Marketing
Mobile spending surges bringing big changes for retailers in 2021
Udayan Bose, founder and CEO at NetElixir, shares insight on the major shift in mobile engagement among consumers and what retail marketers need do to revamp mobile strategies to ensure the shopping experience is easy, enjoyable, and effective.
March 12, 2021 by Udayan Bose
While it's no secret that most Americans have been glued to their phones for years, the pandemic only seems to have heightened that — and it's dramatically affecting how we spend.
Recent stats show the retail marketing industry is experiencing a major shift in mobile engagement — in fact, according to recent NetElixir data, mobile phones now drive more than 72% of all website shopping sessions and 55% of all website sales.
Yet, legacy systems and fixed mindsets continue to inhibit many retail marketers from reaching their full mobile potential. What can retail marketers do to revamp their mobile strategies to ensure the shopping experience is easy, enjoyable, and effective?
We're living in a virtual, vertical world. Adjust ad formatting accordingly.
The pandemic continues to force many of today's consumers to do their best online shopping at home, from the comforts of their couches. This means most shoppers are doing one thing: scrolling on their phones for their next buy. In fact, according to Buffer, 96% of active Facebook users access the platform on mobile, and vertical videos perform better on the platform.
While marketers are accustomed to designing videos and animations in a square or horizontal format, now it's critical to adapt for mobile viewings. And it's about more than leaning into one piece of creative. Consider slideshows or carousels; create a "story" to help influence engagement as those potential buyers are swiping through your content. Consumer sentiments are shifting rapidly, with many shoppers prioritizing needs versus wants and heavily allowing financial concerns and fears surrounding the ongoing pandemic to influence their typical buying behaviors.
Augmented reality is a critical driver for retail engagement. It's time to adopt it.
Extended reality, particularly augmented reality, is the key to enhancing mobile engagement now that so many consumers' virtual lives have expanded. Virtual experiences are crucial at a time when many shoppers still do not feel comfortable returning to in-store shopping. Amazon was an early adopter of this, now offering shoppers the option to visualize how, for instance, a new piece of furniture might look like in their living room.
AR may even signify the QR code comeback. Gone will be the days when scanning a QR code used to bring a customer to a website or static content. An AR infusion to the traditional working model opens up the door for marketers to take the old-school QR code and refresh it… for endless, creative mobile engagement possibilities. And, in fact, did QR codes ever really go out of style? According to Juniper Research, the number of QR codes scanned is forecast to exceed five billion by 2022, with the technology experiencing rapid growth as more marketers set their sights on unique in-app usages and scanning abilities.
Gaming is an often overlooked entryway into smarter mobile marketing. Let's change that.
The global mobile gaming market saw an uptick in value last year, accounting for 51% of global revenue in the gaming industry in 2020. With many in the GenZ community, and beyond, passing the time indoors by gaming with friends and family, there is a real opportunity this year for brand marketers to leverage the market. This can be accomplished through the creation of virtual "branded" goods and experiences; think, Pokémon GO for retail.
Mobile spending surges may mean big changes for retailers in the year ahead, but in a way, these are all industry shifts that we long anticipated. Now is just the time to act. The most important advice at the end of the day is to remember what this is all for, and what's most important: appealing to the customer. Lean into empathy; create a meaningful narrative to demonstrate why your product matters now, potentially even how it can best help them navigate through the uncertainty. Consumers are scrolling through their phones with purpose; help them find it.
Udayan Bose is founder and CEO at NetElixir
About Udayan Bose
Udayan recognized the potential of search marketing as an essential advertising channel in 2004. Having experienced first-hand the complexity involved in running a profitable paid search campaign, he was driven to develop a system that delivers predictable and efficient campaign performance, allowing marketers to fully leverage the power of paid search as a high value sales generator.
Prior to starting NetElixir, Udayan was Director of Business Development for PartyGaming, the world's largest online gaming company. In this role he was responsible for building a new business unit from scratch, PartyBingo that went on to become a major revenue generator for the Company.
Udayan regularly lectures the MBA classes at the Johnson Graduate School of Management, Cornell University; Zicklin School of Business, Baruch, NY and the Indian School of Business, Hyderabad. He has been featured in The New York Times, Forbes and Time magazines.
Udayan holds a Bachelors Degree in Chemical Engineering from the Indian Institute of Technology, Delhi.
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