Mobile phones have become an essential part of people’s lives. Using mobile devices to browse the internet, shop online, and do business is now more than common. Many businesses need to ensure that their websites are optimized for mobile devices if they want to capitalize on people’s desire for accessibility, mobility, and ease. This is where mobile first design comes into play.

But what is mobile first design and how can it benefit businesses?

Defining Mobile First Design

Mobile first design is an approach to website design that prioritizes the mobile user experience over the desktop experience. Instead of designing for desktop first and then scaling down to mobile, mobile-first design starts with designing for mobile devices and then scaling up to desktop. 

This approach ensures that the website is optimized for mobile devices, providing a seamless experience for users on smaller screens.

It has become increasingly important for businesses because of the rising trend of mobile usage. In 2022, 58.99% of website traffic worldwide was generated through mobile phones.

For many businesses, this means that mobile-optimized websites are not losing out on a significant chunk of their potential customer base.

Understanding the Mobile First Strategy

The first step in understanding the principles of this design is to have a thorough grasp of two fundamental concepts: Responsive Web Design (RWD) and the methodologies of “Progressive Advancement” and “Graceful Degradation.”

Responsive web design is a technique that facilitates websites to automatically adjust to diverse screen sizes and resolutions. It mitigates the need for users to manually pan, zoom, or scroll.

Progressive advancement involves crafting a mobile browser version with basic functions and features first and then expanding upon it to develop a version for a tablet or PC, complete with more intricate and interactive features to enrich the user experience. 

Graceful degradation entails starting with a desktop version and creating a version with all-encompassing features before reducing certain functions or content to suit mobile devices.

Both progressive advancement and graceful degradation ensures the compatibility of app interfaces for mobile devices and desktops. 

Progressive advancement is the most commonly used approach, as commencing with the mobile version allows designers to focus on the salient features of a product and prioritize its essential functionalities.

As they proceed to expand an app or website to tablets or PCs, designers can leverage the advanced platforms’ unique features to gradually enhance the app’s performance and quality.

Benefits of Mobile-First Design for Businesses

Mobile-First Design has several advantages that can benefit businesses, including:

Responsive Design

One of the key advantages of Mobile first design is that it ensures your website is responsive and accessible across all platforms. With the increasing number of users browsing the web on mobile devices, it’s crucial for businesses to have a website that is optimized for mobile.

Simplified Information

This approach also allows businesses to compress and simplify their information, making it easier for users to navigate and find what they need. This can improve the user experience and increase engagement with the website.

Efficiency

Designing first for mobile gadgets allows businesses to focus on the main functionality of the website first, and then add more features for larger devices later. This can save time and resources in the long run.

Easy Navigation

It can improve navigation on the website. With mobile devices having limited screen space, businesses must prioritize the most important information and make it easily accessible to users.

Improved User Experience

One of the primary benefits of mobile-first design is that it leads to an improved user experience. Mobile-first design takes into account the limitations of smaller screens and slower internet speeds, resulting in websites that are faster, easier to navigate, and more user-friendly.

Better Search Engine Ranking

Search engines like Google are now emphasizing the importance of mobile-first design. If a company has a  website that is mobile-optimized, they are more likely to rank higher in search engine results.

Increased Conversion Rates

Mobile-first design can also lead to increased conversion rates for businesses. When websites are optimized for mobile, users are more likely to stay on the website longer, engage with the content, and ultimately make a purchase or take the desired action.

How to Implement Mobile First Design for Your Business

Implementing Mobile first design for your business is a crucial step in optimizing your website for mobile users. Here are some steps you can take to implement it for your business website:

Conduct Research

Start by researching your target audience and how they interact with your website on mobile devices. Analyze your website’s traffic data to understand user behavior and identify areas for improvement.

Prioritize Content

Prioritize the most important content and features for your mobile design. This includes the primary call-to-action, navigation, and content that is most relevant to your mobile users.

Design for Mobile First

Design your website for mobile devices first and then add additional features for larger screens. This ensures that your website is optimized for the majority of your users who access your website through mobile devices.

Optimize for Speed

Mobile users are often on-the-go and have limited time to wait for a website to load. Optimize your website for speed by compressing images, minimizing code, and using caching techniques.

Test and Iterate

Test your  design across various devices and screen sizes to ensure it is responsive and user-friendly. Collect user feedback and analytics to identify areas for improvement and iterate your design accordingly.

Implement Responsive Design

Finally, ensure your website is responsive to different screen sizes and devices. This will ensure your website is accessible and user-friendly for all users, regardless of their device.

Use the Mobile First Design Approach for Your Website

Mobile-first design is a critical aspect of website design in today’s mobile-dominated world. When you prioritize the mobile user experience, your business can get better search engine ranking and increase conversion rates. Mobile first design is a strategy that can give due importance to mobile devices in the web and business landscape. 

Contact 1Digital and work with our Custom Website  Development Team to give your eCommerce site the design that will boost your website presence on every platform.

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The difference between m-Commerce and eCommerce is more about the approach and focus, and less about the philosophy behind them.

Both terms are intrinsically connected as they both allow people to conduct business through the use of electronic devices instead of having to directly face their counterparts. However, eCommerce is now just a blanket term for everything related to online shopping and trading, while m-Commerce only deals with mobile technologies that allow people to perform all their transactions right from the palm of their hand no matter where they happen to be located.

Now, many online sources claim that there are conceptual differences between eCommerce and m-Commerce. That’s as absurd as saying that there is a difference between guitars in general and electric guitars. Electric guitars are a subset of the guitar category, the same way m-Commerce is a subset of eCommerce. What happens is that merchants are quickly moving towards m-Commerce due to its versatility, reach and ease of use.

