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Mobile Commerce: The Future of Shopping?
Have you made a purchase using your phone lately? If not, chances are someone you know has. According to eMarketer, Over 50 million Americans made a purchase via a mobile device in 2012, with this number expected to increase for 2013. Keeping this number in mind, retail companies should no longer be asking themselves should we be using mobile commerce, but how can we use mobile commerce and be successful? For a company to truly understand how to answer this question, lets dig deeper into mobile commerce.
What is Mobile Commerce? Mobile commerce, often referred to as m-commerce is the process of using mobile devices such as phones or tablets to browse, research, buy and sell products via the internet.
What Does the Switch from E-Commerce to M-Commerce mean for Your Company? If you are a retail-based company, this switch is highly impactful, meaning that not too far into the future how you interact via mobile with your consumers, might be more important than other marketing channels. The switch to m-commerce is all about consumers. Consumers are looking for convenience when purchasing, and if your company is not able to offer it, chances are your competitor will. One way to offer this convenience and differentiate your business from its competitors, is developing a separate mobile shopping app. According to a Nielsen survey in June, 2012 alone, 45 million American smartphone owners used an app from the shopping/commerce category. Having a mobile shopping app puts users one click away from access and purchase of your businesses' products.
However, mobile apps can be pricy and not every business may be able to afford this, so making sure your business is optimized for mobile, whether it may be responsive design or a separate mobile sight is just as or maybe even more important. Make sure that whichever way users can access your business via mobile is not over complicated and as an end result is easy for making purchases.
What are Some Ways I can Make Sure My Business is Prepared for the Switch from E-commerce to M-Commerce? Here are 4 ways to make sure you are prepared for mobile commerce:
- Determine your business goals and how your mobile marketing and sales fit into these. Make sure you understand your target audience and which devices or platforms you will be focusing on.
- Focus on functionality, and make sure that the format, layout and content reflect that of your target audiences' devices. Don't overcomplicate things.
- Drive and measure traffic.
- Integrate everything, by making sure that your mobile marketing plan includes both online and offline channels.
Are you ready to take the journey into the new world of sales, by transitioning from E-Commerce to M-Commerce? Contact a Stellar Blue representative today to show you the way!
 Amanda Betts : Marketing Director
Stellar Blue Web Design, LLC
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Social Commerce
The way customers are making transactions is very different today than it was five years ago. Companies are finding new ways to reach audiences, and are even experimenting with new online currencies. Here are three examples of how online commerce is continuing to evolve in today's changing market.
Facebook Offers
Remember when you use to get that monthly coupon packet in the mail that was filled with hundreds of discounts and coupons? Facebook Offers is the digital version of those paper coupon books. What Facebook Offers allows Facebook Pages to do is create coupons that can be shared with your Facebook followers. These offers show up on the news feed and when someone clicks on the offer to use it, that user in turn shares it with their friends. Offers can be used either online, or in-store. Just like any other advertising, Facebook Offers does require some spending. As you spend more, the opportunity to be seen by the right audience increases. In order to have access to Facebook Offers, your Facebook Page must have at least 100 likes. Offers is definitely an option companies will want to look at when it comes to increasing sales through Facebook.
SocialTransactions
A company by the name of SocialTransactions is making a huge push to create a game changer for Non-profits. The concept of their site is simple. Every time you make a purchase with an online store, a certain % of the purchase goes to a non-profit of your choice. All you need to do is find your favorite non-profit on SocialTransaction's site, add a personalized plug-in to your tool bar that takes a minute to install, and SocialTransactions will track the purchases you make online and take care of donations. If you're a non-profit and you want to sign up, you simple fill out a registration form and they will get in contact with you to set up a specific hub with a specific plug in for your users. These are just a few of the online stores that already support SocialTransactions : Amazon, Ebay, Target, Walmart, Home Depot, iTunes, Hulu Plus, American Eagle, Best Buy, Macy's, Gap, Backcountry, and NewEgg.
Bitcoins
Imagine a currency that is not controlled by a central bank, and is used strictly on the internet. This is what the creator of Bitcoins, Satoshi Nakamoto had in mind when he first launched the open source currency in 2008. Bitcoin transactions work very differently than your normal online transaction as they are done through a peer-to-peer network, instead of a bank. Before you start buying bitcoins, you must first install what's called a wallet. The wallet gives you a unique Bitcoin Address that is essentially your bank account. Once you have the Bitcoin address you can now start trading. You make purchases of Bitcoins through other users on the Bitcoin exchange, which is somewhat similar to a normal stock exchange. The value of the Bitcoin is changing all the time and many users are buying Bitcoins in the hopes that their value goes up. One big advantage that those in favor of bitcoins will point out is that there is only a limited amount of Bitcoins available. Supporters believe this will help stabilize the market.
