The pandemic has brought with it some obscure consequences, impacting individuals and businesses on a global scale. With lockdowns, social distancing, and other precautions in place, many people continue to opt for online solutions.
Retail has taken a massive hit with brick-and-mortar stores experiencing a decrease in foot traffic. But that doesn’t mean people aren’t spending. eCommerce has boomed since COVID-19 restrictions were put in place. Online sales went up by $73 billion in June 2020—that’s a 76% increase year over year.
Since eCommerce and online retail is becoming more and more prominent worldwide, it’s only logical to assume that digital marketing is following suit. Reaching prospects and customers where they spend most of their time is crucial to ongoing business success.
Communication channels continue to thrive online, enhancing the customers’ overall brand experience and boosting engagement. Popular marketing channels include:
Enterprise SMS
Social media
Email
PPC and online advertising
LiveChat and chatbots
The rise of mCommerce
The subcategory of eCommerce focused specifically at online purchases through mobile devices was already increasing in sales before 2020. BigCommerce showed a steady rise uk whatsapp number for mobile commerce (or mCommerce) year on year. Globally, businesses saw an 18% growth before the impact of the coronavirus pandemic.
Related: SMSGlobal integrates with BigCommerce
Since then, customers have adapted by switching to online stores and social media on their phones more so than before. According to Internet Retailing, users spent an average of 4.3 hours—that’s 27% of daily waking hours—on their mobile device in April 2020, up 20% from 2019.
The rapid increase in mobile use also saw a rise in mCommerce sales. The growth in mCommerce since April this year would have taken two to three years under normal circumstances, accelerating the shift to a mobile-first economy.
Mobile communication solutions are vital to ensure the overall mCommerce experience is concise and secure. Business SMS plays a crucial role in providing customers and businesses updates with the latest notifications and alerts. Text messaging has also become a staple for online security with regards to Two-Factor Authentication (2FA) and One-Time Passwords (OTP).
The combination of convenience coupled with the latest technology, vast payment options, and security features have proven that mobile is a significant contender beside online desktop sales. With augmented reality and one-touch payments within arm’s reach at all times, it’s not surprising that mCommerce has snowballed in recent times.
Related: Top 11 marketing trends to expect in 2020
Can online retailers keep up?
Online advertising has skyrocketed since the beginning of Armenia Whatsapp Numbers the pandemic. Yet, the overall user experience for mobile hasn’t been optimised to the same extent. Some experts believe that online retailers still have a long way to go in this regard.
“I actually don’t think enough retailers are optimizing the mobile experience,” said Keren Kang, CEO of Native Commerce as reported by Retail Dive.