In short, m-Commerce is eCommerce plugged into a million watts amplifier.

However, as it often happens with newer technologies, the transition from desktop eCommerce to mobile shopping has been quite slow. People were used to searching for products on their phones, and then making a call or visiting a store in person. This posed a problem for merchants who rely on impulse buying or those who had to close their physical stores due to the events of 2020.

Google My Business and Google Maps were a lot of help pointing people to the right provider or solution. The problem was that they still redirected people to a less than optimized eCommerce website or a phone number. To this day this still turns a lot of people off, and the last thing many want to happen is to click on a link and hear their phone ringing.

So, tech companies put their big brains to work and figured out ways of reducing the “customer journey” to a mere “customer prance” through the power of ever more intuitive mobile tools and platforms. And the results are astonishing. In 2021, m-Commerce will account for almost three-quarters of eCommerce sales in the U.S.

What makes m-Commerce Special?

For starters, it allows merchants to reach their customers no matter where they are. Local SEO strategies even allow businesses to only target ads to people within a certain radius around their physical location, making e-targeting a lot more efficient and accurate. However, that is just the tip of the iceberg.

Those who were aware of the m-Commerce trend realized that people still enjoy browsing through products, and even trying them on, but checkout is usually where the whole journey becomes an agonizing crawl.

ECommerce platforms have been working hard to figure out ways to eliminate every hurdle the customer faces when shopping online. Now the goal is to turn the whole process into a seamless experience from discovery to attainment.

For example, Instagram realized that people were utilizing their platform for much more than just showing off what they had for breakfast. Users promoted their products through their feeds and stories transforming Instagram into a gigantic sales platform. However, these merchants still had to make sure they included the annoying “link in bio” line in the description and hope people took the time to interrupt their scrolling to visit a merchant´s profile and then go to an external website that is not always easy to navigate. Once the customer is on a website, he will probably have to take many additional steps in order to finally place an order. It was quite an ordeal.

The solution was the creation of shoppable posts that are seamlessly integrated into a merchant´s catalog and the user’s preferred payment method. Now users scroll away and if they find something they like, they can just click on the product and buy it. This reduced a lot of friction between online stores and their customers and propelled online sales to new heights.

Is m-Commerce Safe?

One of the main hurdles m-Commerce enthusiasts had to face was dealing with payment options and security. People were not comfortable with sending personal information through their telephones. This was regardless of the fact that, historically, smartphones have always been more secure than desktop computers.

Moreover, merchants were forced to create store apps that would integrate layers upon layers of functionalities in order to process transactions. These would include catalog and shopping cart management, payment gateways and processors, security providers, and many more. Most of these were managed by individual 3rd party providers, and integrating them required skilled API developers to close all the gaps and loopholes between them.

Assuming that everything worked well, these systems still required the customer to enter a great amount of data at checkout. It was clumsy, to say the least. Many people simply preferred to get home and go the old-fashioned eCommerce way, using their desktops to shop online instead of trying to type their addresses and credit card information through their tiny phone keyboard. By that time, the probability that the impulse for buying your product has cooled off was very high, so you needed to draw their attention again with retargeting strategies.

Nowadays, there are plenty of companies that offer all-in-one payment solutions that easily integrate with your business and remove a lot of speed bumps associated with personal information, payment options, or even switching tabs for making simple transactions. In other words, these companies are keen on increasing the chances of impulse buying while offering higher levels of security.

M-Commerce is here to stay, and it is expected to keep evolving to capitalize on the use of newer technologies such as augmented reality and better AI functionalities. Nonetheless, it is only a part, however big, of a bigger world, called eCommerce.

If you want to learn more about how to optimize your business for m-Commerce, contact our digital marketing experts today at 888-982-8269.

The post What is M Commerce? Is it Different from eCommerce? appeared first on 1Digital® Agency.

SEO is a marketing strategy that can benefit any online business. By creating backlinks and optimized content for a business’s website, SEO teams like 1Digital^® can help businesses climb the search engine rankings for certain keywords relevant to their industries. This process takes hard work and time, but a good marketing campaign can yield some pretty incredible results for eCommerce businesses.

The team at 1Digital^® Agency has specialized in SEO marketing since they first opened their doors in 2012. Using their proprietary toy marketing strategies, their team is able to find the perfect keywords and create content for any toy business based on the target audience they are looking to attract.

There are a lot of advantages to a good SEO campaign for any online business. With the help 1Digital^® Agency, online toy companies can start getting more organic traffic rather than paying for clicks. Toy SEO campaigns are also useful because they increase a site’s domain authority, steadily increasing it over time so businesses can begin to rank above more established competitors.

If toy businesses offer special toys and games that help them stand out from the competition, then an SEO campaign can highlight those specific toy brands and help draw in more traffic. The resulting increase in organic traffic will bring more users to a site, which can lead to an increase in toy sales. With a great team working on a campaign, businesses can expect an increased brand awareness that will provide some great results. Over time, SEO marketing will give a superior ROI when compared to other forms of digital marketing.

1Digital^® Agency is a company that specializes in all things eCommerce. Their customers often come to them for high-quality marketing or design work and end up hiring their team for additional projects including custom development and general eCommerce support services. They have put together a team of experts with collective decades of experience in every facet of eCommerce.

