Everyone is Doing Mcommerce but You, You and You
Okay, that’s not really the case – if you have an ecommerce site, your customers and prospects may be reaching you via a mobile device. But it’s clear that despite the mobile commerce revolution, most merchants do not have a dedicated mcommerce site.
Bernardine Wu of FitForCommerce asked breakout session attendees Wednesday at the NEMOA directXchange Spring Conference if they had a mobile site. Only a hard or two out of 50 pair was raised. When Wu asked how many merchants were planning a mobile site, just a couple of hands went up.
The problem is, you don’t have a choice. You need a mobile channel. Your customers are there, and so is your competition. It’s not a huge transitional channel yet, but customers are using their iPhones and iPads and other mobile devices to find what they need.
Mobile seems to be following the path social media has the past few years. And even though social and mobile work hand-in-hand (think Foursquare and other location-based services, rantings and reviews, etc.), merchants aren’t taking the bull by the horns.
A survey conducted by Wu’s company last fall determined 38% or mobile activities by merchants are taking place in marketing departments, and 34% are headed by ecommerce departments.
Wu says this is a time for people to step up and become their company’s mcommerce champion. Just a few years ago, there was no such thing as a “social media expert,” now everyone wants to be one. The same will hold true in mobile.
