Posts tagged as:

mobile device

The Truth: How the Social, Local, Mobile Web Affects Sales Online and Offline

by Tim on May 15, 2013

in E-commerce,Marketing,Mobile,social strategy

I recently had the pleasure of speaking to the New Jersey Chapter of MENG (Marketing Executives Networking Group). They were a fantastic audience, offering great questions and a lively dialog. The talk highlighted companies like W Hotels, Nike, Tesco and other companies who get what the transition to social, local, and mobile means for their customers (like those I highlighted yesterday). If you’d like to take a look at the slides, they’re linked below:

I also recorded a brief video with NJ MENG Chapter president Monique de Maio on omnichannel marketing and how it pays off for brands:

As ever, I’m available to speak to your group, too. You can get all the details here.

You can also register to receive a free copy of my new special report, “Digital Hotel Marketing in a Multiscreen World,” produced in conjunction with Vizergy, here. While it’s targeted to the hospitality industry specifically, most of the lessons apply across verticals. And, if that’s not enough, you might also enjoy some of our past coverage of the social, local, mobile web, including:

Tagged as: m-commerce, Mobile, mobile commerce, mobile device, mobile ecommerce, mobile internet, mobile marketing, mobile phone, mobile strategy, mobile web, social, social business, social commerce, social e-commerce, social ecommerce, social is people, social marker, social marketing, Social Media, social media marketing, social network, social network marketing, social networking, social networks, social shopping, social strategy, social web

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How to Get in Your Customers’ Pants… Pocket (Travel Tuesday)

by Tim on May 14, 2013

in Marketing,Mobile,Travel Marketing

Pardon the salacious title; I couldn’t help myself. But you’ll love where this is going.

If you’re a typical hotel, travel agent, airline, car rental agency, or cruise line, most of your customers don’t interact with you all that often. Sure, the “road warriors” do, but lots and lots (and lots) of others might only buy from you once a year, if that. You’ve only got a handful of opportunities each year to put your brand in front of the customer and deepen the relationship.

Or do you?

Check out what W Hotels is doing with their mobile app:

W music app

Yep. That’s a music player, featuring curated music mixes from hip, trendy DJ’s. Instead of interacting with that customer maybe a few times a year, they can engage with that guest every single day, reinforcing their relationship and continuing to tell their brand story.

Now, obviously, the music options W chose limit its appeal to a certain type of customer. But that’s OK, because that’s exactly the type of customer W wants in its lobbies, bars, and, ahem, bedrooms. They’ve done better than getting in their customers pants. They’ve gotten in their hearts and minds.

Of course, they’re not the only one taking this approach, inside the travel industry or out. Nike, for example, shifts the brand experience from the few times a year a customer looks for a new pair of running shoes to a continual conversation with its Nike+ app and Nike Fuel Band.

Both companies have found excellent, brand-focused ways to assist their customers and engage in their daily lives. Because, as I’ve noted before, “…mobile is always at hand. Literally.” Or, y’know, in their pants pocket.

What creative ways have you seen for brands (in travel or outside) to offer apps that both enrich their customers’ lives and deepen the relationship? If you have a minute, tell me about them in the comments. I’d love to hear.

Interested in more? Register to receive a free copy of my new special report, “Digital Hotel Marketing in a Multiscreen World,” produced in conjunction with Vizergy, here. And you might also enjoy some of our past coverage of mobile, including:

Tagged as: m-commerce, Marketing, marketing 101, marketing strategy, Mobile, mobile commerce, mobile device, mobile ecommerce, mobile internet, mobile marketing, mobile phone, mobile strategy, travel, travel marketing

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New Trends in Mobile Commerce And Why You Need to Pay Attention by Megan Totka

by Tim on May 1, 2013

in E-commerce,Mobile

It’s official: There are more Internet-connected devices in the United States than there are people. Around 311.5 million Americans are using a combined 425 million gadgets. And while this figure does include personal laptop and desktop computers, mobile connectivity is poised to replace the PC—there are 113 million smartphone users, and 54.8 million tablet users.

Now more than ever, it’s vital for businesses to keep an eye on the mobile market, a rapidly growing segment of e-commerce. Total mobile commerce sales for the United States, at $3 billion in 2010, rose to $10 billion for 2012 and are expected to reach $31 billion by 2016.

How can your business cash in on mobile commerce? Here are four trends to watch and act on in the near future.

Tablets are Hot for Commerce

While smartphones and tablets are both used for mobile commerce, tablet users are driving the trends for mobile shopping. Trend-tracking firm comScore reported that the acceleration in mobile spending coincides with the widespread adoption of tablets in 2011.

Various studies show that tablet users love and use their devices
more frequently:

In a 2011 Google study, 43 percent of tablet users spent more time with their tablets than on PCs
The same study found that 33 percent use tablets more often than they watch television
Data from Forrester, Gartner, and Pew Internet Research, reported in this infographic from digital ad agency Vertic, finds that 60 percent of tablet users shop from their tablets
The same sources report that tablet users typically spend 10 to 20 percent more on their mobile purchases, with a 33 to 66 percent increase in conversion rates over PC users

Video is (Still) King

With the increasing use of mobile devices for shopping, video content is more attractive than ever to consumers, who can—and do—watch videos anywhere. Adobe’s U.S. Digital Video Benchmark study found that mobile video consumption increased more than 10 percent during the fourth quarter of 2012.

Research has already proven that video content offers a significant boost in conversion rates. This is especially true for tablet users, according to Adobe’s findings—they not only consume more video content, but also spend more money on mobile commerce purchases.

Men Love Mobile Shopping

If you’re targeting a female demographic with your Internet marketing strategies, you may want to consider a shift for your mobile audience. The latest Global TGI survey from Kantar Media finds that in the United States, 13.3 percent of women are interested in mobile commerce purchasing, compared to 15.9 percent of men.

Smartphones are Replacing Wallets

When debit cards debuted in the U.S. market, it was the ultimate in convenience. No more carrying cash or checkbooks—you could use your card to make purchases, and grab a little spending money from any ATM, without going into debt.

Now, consumers can pay not only for mobile purchases, but also for physical transactions with their smartphones. More retail stores are accepting payments through apps like PayPal and Google Wallet. Mobile transactions currently total $240 billion annually, and Juniper Research projects those totals to surpass $670 billion by 2015.

Mobile commerce can only grow from here. Is your business part of the mobile revolution?

(Photo
Source)

Megan Totka is
the Chief Editor for ChamberofCommerce.com. She
specializes on the topic of small business tips and resources.
ChamberofCommerce.com helps small businesses grow their business on the web and
facilitates connectivity between local businesses and more than 7,000 Chambers
of Commerce worldwide.