Toy companies interested in SEO should pay 1Digital^® Agency a visit. On their website, business owners can see detailed information on the types of results they have produced for clients across a wide range of industries. Their SEO experts are always happy to put together a free SEO audit for potential clients and discuss the services they can offer. If you have an eCommerce business that could use a bump in organic traffic, call 215-809-1567 or send an email to info@1DigitalAgency.com to speak with one of their SEO specialists.

The post 1Digital® Agency Provides World Class Digital Marketing for the Toy Industry appeared first on 1Digital® Agency.

If you feel like you are losing out on customers because of checkout processes, you may need to make a change. Bolt is a conversion optimization solution that we recommend as a way to push and increase your conversion rates. This all-in-one solution for checkout, payments, and fraud can be your answer to checkout abandonment.

Today, we will inform you of what conversion optimization is, why having fast checkout is important, why you should choose Bolt through 1Digital^® Agency as a tool to improve your conversion rates and more.

What is Conversion Optimization?

Before learning more about what Bolt can do as an all-in-one conversion optimization solution, we should have an understanding of what conversion optimization is.

Conversion rate optimization is a systematic process that leads to an increased percentage of online visitors and customers taking an action. An action could be filling out a form, subscribing for a newsletter or making a purchase.

Your conversion rate is the percentage of how often you reach the finish line with a customer, the completion of a purchase. There are different ways to measure this. For many people, a successful conversion rate is one that shows people making visits to their website from their marketing efforts. But you also want to see your overall conversion rate for customers completing purchases be just as successful.

Conversion rate optimization can help you get a better understanding of your target audience and the best way to connect with them. This way, your marketing can target the customers who come to your site to make a purchase, as opposed to those who come just to research or browse.

CRO also helps you get a better return on investment, makes it easier to scale your business to larger audiences and create a better user experience for your customers while building trust with your customers.

Why Fast Checkout is Important?

The most important part of the checkout experience is often the first step because it is your one and only chance to make a first impression. Many times, customers drop off at the very first step.

In many cases, it’s just a hesitation on the part of the customer. Something doesn’t feel right, whether it has to do with the experience or some sort of disconnect related to the product. Whatever the reason, conversion rates can increase by improving the user experience and having fast checkout.

In 2017, the main reason people left shopping carts abandoned was because they learned of an extra cost during checkout, such as shipping or fees. In fact, 60 percent of people surveyed by Baymard Institute in 2017 indicated that was the reason they left a shopping cart without making a purchase.  The other two main experience issues that caused customers to leave were both experience-based. 37 percent of people surveyed said the website’s request to create an account chased them away. 28 percent said that the checkout process was too long or too complicated.

The bottom line is that customers don’t want to wait online when it comes to making a purchase. Part of the reason they purchased online was to skip the lines of retail or to find a special product that isn’t available in stores. This is especially true for returning customers. Fast checkout should be available so that your customers don’t need to fill out information all over again and use previous shipping and billing information.

Having fast checkout can drastically improve your conversion rate because it makes things quick and easy for the customer, thus improving the user experience for them.

Why Choose Bolt?

Bolt is an all-in-one solution, so there are multiple layers to what you get with Bolt. First and foremost, you want to get customers to complete purchases. On average, checkout abandonment rates are 80 percent or higher. With Bolt, you don’t have to settle for the 20 percent success rate on conversions. With an optimized layout and enhanced checkout experience, you can get more customers to the finish line and achieve greater sales.

Bolt is mobile-optimized, which is a necessary feature in today’s eCommerce world. So much business is done through mobile devices. With Bolt, you get a mobile-optimized checkout experience that allows customers to complete purchases wherever they are.

Bolt gives you an easy to use overlay and design, fewer form fields to fill out and puts the focus on customer experience. Bolt’s user studies show that 86 percent of customers preferred Bolt’s checkout to the conventional checkout process and that it resulted in increases in checkout completion rates for merchants of between 10 and 50 percent.

With Bolt, you get fewer customers leaving their carts and missing out on potential conversions. The interface and customer experience through checkout is second to none. And the results from using Bolt will help you see the value of using this checkout interface.

In addition, Bolt offers user-friendly analytics so you can easily track all transactions and conversions. Bolt also identifies good customers, meaning you are completely protected from fraud. You never have to worry about fraud with Bolt’s 100 percent fraudulent chargeback coverage. Bolt also has international risk coverage so you can feel safe and confident in doing business with a global audience.

Bolt Checkout vs. Shopify

Want to know just how quick and easy it is to use Bolt checkout compared to a conventional checkout?

Using Shopify as the conventional checkout platform, it took 69 seconds to complete an order. In that time, it required four clicks and 15 fields to enter the necessary information and complete the purchase. On each click, the page was redirected.

With Bolt, it took 34 seconds to complete a purchase, needing four clicks and 12 fields completed before purchasing. There were also no page redirects.

Conclusion

Now that you know the importance of conversion optimization and why fast checkout is important, don’t you want the best for your eCommerce store? With the help of 1Digital^® Agency, in partnership with Bolt, you can get the fast checkout tools you need for your online store. Just follow this link to see more about what 1Digital^® and Bolt have to offer and how you can get started.

The post Bolt: An All-in-One Solution for Conversion Optimization appeared first on 1Digital® Agency.

Let’s begin by saying that almost all eCommerce stores do use a particular peer 2 peer payment app, Paypal. Paypal was the first of the P2P payment systems. It was created in 1998 with eCommerce transactions in mind. It remains very popular among eCommerce merchants because it allows their customers to submit payment quickly and easily, without having to enter credit card information. But when compared to the ease and informality of another Paypal product, Venmo, which often sends money accompanied by a string of emojis, Paypal can sometimes feel like writing a check. So, does it make sense for eCommerce merchants to go beyond Paypal and start accepting these even simpler forms of payment in their checkouts?

