9 Needed Weekend Mobile E-commerce Insights: E-commerce Link Digest

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Howdy, Big Thinkers! No setup today. Just a quick list of 9 needed weekend mobile e-commerce insights from the E-commerce Link Digest series for you. Enjoy:

1. Leading off, we’ve got some exciting research from eMarketer that says “Holiday Retail Ecommerce Sales Will Grow 17% this Year.” That’s a big, exciting number, representing $94.71 billion in sales and almost 11% of total holiday spending.
2. Given this increased activity, it’s worth checking out this recently updated post here on Thinks that asked again, “Will E-commerce Kill Retail?” While the simple answer is “no,” it’s a bit complicated. Be sure to check out the whole past to see what’s really happening — and why it matters for your business.
3. Of course, every silver lining has a cloud and e-commerce is no exception. Vala Ashfar on Twitter shared a troubling Forrester e-commerce stat:
   

   eCommerce will replace 1 million U.S. B2B salespeople by 2020. —@forrester

   — Vala Afshar (@ValaAfshar) October 4, 2016

   Even if Vala and Forrester are wrong by 2-3x, it’s a big number. To help those potentially impacted by this trend, I strongly recommend asking yourself these two key questions:

   1. How can you ensure you’re not one of them?
   2. 2. How much prep have you done in case you are?
4. For one last does of e-commerce expertise, don’t miss these “13 Key Insights About Mobile Commerce, Payments, and Content Marketing” from the ongoing E-commerce Link Digest series.
5. Speaking of mobile commerce, Mobile Commerce Daily say that “Mobile Apps Just Outpaced Mobile Web Commerce for First Time.” That’s a pretty big deal, really.
6. Unfortunately, the silver lining of mobile commerce on apps comes with its own cloud; according to eMarketer, “The Mobile App Environment Is More Challenging than Ever,” noting “…most apps are failing to keep mobile users interested and engaged for long.” So, while you can definitely get customers to buy through your app, the real question is whether can you get them to buy through your app twice.
7. Looking for a way to ensure they come back? Just remember “It’s Not ‘Mobile First.’ It’s ‘Customer First.'” While it doesn’t guarantee success, it’s a safe bet doing it the other way ’round won’t work for long.
8. Another key way to get them to buy twice? Get them to tell their friends. Augie Ray at Gartner just introduced the “Buy/Own/Advocate Customer Experience Journey” the other day, and I wholeheartedly recommend it. In fact, long-time readers know that I’ve talked about engaging advocates as “The Single Most Effective Way to Improve Your Brand’s Digital Marketing.”
9. Finally, don’t forget how much runway still exists when it comes to e-commerce generally and mobile commerce specifically. Only about half of the world’s population is online. And the data shows how significant an impact internet access has people’s lives. As Raju Narisetti and Benedict Evans said on Twitter the other day,
   

   Used to be paved roads. But increasingly phone communication is the enabler https://t.co/3r8Ss12vHV

   — Raju Narisetti (@raju) October 3, 2016

   And with that bit of perspective, let’s hope you can apply these 9 needed weekend mobile e-commerce insights to your busienss too.

If you want learn even more about how your customers’ changing behavior shapes e-commerce and marketing, be sure and register to receive a special report I’ve produced in conjunction with hotel marketing firm Vizergy, “Digital Hotel Marketing in a Multiscreen World.” While it’s targeted specifically at hotel and resort marketers, the lessons apply to just about any business. You can get your free copy of the report here.

You can also check out these slides and video from my recent webinar, “Digital Marketing Directions: Three Key Trends Driving Your Marketing Next Year”:

Finally, you might enjoy some of these past posts from Thinks to help you build your e-commerce strategy and your digital success:

• 6 Mobile Commerce and Strategy Insights: E-commerce Link Digest
• Content is Still the King
• The Digital Strategy Myth
• Why Mobile Payments Will Rule
• Driving Seamless Experiences in 2016 (Thinks Out Loud Episode 149)
• Mobile is So Much Bigger Than You Think (Thinks Out Loud Episode 140)
• It’s Not “Mobile First.” It’s “Customer First.”
• 8 Killer Entries About Improving E-commerce Experience: E-commerce Link Digest