Article
Talking With: Quantum Metric CEO Mario Ciabarra on all things mobile commerce
The mobile device is fast becoming the retail storefront for today's shoppers and they are not only expecting a seamless, frictionless mobile customer experience but also a rewarding one.
October 25, 2019 by Judy Mottl — Editor, RetailCustomerExperience.com & DigitalSignageToday.com
Every day more millennials and Gen Z consumers are grabbing the mobile device, whether it'd be a smartphone or tablet, to shop, browse, research product and purchase.
For the retailer, the scenario brings a ton of challenges in meeting the mobile consumer's expectations of a seamless, frictionless and rewarding experience. If they don't make that happen the outcome is clear: less revenue and decreased customer loyalty amidst growing competition online.
Retail Customer Experience reached out to Mario Ciabarra, CEO and founder of Quantum Metric, to learn more about why mobile shopping is the next realm retailers should put focus on.
Q. How would you describe where mobile retail/shopping is today and where retailers are in the sense of cultivating a good mobile experience for the consumer?
A.Mobile shopping is beginning to peak as mobile devices now lead in traffic numbers. Recent data found that 59% of consumers access sites via mobile web, versus the 33% on desktop. However, when it comes to the retailer making the sale on mobile — it doesn't quite add up as conversion rates were found to be 4x lower, indicating that retailers haven't yet perfected the digital mobile experience.
Q. What are some top challenges retailers are having when it come to mobile transaction experience — is it a lack of internal resources, lack of strategy and are those challenges the prime reason mobile isn't grabbing stronger transaction — and if not, what is?
A. Retailers today are challenged to understand their mobile customer better — to effectively be in their shoes and empathize with their experience. They need to be the customer — seeing what the customer sees when shopping on a phone, feeling what they feel when navigating through the website, and understanding their frustration when confronted with any sort of issue, such as a long load time or confusing UI.
In addition, retailers might not fully understand which mobile web issues pose a greater threat to revenue, which ones they should be prioritizing and ultimately solving for first. For example, if a website has an issue with its search feature that affects 2 million customers but is only costing the brand a few thousand dollars vs. an issue with its check out or shopping cart page that's affecting 500 customers but costing the brand millions, the latter should be prioritized, even though less customers experienced the issue.
Q. What tips would you give retailers today, which haven't done much with the mobile experience, to get started?
A. It's really all about being the customer and understanding how their actions on mobile might differ from desktop. Not just thinking about their perspective and frustrations, but actually putting yourself exactly in their position and reliving their experiences.
Not only this, but retailers should look at their customers' mobile shopping experiences through the lens of revenue. They need to understand what has prevented someone from completing a purchase. From here, they will be better suited to develop a mobile shopping experience and strategy that leads to profitable results. Mobile shoppers already have a lower attention span than desktop shoppers and expect to navigate through a retailer's website quickly. Knowing this, retailers can incorporate tactics to ensure website speed doesn't get bogged down by any unnecessary page elements, its features are working correctly, and content is placed in eye-catching areas.
Additionally, when you speak in the language of revenue across a company, this helps cross functional teams (i.e. marketing, IT, sales, customer service) better align — and work together — on the actions they need to take and help the business as a whole. Everyone is working towards the same goal, playing a vital role in the customer's digital experience, and creating solutions that work for both the customer and retailer.
Q. Where do you expect mobile shopping will be in five years and in a decade and will today's millennial consumer still be driving it forward?
A. Mobile shopping is headed to become the preferred way to shop within the next few years. With 54% of consumers shopping online for the upcoming holiday season, it won't be too long for mobile shopping to reach the ranks of desktop shopping. Already, 22% of millennials and 19% of Gen Z consumers use their mobile devices to shop.
However, mobile shopping won't reach its full potential if customers keep facing poor digital experiences. Mobile has the potential to become a huge revenue driver for retailers as millennials and Gen Z consumers are using their phones more. Retailers that aren't capitalizing on this rising trend and taking the time to improve their mobile experiences will lose customer loyalty, see a decrease in sales, and ultimately be left behind.
About Judy Mottl
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