "app" is not the only way to drive business. These clever icons can be paired with pay-per-click advertising, RTB (real time bidding) and social media networking.
The bottom line is that the mobile audience is quickly becoming the largest marketing demographic. Like any good salesperson, it is always critical to stay ahead of this curve in order to engage your buyers on a regular basis. As a greater number of purchases are now made through smartphones, failing to tap into this sector can cost any company a great deal of revenue. This is one of the many reasons why countless strategists are now stressing the development of the m-commerce sector.
If you are looking to broaden your audience and enjoy greater success within the competitive world of business, adjusting to this approach is a great idea. Thankfully, there is a great deal of information to be found online in regards to how such a strategy is accomplished.