The mobile industry continues to gain an upper hand when it comes to encouraging people to shop online. As mobile shopping is becoming even more popular and hyper-competitive, online merchants still do not have adequate knowledge about the kind of behavior online shoppers exhibit while purchasing a product. They are yet struggling to know about why, when, and how, customers behave through their devices.
Customers have their own set of preferences and purchasing patterns. And, with the proliferation of mobile devices, this behavior has gone through a drastic change which we need to get to grips with. With that reason, it has become important for online players understand the way in which different consumers behave across different devices and screens. Knowing about these subtle differences are crucial for the success of an online channel.
The research team of eBay enterprises conducted a study with a name called Multi-device Ownership: Implications for Retailers and Consumers, under which they quizzed customers to learn why they are using mobile devices and to understand the motivations that make it possible for engagement to occur across multiple devices.
Key Results
The growth of mobile technology has influenced the behavior of shoppers tremendously. Since consumers are rapidly adopting multiple devices to shop, it has become essential for website owners to explore device usage to take informed decisions in the quickest possible manner. The study unleashed some notable insights using which shop owners can focus on delivering experience that visitors expect in the manner that is relevant to them.
- Consumers switch between devices rapidly
Given to the rise of multiple devices and their easy accessibility, consumers now prefer to use multiple devices when shopping for a product. For the past year, the switching has increased from 40% to 60%. it’s worth noticing that online buyers aren’t replacing, but “adding” screens. Typically, it’s the investigative intent and convenience that together encourage this switching, consequently 81% people have been reported opting for multiple devices to explore a single product.
- Context and convenience are supreme
Consumers demand convenience and a context that is appropriate for the device. The study revealed the usage of devices in some common places such as home, office, and when customers are on the move. Tablets are desktops are more suitable for controlled environments such as home or office. In fact, one of the most interesting findings of this study, which actually surprised researchers is that smartphones are more frequently used in homes for browsing purposes. Up to 87% smartphones are used for home browsing. And 52% at work. In addition, desktop and laptop usage reached up to 36% in the workplace.
This clearly identifies that we just can’t afford to ignore non-office workers and the way they dominate the e-commerce industry. It also signals that consumers might not feel comfortable using a specific device for making purchase decisions. This is something that motivates them to try multiple devices.
- Consumers start an online activity and then seek information in the showroom before making final purchase
Consumers focus on seeking information from brick and mortar stores before making the final purchase online. Up to 65% of customers confessed that they first go to the showroom to get the real time feel and look of the product and then decide to buy or not to buy the product.
Up to 58% of customers exhibit this sort of mix behavior while making product decisions. In addition, up to 72% of consumers agreed that they leave the “street-side” shop and move online because of attractive deals and prices. 50% customers are motivated by online promotions.
This clearly implies that retailers still have a lot of opportunities to attract buyers in-store and stimulate them to purchase. All they need is to understand the purchase cycle and find ways to fit things into the gaps.
In addition, online players need to rebuild how and when customers can be engaged, along with the systems that support such occurrences.
To Conclude
We are living in the age of multi-device. It has played a pivotal role in fragmenting customer behaviors while making buying decisions. Their changing behavior is becoming more widespread because shoppers are interacting more frequently with multiple devices. That is why it’s important for online retailers to focus on overall shopping experience. They can also take the guidance of third-party services to optimize their mobile websites and apps that ensure a smooth multi-device experience by enabling costumers to engage across a range of platforms.