We know that the easier it is for your customers to pay you, the higher your conversion rate will be. Research has shown that about 1 in 4 shoppers will abandon their carts due to a long and complicated checkout process. Payment takes up the majority of that process. Sites like Amazon have increased their conversion rate immensely by saving customers payment info and allowing them to pay with the click of a button. But for those of us on hosted eCommerce platforms, saving credit card info isn’t always an option. P2P apps save the banking information of their users. It seems like a perfect happy medium. You can get the ease of stored credit card info to simplify your payment process, without the risk associated with storing those details yourself.

Additionally, the use of peer 2 peer payment apps is growing at an impressive rate. The transactional value of P2P payments grew 55% last year, to just over $120 billion, and that figure is on pace to double by 2021. At the same time, mobile wallets like Apple Pay and Google Wallet, seem to be faltering with a transaction value just shy of 50 billion. This trend is also related to ease of use. Consumers don’t want to bother to transfer money into a mobile wallet when they can connect the bank account they already use to a P2P payments app.

On the flip side of the coin from ease and informality, is the question of trust and reliability. As eCommerce merchants, we work hard to engender trust in our customers. Is it possible that these P2P payments methods are just a little too easy? Research suggests that, for some customers, they may be. Only 36% of Baby Boomers and 17% of Retirees report having favorable impressions of paying through P2P payment apps. Younger consumers report being much more comfortable. Millennials and Gen Xers come in at 66% and 55% favorable impressions, respectively. Name recognition has been shown to make a big difference in trust response. Older consumers report a much higher level of comfortability with Paypal than any other P2P payment method.  

Greater name recognition has already started making its way into into the P2P market to address this. The P2P payment app Zelle is backed by a network of over 30 banks, including Bank of America and JP Morgan Chase. Facebook has also built P2P payment capability into Facebook Messenger. The rate of adoption of this technology, compounded by the increased comfortability of younger consumers, means that these payment methods, while on the margins now, are getting more and more accepted every day.

P2P payment apps are encrypted. They have fraud monitoring and will help users resolve unauthorized transactions. But that doesn’t mean they aren’t vulnerable to hackers and scammers. In fact, one of the biggest challenges to using these peer 2 peer payment for eCommerce stores may be right in the name, and that’s peer 2 peer. Users feel comfortable sending money to friends and family with P2P, but there seems to be a reticence to send money to a stranger using P2P. Keeping track of how your money is going in and out is easier when you’re making occasional payments to someone within your circle of trust. For these apps to become something people use for everyday transactions, beyond splitting the check, strides will need to be made both in security and in public perception.  

The fact of the matter is that peer 2 peer payment for eCommerce stores just isn’t where it needs to be for widespread adoption yet. Will it be there in 2-5 years? Bet on it. The ease of use, the rapid rate of adoption, and its popularity with younger consumers all make P2P a solid contender to be a big part of the way that eCommerce stores will do business in the coming years. My advice is, be an early adopter. Keep an eye on your eCommerce platform and their partners for integrations and connectors. And if you ever have questions about how to keep your store converting better, and working with bleeding edge technology, feel free to talk to an expert at 1Digital Agency.  

The post Do I Need It? Peer 2 Peer Payment for eCommerce Stores appeared first on 1Digital® Agency.

When working on products pages, many people might think that because their site has a great design layout and is developed and optimized for a positive user experience, this will convince visitors to purchase their products. However, although how the rest of your site looks and navigates is an essential part of a better user experience, product pages are where customers get all of the information they need about the specific product they are interested in. Even if your products are hard to find and of great quality, if your customers can’t find this out via the product pages, then you lose a potential recurring client.

Let’s take Amazon, for example. I use Amazon for a number of different reasons; their products are sometime cheaper than anywhere else on the web, and they have a variety of products to sift through in order to find exactly what it is I am looking for. Now, sometime I’ll find some products on amazon that I like and could use, I go to the product page, read the information available, read the customer reviews, and then decide that this would be a great choice. They gave me all of the information I needed, gave me options to see similar products that were purchased with the one I’m looking at, and they offered customer reviews about the product and shipping. Other time, however, I go to the product page, I see a short, uninformative product description, no reviews, and no insight whatsoever into what is included in my purchase. With minimal information like this, I am reluctant to purchase the product I am looking at. At that point, I’d rather do some more digging to find another option that gives me better and more information rather than take a chance with something that might give me more work to do in the future once I receive (if I receive) the product.

In order to ensure your product pages are written and designed to offer your potential customer all the information they need for an irresistible purchase, you should take note of the following tips:

Create Amazing Product Photos

When creating your product pages, one of the most important aspects is product images. When people search for products online, the first thing that draws them in is a great product photo. If your photos are dark or only have one image, users aren’t likely going to go through with the purchase. Product photos offer users an idea of what they will be purchasing and gives them a better grasp of what the product will look like when it arrives on their doorstep. Be sure to offer your potential customers clear, quality images with a variety of viewpoints so that they can get a clear picture of what they will be spending their money on.

Create Irresistible Product Descriptions

When selling to online consumers, product descriptions can go a long way. Not only can excellent and informative product descriptions give the consumer a better idea of what they might be purchasing and the benefits involved with making that purchase, but they can also aid with the SEO of your entire site by drawing in more traffic with optimized content that motivates user to buy.

