2009 Holiday online average spend increased to $364 from $305 in 2008, and this is expected to increase by more than 13% in 2010 due to the slightly stronger economy, profileration of mobile, social commerce, and increased investment in ecommerce channels in 2010.
The 3 biggest reasons consumers bought online in 2009 should not be too different than in 2010: Convenience, Selection, and Price. 58% of shoppers polled agree that better pricing could be found online. Retailers also made shipping cost concessions and reduced shipping times, which reduced abandoned carts and gave consumers extra incentive to not go to the mall. This also increased the holiday season by an additional 3-4 days or 10% of the Holiday Season with expedited shipping options for those procrastinators.
In store pick up will be much more prevalent in 2010, and should be interesting to see the metrics of this added delivery model.
I expect a robust online Holiday Season.
Read More
A mobile site should include the same catalog as your primary ecommerce site. However, the user experience needs to be optimized for mobile. Your content must also be optimized for the mobile experience taking into account UI, art, photography, features, and any merchandising typically done on your primary site.
Steve Madden sought out a 3rd party to help them with their strategy and implementation due to the complexities listed above, technology implementation, and best practice, since mobile is still in the bleeding edge technology cycle quickly moving towards leading edge.
Incorporating social media with mobile is a must to take advantage of your community and the immense promotion opportunities that can be realized on a mobile platform. This will also extend and enhance your brand presence with current and new customers.
They spent 1 month on mobile wire frames and branding exercises to ensure the mobile site was architected and laid out specifically to meet the expectations of their shoppers.
If you decide that you don’t want to have a shopping cart in phase 1 of your mobile strategy, you can always use a sophisticated dealer locator to drive sales to your stores or dealer partners.
The growth of Mobile is going to be exponential with technology advancements, shoppers adoption, and the continued growth of mobile hand held and tablet market place.
Read More
