M-commerce is Born: Now what?
September 4th, 2009 Posted in Mobile CommerceWe’ve all snatched a pack of gum from the display at the register at the last minute. Your mother called this an impulse purchase, and she warned you against them. But she also taught you the value of bargain shopping.
Well call her up and start bragging. Impulse shopping just became a bargain.
It’s called M-commerce, aka mobile commerce. M-commerce is the buying and selling of goods and services via mobile technology like your cell phone. Basically, retailers can give you special deals via text message, like mobile coupons. And as technology develops, these deals can be expanded because your phone will know when you’re in or near a certain retailer. You can also purchase things straight from your phone and have them delivered to your home, saving you time and energy.
But m-commerce is still a budding technology. Most mobile phone users aren’t really aware of this technology. They’re using their mobile phones to browse for the weather and read the news, maybe find a movie show time or a restaurant, but not to buy products.
Also, this technology isn’t free, so price is a roadblock for many companies as well. It’s also hard to ensure customer privacy (and assure them of it, as well).
Then there’s the issue of mobile phone standardization. There are so many different kinds of phones out there with different browsers and operating systems. Finding the right phones to market to within budget constraints can be a headache.
But on the positive side, many consumers are willing to make purchases via their mobile phone. Many people use their phone to conduct business and plan a weekend date, so why not purchase a pizza to pick up on the way home? M-commerce could be very appealing to the “on-the-go” consumer, especially when it comes to low cost items like fast food and movie tickets.
Retailers should pay attention to this burgeoning technology, as mobile consumers are very likely to be repeat customers who look for an easy way to make a purchase, even if it costs a bit more.
M-commerce may be a new technology, but it will continue to grow and might just become the next innovation in retail.
| By Carrie Milford Want content written for your Brand that shows up #1 on Search Engines and brings you new customers? Contact us. |