Provide Customer Generated Reviews

Offering your customers a glimpse at what other buyers think of your products is a genius idea for eCommerce stores. Consumers tend to trust their peers, or other like-minded individuals, when it comes to purchasing online. By giving your potential customers insight into what other buyers thought of your products is a great way to increase traffic and trust in your business.

Create A Clear Call to Action

Once a user reaches your product page, finds it easy to navigate with clear and useful information, they will then decide whether or not they will complete the purchase. It’s important to provide users with a clear call to action button (for example, ‘Add to Cart’) to lead them through your purchasing process. You’’ want a button that is easy to find (possibly colored) so that users find checking out on your site easy. However, there are also plenty of cases of users visiting your site with the intention of browsing to purchase at a later day. (I know I’m guilty of this, and I’m sure you are too). Aside from having a clear ‘Add to Cart’ or ‘Checkout’ button, you might want to consider adding an ‘Add to Wishlist’ button. This will give users the option of saving items for later and it will allow you to be able to send out reminders every once if and when you’ve received their email.

In this blog post, I’ve only mentioned four tips to keep in mind for your eCommerce store. There are, however, a great many more one can consider when beefing up product pages. One of them being options. Color options, size options, any other options you can think of for your product. If you adhere to these tips (and more) when it comes to your product pages, you’ll have a higher chance of converting users to customers. For more information on how to keep customers engaged on your product pages, check out 1Digital Agency. We’ve worked with a number of different eCommerce stores and know what it takes to convert consumers to customers. Head on over to our website and check out our portfolio or give us a call at 215-809-1567 and let our experts help you build a site worth buying from!

The post Better Product Pages = Higher Conversions appeared first on 1Digital® Agency.

The population of mobile shoppers online has skyrocketed over the last few years, and this change in buyer behavior is undeniably affecting holiday sales for eCommerce businesses.  Businesses that are not prepared for purchases from holiday shoppers on mobile are likely to notice a significant dent in their sales, especially when considering that nearly $13 billion was spent collectively by mobile shoppers during the 2016 holiday season.  With eCommerce sales and interactions both trending towards mobile users and with mobile technology improving at a breathtaking rate, it is vital for online merchants to ensure that they are reaching mobile shoppers.  This fact applies doubly so for the holidays, a time in which many shoppers are likely to pop onto their phone to make a quick, last minute gift purchase.

ECommerce companies can no longer ignore the need to have mobile-friendly storefronts, but it’s also essential that they build considerations for holiday shoppers on mobile into their marketing strategy for the holidays.  An email advertising a holiday sale that is unreadable on mobile, for example, could end up missing up to 60% of your potential customer base.  Even established brands whose eCommerce income is flourishing could be missing out on untapped profits, and all that needs to be done is to build around new data and customer behaviors.  Reaching those mobile shoppers can open doors many businesses may not have even known to exist.

Improving Your Company’s Relationship With Mobile Buying

With the sheer numbers discussed above, it’s flooring to consider that even many well-established brands have not adapted to mobile well.  Almost everyone has, at some point, downloaded a clunky app only to uninstall it shortly afterwards to clear space for better apps.  Don’t let your company’s app be the app that buyers hate to open.  A slow, disorganized, or confusing app can be the bane of a businesses existence in the eyes of mobile shoppers.  Likewise, a polished app can make a business stand out well above the competition.

Investing in quality mobile programming, both in the form of a dedicated app and a mobile-friendly storefront, has an incredible return on investment and additionally opens up avenues for better connecting with holiday shoppers on mobile.  Apps, especially, allow for this critical communication improvement.  As an example, store apps often provide a feature that allows customers to opt-in to receive notifications on their phone for sales, shipping updates, and new product listings.  Mobile communication innovations for eCommerce stores allow for unintrusive but consistent connection with customers.  Well-made mobile apps can even roll a sale, coupon, or discount code right into a notification, allowing a customer to swipe the notification and immediately be taken to the sale page for quick purchases.

Timed sales for holiday shoppers on mobile incentivizes the use of your company’s app, bringing new users to mobile and catching the attention of shoppers who are already on mobile.  Shopping a flash sale while commuting can not only be fun for the customer but effective at encouraging sales.  We all spend a lot of money during the holidays, and many mobile shoppers will be willing to jump on deals they become notified of.

In addition to building mobile-friendly websites and strong apps, it’s is also wise to consider integrating popular mobile payment options.  ApplePay, PayPal, and Amazon Payments are all very popular ways for holiday shoppers on mobile to pay for their purchases.  The popularity of tools like ApplePay primarily comes from the fact that they are incredibly secure, allowing mobile shoppers to buy with peace of mind without feeling like they have to do extensive research on a store before buying.  Just as important, though, is the fact that these payment options can facilitate one-tap buying.  Cart abandonment is an issue for all forms of eCommerce, but on mobile, entering extensive details to make an account and enter a credit card is a real chore.  If your app or website accepts a one-tap pay option, customers are much less likely to run out of time or become frustrated and then abandon their cart.  Closing a sale is the only way to make a sale, and for every mobile customer who jumps through registration and payment information forms, there are multiple customers who decide to go somewhere else.

Getting your app and website ship-shape can even become an effective marketing campaign of its own right; customers who enjoy your product are likely to want to see what your app has to offer if you let them know about it.  You can sweeten the deal by offering exclusive discounts to those who download your app and shop.  Imagine yourself in the shoes of a holiday shopper on mobile; hundreds of stores are vying for your attention, but one of your favorite brands just sent you an email with an announcement of their new, polished mobile app and special deals for those who try it out.  Chances are that your mind would start going over your holiday to-buy list as you tapped through to the app store to get the app.

