Why retailers need to go mobile

December 24, 2008

Richard Wise is vice president of operations at Brandt Information Services Inc.

Internet-browsing consumers are changing locations and are now constantly on the go.

This group is not restricted to the young demographic, but includes their parents, traveling work force and the Internet-driven consumer.

To ensure that mobile customers can order food, refill prescriptions, track a package, make a reservation, locate your nearest branded store, or use a "green" coupon, retailers need to provide a Web site optimized for the mobile customers.

Using any form of Web site analytics a retailer can see that mobile browsers are a growing percentage of their users.

A paradigm shift has occurred in the capabilities and functions of mobile phones.

They are now mobile devices with Internet browsers, email clients and desktop applications.

To understand the force and direction of the market, just look at the new generation of smartphones: Apple's iPhone, Google's Android and BlackBerry's Storm.

Making a phone call is a small function of today's mobile device.

The demand for information has grown and consumers want access 24/7. The only time a mobile device isn't in reach is during a shower, although I am sure waterproofing the device is already in production.

No matter the advertising media, the mobile consumer can react instantly to an advertising message.

This allows a merchant to cater to its mobile consumers through advertising over many mediums and track trends and responses of the mobile consumers.

Web site analytics allow a retailer to know how customers are using their site.

A retailer's mobile site should provide the functionality that is used by 80 percent of its current online users.

This would allow your mobile users the most popular features and benefits of your site.

Using what we learned to attract consumers to wired Internet sites during their initial years, the process is repeating itself and mobile consumers are looking for the best service and value optimized to the mobile device.

Mobile sites are secured in the same manner as wired online sites so consumers can feel safe making mobile purchases.

With the GPS functionality and maps built into mobile devices, a branded mobile Web site enables the customer to find the nearest location, store or drop-off site.

Allow a consumer to access your mobile website with a branded Web address for all locations and be directed to your store step by step with the integrated location services.

Once in the store or logged in to the mobile site, present the consumer with a paperless or "green" coupon by displaying the bar code on the screen of the mobile device.

This also works for customer reward cards, frequent-buyer cards and other bar codes which would make for smaller key chains and slimmer wallets.

Mobile customers cover a variety of ages, occupations and spending habits.

Just watch the data on Web site users and see that the number of mobile devices using Web sites is growing. Turn the browsers into buyers by creating a mobile site for the brand.

Richard Wise is vice president of operations at Brandt Information Services Inc. Reach him at .