E-commerce goes mobile

1.    What advantages do mobile devices have for e-commerce?

Accessibility – Mobile devices can be taken anywhere at all times. They are made for easy transportation so they are always with us.

Payment methods – It is much easier to pay using a mobile device. People store their card information in an e-wallet on their mobile device, so all of their details are accessible with a few clicks. Other mobile apps such as PayPal and Klarna also facilitate these online transactions.

Algorithm – When you scroll on social media, the apps detect your engagement (like, comments, shares) and use this data to promote products that are similar. That way, a consumer is more likely to be interested in the website company that is being promoted, and, therefore, more likely to shop there.

2.    Thinking specifically about m-commerce, what can it do that e-commerce cannot in terms of marketing?

Shopping through social media. When scrolling through different social media apps, such as Instagram, Facebook and Twitter, many advertisements pop up. These are usually a link that with one click, you can access the website of the business that is advertising their product. This is a very accessible and easy way to shop and is a much more efficient and cost-effective way of marketing for businesses. Taking it one step further, businesses can sell their products directly through these apps (in-app purchases). The customer does not leave the social media app when purchasing as their details are stored (since they used them to register for the app), and ready to use in the database. This is a more trustworthy way for businesses to sell their products as the customer is staying on the app that they are familiar with, without having to access a different website which they might be unfamiliar with.

3.    Why is m-commerce often seen as more profitable than pure e-commerce businesses?

M-commerce will reach a larger audience than e-commerce, due to social media and the easy accessibility.

There is more accuracy with advertising to a specific target market due to algorithms.

M-commerce is very user friendly and will overall provide a more pleasant online shopping experience.