mobile commerce and the path to purchase.

As a follow-up to my previous post on mobile commerce, I want to share some data that eMarketer posted regarding the effect of mobile on the path to purchase. As I pointed out last week, I will often start my research on my mobile device and then complete the purchase on my laptop, that is what I am most comfortable with. According to the referenced study, 37% of people did the same. They used their mobile device to do research and then completed their purchase online on a computer. Certainly not the majority, but more than 1/3 of people are not totally comfortable with completing the purchase on their devices. What will it take for this to change? Discounts? A guarantee of future savings? I think if retailers add incentives to mobile purchase completion we might start seeing an uptick in mobile sales.

Regardless of where the purchase was made, it is clear mobile devices played a role in the process. What this means is that retailers really should focus on integrating mobile into their marketing efforts, no doubt about it. First and foremost they have to have a mobile version of their website or their website needs to be mobile friendly (and tested on all devices, mobile browser and various types of mobile operating systems), preferably the former. Secondly, mobile marketers need to think about a consumer's location in relation to their store and the times that mobile usage spikes. This will help in creating more targeted campaigns and experiences like those consumers are used to on the web and ideally more purchases.