Making It Count for Holiday Shoppers on Mobile

Mobile shoppers are accounting for more and more of the total percentage of eCommerce customers each year.  Being on top of your mobile game during this holiday season could mean securing the repeat business of one of the fastest growing demographics online.  Don’t underestimate how influential mobile has become; take the time to invest where it matters.  Not only can a well-implemented mobile strategy win over holiday shoppers on mobile, but it could also result in a massive boost to your word of mouth marketing.  Satisfied shoppers talk, send links, and recommend apps, and if it’s yours that scores the mobile shopping buzz, you’ll profit both in the short-term and in the long-term.

If your mobile presence could use an upgrade, 1Digital Agency is ready to help.  We make eCommerce our livelihoods, and we understand the ins and outs of mobile shopping.  Our talented agents can help guide you to a strategy that will work for your business.  Contact us today at info@1digitalagency.com!

The post Winning the Hearts of Holiday Shoppers on Mobile appeared first on 1Digital® Agency.

Unlike its big brother PayPal, which started as a secure online payment for merchant purposes, Venmo has roots only as a peer-to-peer mobile payment option. Individuals, mostly millennials, utilize the app for splitting the dinner bill, for AirBnB bookings, and for settling up after happy hour. Venmo’s uses within the peer-to-peer market were varied, and many individuals forgot what life was like before instant peer-to-peer payments. If checks weren’t obsolete before Venmo, then this mobile payment option replaced their last true use.

Venmo also left online banking in the dust. Traditional banking institutions are incredibly cautious about peer-to-peer payments, with many still requiring a lengthy input of information and “test” deposits before a peer-to-peer payment can process. It is a process that demands days of waiting in order to add another account. Venmo only needs to be linked to a bank account once, and then sending to another user takes under a minute. Only now are banks realizing the utility of allowing their account holders to transfer funds seamlessly in a mobile app.

Venmo became the most popular peer-to-peer mobile payment option in the United States, all while most users didn’t realize it was part of the PayPal family. You can even make Venmo payments through Facebook Messenger. Before there was Venmo, transfers between two people represented an unconquered niche market, and that niche became the place Venmo happily resided. Until now.

What Will the New (and Improved) Venmo Do?

Yesterday, parent company PayPal announced plans to implement Venmo for U.S. retailers.

The news transitions Venmo’s business from peer-to-peer mobile payment option to a digital wallet. The strategic change to Venmo’s core concept highlights the consistent increase in mobile shopping and retailers’ corresponding desire to reach more mobile shoppers. The news could be a big deal for Venmo’s seven million active users and is a great sign for eCommerce companies that have focused on mobile sales.

Based on PayPal’s recent announcement, Venmo is now accepted by almost every U.S. seller that currently accepts PayPal as a mobile payment option. By the company’s count that is over two million businesses with the capability to accept payment via Venmo, and this count includes some of the largest retailers in the country. It also includes a huge number of independent online retailers, small businesses, and startups.

ECommerce companies aren’t the only beneficiaries of Venmo’s commercial expansion; the mobile app can also be used to make charitable donations. The acceptance of payment either in-app or through mobile payment processing is a good way for charities to tap into smaller, but more frequent, donations from individuals under 35.

Many people in the age bracket 25 – 35 (Venmo’s demographic) are experiencing their first taste of disposable income and have some cash to spread around. However, these spenders aren’t available for a substantial or recurring donation. Plus, they are incredibly engaged and partial to “of the moment” or viral causes. Smaller amounts sent on Venmo are the perfect compromise, and U.S. charities should be equally excited about an easier method for sending donations.

Bringing Venmo’s Mobile Capability into Focus

Admittedly, Venmo can be accessed and utilized through a desktop or laptop computer, but the company’s data indicates that nearly all Venmo payments are sent and received via its mobile app. The company processed $6.8 billion in mobile payments during the first quarter of 2017, a record for the business and a big boost to PayPal’s overall earnings. These numbers are a 126% increase in dollar amount over the same quarter in 2016. The numbers are expected to be even higher for later in the year. 

The continued increase in peer-to-peer payments via Venmo is a good indication of the growing comfort with digital payments. Venmo users don’t hesitate to provide payment to friends, family, and acquaintances in the digital format, and Venmo’s security measures provide adequate assurance that personal information isn’t compromised in the process. This comfort is likely to translate to merchants easily, as the parent company has promised that all payments through Venmo will be backed by the same payment protection as PayPal. ECommerce companies can utilize Venmo’s security and its payment protection as top selling points to mobile shoppers.

Another reason eCommerce companies should be overjoyed to see another mobile payment option enter the marketplace is Venmo’s ability to breakdown the door on mobile shopping’s biggest barriers. Lack of speed and efficiency are the two biggest reasons customers don’t complete mobile purchases. Venmo’s mobile focus is attractive to eCommerce companies, as mobile payment options make it even faster and easier to complete a transaction.

Of course, in exchange for this added convenience and access to mobile buyers, Venmo will charge businesses a fee to process payments.

Tapping into the Millennial Market

Millennials are the ideal mobile shoppers. They are adept at using mobile apps and responsive websites for shopping, comfortable with digital payments, and more engaged with online brands and sellers than their older counterparts. As if these qualities didn’t make millennial shoppers appealing enough, they are much more comfortable discussing where and how they spend money. Sharing information on their spending habits, whether with a business or friends, isn’t taboo, as it was typically viewed by previous generations. In fact, millennials are often providing this information out of habit, not reluctance.

