#m-commerce applications

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The 8 Most Important M-Commerce Applications | TechFunnel

Shopping on mobile devices are becoming trend to purchase and peruse items. M-commerce applications can truly help in creating larger customer base

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Android App Developers Help Retailers Get Wider Range of Average and Low-Income Clients

Not so long ago, the Internet was only a privilege of developed countries, and Apple with Blackberry were just fruits. However, thanks to the tech revolution all the benefits of online services have become available to the whole world. The truth is that wireless technologies and mobile devices significantly influence the way we live, communicate and purchase goods or services.

Today it's practically impossible to enumerate all the product items sold and bought over the Internet with the help of palm-friendly devices. Due to the increased use of the Internet and smartphones, a growing number of mobile users prefer to do shopping while on the go, as it is convenient and timesaving. No wonder, online shopping has gained immense popularity all over the globe. Let's make a brief overview of the main advantages the mobile era brings to an average customer:

There is no more need to waste time and burn fuel for a trip to the nearest store as it is already at your fingertips. Everything you should do is to make a few taps on your mobile device, and you will be able to order the desired purchase that will be delivered to your doorsteps.

Thanks to the extensive choice of mobile applications for Android devices, multiple options are available for a mobile customer, including both online catalogues and price checking guides. Thus, mobile-commerce provides a simplified comparison of prices and features for goods of the same quality and guarantees freedom of choice.

These days online retailers strive to attract new clients offering alluring discounts, free coupons and product samples. And people, who count their income and expenses, take advantage of these offerings and save their money with pleasure. Consequently, online business owners raise the awareness of their product and make profit engaging new loyal customers.

As you may notice, there are solid reasons for average customers to make use of technological progress and place an online order using their mobile devices. But the question is why should an online retailer take advantage of Android market and have its own mobile application for Android devices? The best way to answer this question is to appeal to the latest research statistics that helps big businesses implement groundbreaking strategies and expand their online and mobile presence:

The number of available mobile applications on Google Play exceeds 700,000;

700,000 Android phones are activated every single day according to a Twitter message posted by the co-founder of Android Inc. and Senior Vice President of Mobile and Digital Content at Google – Andy Rubin;

In July 2012, at the annual developer conference Google I/O the search giant announced that the total cumulative number of Android devices activated so far has reached over 400 million units.

What is more important is to analyze all possible advantages an Android application may bring to your business. Among the most popular and advantageous plug-ins that Android app developers can incorporate and adapt to your mobile application for Android devices are the following:

Product catalogue with high-quality images that can allow your customers see on their small screens clear product images. “Enlivening” catalogue offerings through Android apps, retailers give their customers the possibility to make orders at any time and place.

Search by price, size, model, brand or popularity. For a mobile user it's really important to save time and make must-have purchases quickly. That's why it's strategically important to provide your customers with the opportunity to find things they want immediately.

QR code or mobile barcode readers for Android phones allow to get product details. By scanning such codes you can make detailed information about services or products available to your customers on their mobile devices.

Shopping wish list is a useful tool to help your customers organize and manage the list of items needed to buy. A person can share his or her wish list with friends or family members via social networks or email. Wish lists are convenient instruments for buyers to keep track of products they would like to purchase in future.

An Android app can be transformed into a special service channel for announcing stock liquidations, coupons, discounts, or any other promotions that your clients should be informed about.

Augmented reality is another thing that can be implemented in mobile apps for retailers. Having the possibility to use augmented reality in your Android app retailers will be able to allow their customers to try clothes on themselves virtually using the phone’s camera.

It's obvious that the mobile market has billions of customers, as modern society relies more and more on wireless devices dealing with activities of daily living. As a result, mobile Internet is becoming the favorite shopping experience for the great majority of modern customers worldwide. And those retailers who expect to stay afloat in this tech-savvy world should be ready to reach their clients and potential customers through mobile applications.

Industries and Technology Areas:

Industries: retail

Technology Areas: mobile application development, m-commerce, online shopping, software development, tablet, iOS, iPhone, iPad, Android, BlackBerry, Windows Phone

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Critical Metrics to Analyze the Effectiveness of M-Commerce Initiatives

The stunning expansion of mobile communication has significantly changed the methods of trading on the global scale. The incremental amount of devices suitable for m-commerce encourages the tremendous growth of this market segment. The diffusion of wireless handheld devices, such as smartphones and tablet computers, provides a strong baseline for mobile commerce.

Today, m-commerce is a profitable and rapidly developing market that can be defined as the ability to handle business transactions using portable devices. The notion includes bill payments, ticket purchasing, online banking, brokerage services, mobile marketing, advertising, information acquisition and more.

Being technological progeny of e-commerce, m-commerce provides on-the-go mobile users with the possibility to surf the Internet, purchase or sell a broad range of goods and services. There is no need to prove that mobile commerce will definitely exert influence on market development and will demonstrate sustainable growth in the near future. According to Forrester, m-commerce sales will exceed $23 billion in 2017, as consumers increasingly turn to their phones to inform themselves both about online and offline purchases.

However, entrepreneurs who are going to take advantage of m-commerce for their businesses, should think about how to measure its effectiveness. In order to secure a return on investment, it's better to analyze the efficiency of m-commerce initiatives with the help of the following critical metrics:

Traffic: it's crucial for any online business to have a sufficient volume of traffic. That's why it's important to verify what part of it comes from the mobile Internet.

Genuine users: it's also essential to count the number of genuine users who found your product or service with the help of a mobile device.

Enhanced revenue: it's also important to measure the share of your income, gained through m-commerce activity.

Closed transactions: it's wise to know how many purchases have made your customers using their smartphones.

Effectiveness of mobile advertising: be ready to count the correlation between ad spending and the outcome of the mobile advertising campaign.

When deciding on whether to use mobile commerce solutions in your business, it's better to consider the next aspects:

For what reason will you use it? To promote your service or product, to attract new customers and business partners, or to maintain your brand awareness.

What is your target audience? Think about the main characteristics of mobile users and what benefits they appreciate, e.g. ubiquity, immediacy, instant connectivity or something else.

In what way can you use mobile commerce? Try to understand what will be useful for your business: a mobile-optimized web-site or a specifically developed mobile application, or both of them.

It's no question that there are plenty of ways to secure profit with the help of mobile marketing or m-commerce. If you are still in doubts, consider the numbers below:

According to a Capgemini survey of 16,000 online shoppers around the world, 51% of them expect that by 2020 many physical stores will exist merely as a place to show products available for online orders.

A new study by Custora Inc., a web and mobile analytics firm that specializes in retail, found that mobile shoppers make purchases 59% more often than desktop PC shoppers, and over a two-year cycle will bring in 32% more profit.

Customers are loyal to businesses that attempt to respond to their needs and go with the times. At these days, high technology allows companies to be more service-oriented and to enhance their productivity.

Industries and Technology Areas:

Industries: retail, banking, consumer goods and services, financial services

Technology Areas: mobile application development, e-commerce, m-commerce, online shopping, software development, tablet, iOS, iPhone, iPad, Android, BlackBerry, Windows Phone

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