Why retailers should make the most of mobile

Depending on whose stats you look at, more than half of consumers will abandon item-filled ecommerce shopping carts at the slightest irritation, be it too difficult to navigate or too many repetitive steps during the checkout process. These are fixable issues.

According to Chris Mangone, vice president of payments partnerships at American Express, mobile centricity is the code online retailers need to crack to convert more mobile shoppers.

Citing a statistic that the typical person taps their smartphone once every 10 minutes — which adds up to three hours a day on the device — this is creating new consumer behavior that merchants need to be aware of and consider, or risk ignoring, that consumer clicks any number of competitors.

Noting that the combination of 5G speeds and longer battery life allows people to spend more time on their phones, Mangone said this has “brought about some behavior changes, and the behavior changes are a lot more interesting. We as a society are simply using our phones more because we can, and there’s compelling content we crave. Be it social media, gaming, etc., mobile devices really have become the norm.”

Due to two years of remote work and contactless delivery, “we were looking for alternative ways of window shopping via our mobile devices. As a by-product of scrolling, I’ve certainly purchased many items through my phone, and I’m sure I’m not the only one who has,” he said.

It is now up to merchants and their technology partners to capitalize on new mobile shopping patterns, which among other changes should prompt a review of the mobile user experience.

“Having a mobile-friendly website that’s easy to navigate and add to your cart is really an asset,” said Mangone. “If the shopper has trouble navigating the site, they will leave the site. After shopping, a seamless checkout experience using the customer’s preferred payment method is essential.”

Payment choice is another important factor that has been confirmed by study after study during the pandemic, showing that recognizing the preferred payment method increases conversions.

Mangone added that it must include digital wallets and card storage capabilities, noting that studies by American Express show that 55% of consumers would abandon their cards if they had to re-enter their payment or shipping information – which he did “a handsome” named stunning statistic.”

After the checkout process, “it’s just as important to send order confirmations and delivery status updates,” he said. “It really creates an experience that delights customers and helps build their trust before the product even arrives.”

See also: The Mobile Payments in the eCommerce Tracker

So easy that a child can do it

Leveraging our relationship with digital devices right now is another key strategy for merchants looking to attract more mobile commerce from a massive base of smartphone buyers.

Mangone told PYMNTS that apps allow retailers to engage with consumers directly on their phones with the click of a button — without having to open a browser window or search another channel. They also give merchants a chance to put push notifications to good use by allowing customers to opt-in to notifications about sales and other promotions.

But here’s the catch: the old truism “so easy for a kid to use” still applies, and retailers need to invest in a user experience (UX) that makes the entire mobile customer journey intuitive.

“I hate to say it, but my 1-year-old can even touch a screen and fast-forward to his favorite song in certain movies,” he said. “I share this because it has to be so simple. Sometimes developers and retailers lose sight of that.”

Since PYMNTS research found that about 5 million US consumers often (if not typically) purchase additional items when picking up mobile curbside or in-store orders, he added that “customer experience is key here. Consumers pick up their items in store because they want their goods faster than they can be delivered.”

This is an opportunity for merchants to have harmonized omnichannel experiences for optimal consumer responses that drive them to sell more, more often.

also read: Amex card spending is up 28% as younger consumers rush after Trump’s inflation

Discovery and Conversion

With the right partner to handle integrations and help smooth out difficult spots where conversions fail, getting your omnichannel act together doesn’t have to be a hassle or expensive.

Coming back to the additional purchases that often come with order pickup, Mangone said, “The expectation is to ensure that these incremental goods can be easily added to their order without the need for a tedious checkout process. Increasingly, we are seeing that digital checkout experiences are required to meet these consumer expectations.”

Citing Amazon Go as a great example of frictionless retail, he said: “It’s so simple, and it takes the painful experience of waiting in line out of the equation. That’s something I expect when making these incremental purchases or pickups. But maybe that’s just me. I can’t stand lines. I know I’m not alone in this.”

This goes into the calculus of how different channels are better at certain things – or certain demographics – and these channels are now an integral part of the sales mix.

Noting the many e-commerce marketplaces vying for consumer spending, he said retailers not selling on platforms are missing out on opportunities that others are likely to capitalize on.

“It doesn’t mean it’s the only way to succeed,” but the reality is that many online platforms, such as ” he said.

That’s doubly true for Millennials, Bridge Millennials, and Gen Z, where according to Mangone American Express “has seen a 56% year-over-year increase in spending from this card member base.”

Adding that embedded payments also move consumers from discovery to conversion, he said, “the result is that you lose business if you’re not at these various discovery points.”