The combination of engagement and information sharing makes the millennial shopper valuable to online brands beyond an initial purchase. These are consumers that can be enticed to return. Their shopping preferences and habits are discernible. Where can an eCommerce company find more of these buyers? Interestingly, through their choice in mobile payment option.

The driving force behind Venmo is its millennial users. They account for the vast majority of the app’s users and send far more peer-to-peer payments than any other demographic. In particular, Venmo is popular with urban millennials, who are also the biggest spenders at startups and small eCommerce companies. As Venmo’s capability expands to commercial spending, it is bringing these millennials along for the ride. Hopefully, that ride ends at your eCommerce company’s checkout.

Advice on Mobile Payments & Mobile Websites

Decisions on mobile payments and how to implement the latest mobile payment option into your online store requires knowledge of digital marketing, eCommerce-centric web design, and even web development. Finding all these skills can seem like an impossible task, until you are introduced to the incredible team at 1Digital Agency. Ask questions from our mobile-friendly team here.

The post Venmo’s Move to Retail: Why You Should Accept Another Mobile Payment Option appeared first on 1Digital® Agency.

Last week, Shopify made a seemingly minor announcement that should cause a big stir among businesses involved in mobile eCommerce. The incredibly popular eCommerce platform is introducing a new mobile app that allows users to create QR codes for their Shopify site. This announcement by Shopify provided insight on how to use and where to place these QR codes, but, most importantly, the Canadian company noted that this was a new product designed specifically and solely for mobile eCommerce.

Shopcodes bring the ease of using QR codes to the way we conduct commerce offline. – Shopify Shopcodes Announcement

Interestingly, Shopcodes aren’t the only step into mobile eCommerce that Shopify has made in recent months, and other eCommerce platforms are investing substantial funds in mobile technology and capabilities. Though it was once believed that you could be sufficient in mobile eCommerce simply by building fully responsive websites, the recent changes and additions to webstore platforms show otherwise.

Going Back to Basics with Shopcodes

With the introduction of Shopcodes, Shopify is refocusing the communities of mobile eCommerce on a technology invented in 1994.  QR codes were around long before smartphones were used by the general public. In fact, QR codes were invented 13 years before the first iPhone was released by Apple in 2007.

The original purpose of QR codes was to help the automotive industry, and similar manufacturing assembly lines, track their parts and pieces. The original use of QR codes is simultaneously very different and surprisingly similar to Shopify’s latest reinvigoration of the technology. Here’s how Shopcodes function for your online store and marketing strategies.

To utilize Shopcodes, eCommerce merchants download the app from their respective app store. Then, through the app, merchants can create QR codes that are tied directly to the products in their Shopify store. Unlike the first iteration of QR codes for smartphones, the beauty of the latest QR codes is that shoppers don’t need any separate devices to utilize them.

Basically, a single QR code can be made for a given product, and further, unique QR codes can be created to account for color, size, and other differentiating features of your products. Therefore, through these QR codes, a merchant can track and monitor what products are being investigated and researched by the people that come in contact with their packaging and other offline marketing. This creates a bridge between online and offline marketing in regards to customer habits and tracking information on the Shopify Analytics dashboard.

Once created, Shopcodes can be placed on packaging, tags, marketing, and other promotional material for a specific product. People who want to shop through mobile eCommerce channels can then capture these QR codes with their iPhone or Android camera and be brought directly to the product on the mobile webstore.

Giving Shoppers the Power to Buy – Faster

The straightforward premise behind Shopcodes is in the spirit of the old saying “don’t fix what isn’t broken.” QR codes are easy for eCommerce merchants to create in Shopcodes, and most shoppers understand how they work. Even someone new to QR codes can quickly learn the process. However, if something isn’t optimal, it deserves a little push in the right direction. When it comes to mobile eCommerce checkout and payment, there are is a lot of room for improvement. QR codes are the first step.

One goal Shopify had in mind with its release of Shopcodes was to make mobile checkout easier. In 2017, eCommerce stores experienced a high volume of shopping cart abandonment from mobile shoppers. This occurred irrespective of theme, layout, payment gateway, and platform choice.  It seems that many of these people were interested in purchasing the product, as they took the time to browse and put it in the basket, but just didn’t buy. So, what prevented the sale? Likely it was a clunky or obsolete checkout process that wasn’t worth the trouble.

Shopify is betting that QR codes can start to solve this reoccurring problem in mobile eCommerce. Right now, Shopcodes are focused on assisting returning or repeat customers with the checkout process. Through the individualized Shopcode on packaging or promotions, a returning customer can scan the QR code and go through checkout without re-entering information. Shopify promises other timesaving benefits of using the Shopcodes with repeat purchasers.

Not only can QR codes address some of the checkout strain on mobile eCommerce, but they can also encourage customer retention, another highly discussed issue for eCommerce companies this year.

Changeups in the Mobile Markets

While Shopcodes are an interesting, somewhat unexpected step for Shopify to take in regards to mobile eCommerce, it certainly isn’t the platform’s only move into the space. Just this week, Shopify and Instagram released new integration tools to promote an easier shopping experience through the social media platform. Obviously, the increased continuity between the Instagram experience and Shopify is aimed at mobile shoppers, who are the largest users of Instagram.

Instagram has been testing different processes for integration with online stores ever since introducing paid advertising, and, as upwards of 80% of Instagram users follow some brand or business through their personal social media account, it should be a lucrative space for eCommerce companies. With this latest integration, Instagram is allowing Shopify merchants to tag their products within a post or content. The tag, relating back to that specific item, makes it even easier for mobile shoppers to find the product and immediately make a purchase.

