Consumers are using mobile devices such as smartphones, tablets, connected devices (iPods, smartwatches) etc. to enhance their shopping experience. With technology that allows them to make purchase decisions on the go, shopping behaviors have altered indefinitely. Especially mobile technology is gradually substituting human interactions as a study shows that 73% of shoppers with smartphones prefer to reference their mobile device in-store rather than ask a sales associate for help (Source: Accenture, reported by Internet Retailer, 2010). Changes such as these have altered today’s shopper’s purchase journey indefinitely.
In order to acquire long-term customers, it is important to understand this new purchase cycle and the role mobile plays in it. Here are the different stages of pre-purchase, during purchase and post-purchase along with the role played by mobile in influencing purchase decisions.
Awareness
This is the stage where your customers are aware that something is amiss which needs fixing, without having complete knowledge of what is wrong or how it can be solved. SMS based awareness campaigns or mobile apps are used to drive awareness about your value proposition.
Consideration
During this stage, your customers are cognizant of a particular problem and are looking for solutions to fix it. During this phase, mobile search plays an important role in gaining awareness about a perceived need or issue. Ensuring that your mobile site is optimized for keywords pertaining to your industry/niche/value offerings will ensure that you are found when the prospect is searching for solutions for their problem.
Intent to Purchase
This stage is the one where prospects have a decent idea of what they are looking for and are gauging how you can fix their problem or provide them with what they are looking for. Consumers with intent to purchase a product conduct extensive research, refer peer reviews and industry journals, before buying it online or in-store. A study has found that almost 31% of mobile shoppers research a product on their mobile device before buying it in-store, while 40% of them research a product from their smartphone before purchasing it online (Source: JiWire Mobile Audience Insights Report Q1 2011). Another trend that influences consumers with intent to purchase is coupons delivered to them in real-time. 73% of consumers find it useful to receive an instant coupon as they pass by an item in a store (Source: Accenture, reported by Internet Retailer, 2010).
Purchase
This is the stage where prospects purchase the product. With the help of mobile devices, consumers are now able to purchase items at any point of time, with utmost ease and convenience. Some retailers even utilize mobile to make the whole process of purchasing items more convenient, such as providing in-store browsing, giving instant coupons and offers available on mobile devices and more. Other mobile-centric activities include using store locator to find a store (78%), using mobile lists while shopping (40%), and using mobile devices for payment (26%) (Source: Nielson); 38% check the status of an order, and, while in store, 32% browse product reviews. (Source: 2010 IDC Survey)
Post-Purchase
Post-purchase phases include activities starting from consumption of product to repurchase and finally gaining loyalty. Mobile users are increasingly using mobile devices which have social media apps installed on them to comment on purchases in real-time, write a review of purchases, provide feedback, share details of purchases with peer networks, join mailing lists and brand fan pages and more.
Mobile savvy consumers are now using the channel to efficiently manage their purchases and their shopping experiences. From awareness to post-purchase, brands need to be cognizant of these trends and design their consumer experience accordingly.