While not too many big companies have openly embraced Bitcoins yet, many small businesses that are internet based are starting to open up their doors to Bitcoin users. Look for Bitcoins to become more relevant on social media pages of these small businesses who have been early adopters of this form of currency.
 Caleb Bloomer : Multimedia Assistant
Stellar Blue Web Design, LLC
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5 Ecommerce Preparations
The holiday shopping season seems to approach businesses sooner each year with the advent of massive crowds anticipating huge sales. Not only do brick and mortar stores get heavy traffic, but online stores have been increasing in traffic due to their convenience, variety and simplicity which many consumers seek in their shopping experiences. With the help of these best practices, start preparing your virtual storefront now and make this next holiday season the most profitable year yet!
Call-to-Actions
You may be getting heavy traffic to your website, but are your visiting customers performing any actions on your website? Including proper call-to-action (CTA) buttons on your website can give your customers an incentive to perform desired actions that will bring them a step closer to purchasing. CTAs create opportunities to reach more customers, increase the number of items they purchase and increase the value amount of each purchase. For tips on creating effective CTA buttons, consider:
- Placement – Are your call-to-action buttons visible and easy to find?
- Color – The color choice of CTA buttons can help them stand out from your website
- Wording – CTA buttons should tell the customer exactly what will happen when they click on it
Promotions and Coupon Codes
People window-shop and compare products online before making any final purchasing decisions. Turn those uncertain customers into purchasing customers with the proper use of promotions and coupon codes. In creating promotions and coupon codes, consider:
- Mass appeal – Don't make the offer specific, target a large audience for a larger return
- Simplicity – The offer's terms should be made user-friendly and as simple as possible for the customer as to increase the rate of offer's redemption
- Value – Make the offering valuable to your customers so they actively participate
- New customers – Consider tailoring a specific offering exclusively to new customers to both increase your initial customer base and foster more loyal long-term customers
Graphics
Your website is the virtual representation of your store and its products to your online customers. With that being said, consider all of the factors that people find important to a brick and mortar store and apply that to your e-commerce website. Look at:
- Cleanliness - Consider the size, layout and amount of graphics as to reduce unnecessary clutter
- Quality/layout - Provide an ample amount of quality pictures of your products for customers to evaluate their purchasing decisions
- Layout - Make sure all graphics are displayed in a logical, intuitive layout
Search Terms
Just like how people use keywords to find your website on a Google search, they are also using certain keywords to find certain products within your website. Update your product keywords while considering:
- Wording – Use the wording your customers use and apply those terms to keywords
- Variety – Use a variety of various keywords to reach a larger audience. Your loyal customers may use different terms than new customers.
- Google Keyword Tool and other search engine tools can help formulate keywords
Analytics
After implementing anything new on your website -- test it! Testing key performance indicators (KPIs) such as average cart size, conversion rate and sales (just to name a few) can give direct feedback on how any changes are performing. Have your sales increased after updating your keywords? Are average cart sizes increasing after changing the shopping cart button? These are the types of questions that you should be concerned with after implementing any changes. For tips on using analytics for testing, consider:
- A/B testing – Make two separate distinct changes and the measure each one individually and implement the change that's performing the best
- Testing schedule – Analyze your KPIs over time at regular intervals including daily, weekly, and monthly tests
- Testing points – Utilize your analytics to test KPIs before purchasing, during a purchase, and after a purchase to further analyze trends. Why aren't people buying everything in their shopping cart? Why are repeat purchases down from last month?
For more tips on how to optimize your website and implement valuable changes, contact Stellar Blue at info@stellarbluewebdesign.com or call us at (920) 931-4250!
Chris Froze : Project Strategist
Stellar Blue Web Design, LLC
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Meet the Newest Member of the Stellar Blue Crew
Hello… I would like to introduce myself as the new project strategist for Stellar Blue Web Design. As part of my job, I will be part of the team that helps grow and manage Stellar Blue's presence and support in the greater Fox Valley and Midwest areas….
Click here to read more about Chris!
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Customer Spotlight
Congrats to AIA Corporation for the launch of their custom website! AIA is a solutions provider for the promotional product industry. They offer support to companies nationwide for the day to day activities as well as provide services to grow their affiliates' businesses. Click here to learn more!
Congrats to Lance & Company Nova Home Loans on the launch of your custom smartphone application. The Nova Home Loans app is a web-based mobile app aimed at helping realtors and home buyers with loan quotes for common loan types. Users can receive information about payments including information on insurance amounts. They can also receive push notifications with important announcements from Nova Home Loans. Contact Stellar Blue if you'd like to discuss this custom application in more detail.
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