Expand Your Mobile Presence Through Shopify With Us

If you are interested in expanding the mobile experience on your Shopify site, or other eCommerce platforms, speak with an expert on the topic. At 1Digital Agency we dedicate our careers to learning and understanding the best mobile options for integration, marketing, and development in eCommerce.

As always, our goal is to introduce you to the digital tools and strategies that will work best for your particular brand. Call the team at 1Digital Agency at 888.982.8269.

The post New Focus in Mobile ECommerce Is on Streamlining the Process appeared first on 1Digital® Agency.

There seems to be a belief among eCommerce companies that the mobile app is a right reserved for big players in retail and commerce, such as Wal-Mart, Target, and women’s clothing company, Anthropologie. While this misconception has persisted for many years, it is time to debunk it as myth once and for all. A mobile app is a great way for any size eCommerce store to better connect with customers and grow as a company.

Of course, building a mobile app takes time and resources. In particular, a smaller eCommerce company might have concerns that a mobile app will require resources that should be allocated to other initiatives and projects. However, there are some great benefits to building a mobile platform for your business at an early stage.  Here are five reasons to develop a mobile app right away.

#1: Mobile App – the Most Convenient Option for Shoppers

Checkout is a major hurdle for a lot of eCommerce companies. The process of entering credit card and shipping information is often time-consuming for a shopper and can be inconvenient regardless of whether the individual is on a computer or mobile device. Mobile users, though, have the added challenge of dealing with small smartphone keyboards. Complicated checkout is a hurdle that a mobile app can easily overcome.

Through a store-specific mobile app, customers can store all of the relevant information securely long before they make a purchase, which cuts out steps and cuts back on the time it takes to complete a purchase. What you are likely to see as a result is less cart abandonment from mobile shoppers. Why? Well, the highest percentage of cart abandonment happens during the checkout process, and the biggest complaint from customers is the drudgery of entering information. Take away this unnecessary step, and you will see more people complete purchases.

Also, mobile shoppers are often looking for a simple, straightforward shopping experience. Unlike desktop visitors to your online store, mobile shoppers are frequently in between meetings, on a lunch break, or breezing through the airport. A mobile app can help them make a purchase with just a few touches, which means more sales from an essential part of your customer base.

#2: A Mobile App Targets the Hottest Area of ECommerce

If it has been said once in 2017, then it has been said over a thousand times that mobile shopping is an essential area of eCommerce for any size retailer. This fact is true across industries, and an eCommerce company that isn’t focused on mobile accessibility will be left behind. A mobile app is another touch point for your shoppers, which can be a major win for any size business.

#3: A Mobile App Has a Myriad of Functions

Of course, the biggest reason to build an app is to complete more transactions from mobile customers. However, the right mobile app can be an asset to your business in other ways, as well. It is a fantastic way to offer sales and promotions because customers don’t need to cut coupons or collect a specific code to access the discount. Everything is built directly into the mobile app, and you can even offer deals that are exclusive to your app users. Not only do these specials build loyalty to your brand, but they are also great for increasing users and time spent on the app.

Another fantastic use of a mobile app is as a rewards program. Through an app, spending and rewards points are easy, both for shoppers and your company, to track. Again, this is an opportunity to offer an exclusive to your mobile app customers or simply provide an easier way to access a rewards program offered across platforms and points of sale.

Lastly, consider all the ways a mobile app is perfect for providing information. Like your website, this is a point of contact that is very specific to your business and is ideal for giving customers the price, product, and shipping information they need. It is also a chance to tell customers more about your brand and build a more robust identity.

#4: A Mobile App Builds Better Communication with Customers

You can use a mobile app to deliver push notifications directly to shoppers’ phones, and these notifications can contain all types of information. For many brands, push notifications are the closest thing to direct and personal communication with customers. On many smartphones, these notifications arrive as messages on the lock screen, and shoppers can associate them with other friendly reminders about upcoming meetings, messages from friends, and things on the to-do list.

As an example for your consideration, one week you could offer sales, specials, and discounts just for users of the mobile app while simultaneously making sure to market these deals through your other marketing channels to encourage customers to download the app. Then, the next week you could provide an update on your newest merchandise. The following week it could be a reminder that the shopper had left items in an online cart. There are nearly endless options for messages and reminders you can set a mobile app to share with your customers.

Other than push notifications, a mobile app is a fantastic way to connect shoppers with your social media accounts, blog posts, and your greater online presence.

#5: A Mobile App Increases Brand Recognition

A mobile app designed specifically for your eCommerce company is a sure way to build better brand recognition with potential customers and mobile shoppers. A mobile app is akin to a blank canvas; there are so many options and possibilities for what can go into the app, how it can look, and what it can do for customers. While the app should always reflect the rest of your marketing and stay in line with your business strategy, it is also an opportunity to be creative and express different sides of your company. It is a powerful way to create more associations between your business and your customers’ needs.

Focus on Your Future with Mobile

When it comes to building a successful eCommerce business, you need to reach customers in many different ways. The bigger your digital presence, the better your opportunity for sales will be. However, growth should always be considered in conjunction with a clear strategy, and many eCommerce merchants find themselves lost when they try to branch out into mobile apps and similar platforms. Instead, allow a knowledgeable and professional digital agency, like 1Digital Agency, guide your development and mobile design.

The post 5 Reasons Your Brand Desperately Needs a Mobile App appeared first on 1Digital® Agency.