30% of US E-Commerce Purchases Now Mobile – 3 Industries Might Surprise You
With nearly one third of all US e-commerce purchases now occurring on mobile devices, understanding the role of mobile in your brand’s customer journey has never been more vital. Find out how and discover three industries whose e-commerce conversions might just surprise you.
Percentage of US E-Commerce Purchases Via Mobile Up 20% Year Over Year
2015 US mobile e-commerce was over $104 billion, up nearly 39 percent compared to the previous year. As a percent of e-commerce overall, mobile gained 20 percent, growing from 24.6 percent to nearly 30 percent of all e-commerce.
In 2016 mobile e-commerce is once again expected to outpace the total e-commerce sales growth rate by more than 2.5 times. While those numbers sound impressive, it’s worth noting that the percentage of e-commerce occurring on mobile in the Asian and European markets is growing even faster (internetretailer.com)
Role of Mobile in B2B Sales
Before you say that these numbers don’t apply to your B2B organization, consider this: By 2017, US adults will spend an hour longer each day on mobile devices than desktops or laptops (eMarketer.com), more than half of all Google searches already occur on mobile, and 64 percent of decision-makers read their email on mobile devices (cmocouncil.org). Numbers like these make it difficult to argue that mobile is not already playing a significant role in the buying journey, not only for consumers, but for B2B buyers as well.
Industries Benefiting from Rise of US E-Commerce Activity via Mobile
Many industries already understand how vital it is that their website be both search and mobile-friendly. For instance:
- In 2012, 64 percent of mobile restaurant searches converted within one hour of search (searchengineland.com)
- In 2012, half of mobile queries in travel, restaurants and autos resulted in a purchase (marketingland.com); for restaurants that number was an astounding 85 percent
- In 2012, 72 percent of those making a mobile-travel purchase did so within 30 days; one third did so within one day (marketingland.com)
3 Industries Whose US E-Commerce Success Might Surprise You
The immediacy of mobile e-commerce conversions might lead you to believe that mobile e-commerce sales are only growing in industries whose buyers are ready to make a decision. However, thinkwithgoogle.com, Google’s platform sharing “compelling data, big ideas, Google research and insights” with business leaders and marketers says otherwise.
In How to Build Your Mobile-Centric Search Strategy, thinkwithgoogle.com points out that Automobiles, Jewelry and Hotels, all of which have a buying journey that is presumably far longer than restaurants and other low-budget retail purchases, are all benefiting from the rise of mobile’s role in U.S. e-commerce. Consider some of these facts:
- 74 percent of mobile hotel bookings are done for same-day check in
- Mobile searches for “promise rings” grew 77 percent from 2014 to 2015
- Mobile searches for autos are occurring at various stages of the car buying process, from “I want to know” information discovery to “Is it right for me” option-narrowing to ready-to-buy “I want to go” moments
4 Keys to Mobile US E-Commerce Success
1. Understanding Mobile in the Buying Journey
The question isn’t whether mobile will be playing a part in your customer’s buying journey, but when. Depending on the complexity of the buying journey, mobile could be the beginning and the end; however, in lengthier buying cycles and B2B buying journeys, mobile may be only playing a part in the buyer’s journey. You need to know when buyers are likely to use mobile devices to find brands, explore them, narrow their choices or make a buying decision – and chances are you will find that your buyers use mobile devices at all of the various stages of the buying journey.
2. Identifying Conversions in the Mobile Buying Journey
A conversion isn’t only a purchase, but any action a buyer takes that you wanted them to take. Now that you know when buyers are using mobile during the buying journey, you need to have a plan to get them to take the next action you want them to take, whatever that may be whether they are using mobile devices for brand discovery, product comparison, to send buying signals or to make a final purchase.
3. Creating Brand Connection in the Mobile E-Commerce Transaction
Brand engagement is just as crucial in mobile e-commerce as in any other type of sale, and not only because of its role in persuading buyers to choose your brand to begin with. Mobile brand engagement is also critical for brands that want to generate brand awareness, differentiation, post-sale reviews and referrals.
4. Engaging After the Mobile Sale
Does your mobile app or mobile-friendly website give buyers a reason to come back after the sale? Brands that successfully engage buyers after the sale give themselves opportunities to convert one time buyers into long time loyal customers.
