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Michel Mosse, Co-Founder and Head of Revenue at Hoist for Michel Mosse, Co-Founder and CEO at Owners.
The mobile ecommerce movement has made huge strides in just a couple of short years. Even the most aggressive analyst predictions have been surpassed by astounding numbers, thanks to rapid, widespread adoption of smartphones and social media.
Now, with 2022 around the corner, we’re treating mobile ecommerce as its own category, and deservingly so. The sector has its own technologies, its own quirks, and plenty of unique features that make it distinct in the retail world.
Let’s list 12 of the biggest mobile ecommerce trends taking shape as we enter 2022, and hear what leaders in the space have to say about these developments.
1. Seamless Integration with Social
Without social media, mobile ecommerce simply wouldn’t be what it is today.
The more seamlessly ecommerce brands integrate on social media, the faster they’ll gain momentum and see massive results.
“Mobile used to be a place to do supplementary research before you made a purchase in-person or on your desktop computer, but now it’s a one-stop-shop for everything,” said Heater Pulier, CEO of Outset Financial. “Social media, in particular, is an all-encompassing environment where you can research, compare, shop, and pay. Platforms like Facebook, Insta, and Twitter should all be areas of focus for mobile ecommerce marketers moving forward.”
2. Payments Improve and Accelerate
A poor payment system can be a major roadblock for any ecommerce venture, especially when they enter the mobile environment.
Customers expect more from payments in every regard, and the right implementations can be transformative for small brands.
“We don’t need to look back very far to a time when executing a purchase on a mobile device was a pain in the neck,” said Maegan Griffin, Founder and CEO at Skin Pharm. “That’s why so many brands are looking to improve the mobile payment process in terms of speed, security, and overall convenience. When it’s easier to pay for things and people are more confident in the process, the entire experience will be elevated.”
3. Location-Based Search and Ads
Ads are already targeted with an impressive level of precision, but mobile technology has the chance to improve on those foundations even more.
With stronger targeting tools, ecommerce companies can take full advantage of what mobile has to offer, and customers enjoy upgrades as well.
“A surprising amount of mobile purchases happen outside the home, when people are out and about in their daily lives,” said Amaury Kosman, CEO of Circular. “In 2022, as people jump back into the real world, ecommerce brands are going to leverage the location-based technologies that have emerged. This has big implications for things like transportation, parking, shopping, eating, and the stronger link between the virtual and digital worlds.”
4. Multichannel Madness Continues
It’s increasingly rare for a customer to discover, research, and buy a product on one platform, or in one sitting. This is where multichannel strategy comes into play, and mobile ecommerce marketers are doing a great job on all fronts.
“Marketers and advertisers have been talking about multichannel trends for years, and we’re finally seeing it before our eyes as we enter 2022,” said Rachel Jones, Head of PR at Hope Health. “Ecommerce brands need to communicate across all relevant channels and bridge the gaps when customers jump between platforms and devices. The companies that set the standard for multichannel communication and services will be so far ahead of the pack this year.”
5. Automated Upselling and Cross-Selling
So many upsell opportunities are missed in the mobile domain, and brands are looking for ways to capitalize on these chances. Automation appears to be the answer, so expect more aggressive and targeted offers on mobile in the months to come.
“When shoppers get into the zone on their mobile devices, they are swept up in a whirlwind of hype and excitement, leading to fast purchases unlike any other situation,” said Joel Jackson, Founder of Life Force. “This means that automation can be a huge catalyst for upselling and cross-selling new products and services on the fly. Simple software integrations can result in massive sales boosts for brands that take charge.”
6. New Focus on Checkout and Cart UI
Checkout can be clunky on mobile, and brands aim to fix this issue once and for all in 2022.
“Optimizing the mobile cart and checkout experience is more important than tweaking your desktop design,” said Linda Bustos, Director of Ecommerce at CorporateGift.com. “Remember that your mobile site is not a ‘direct translation’ of your desktop site. Customers may, for instance, benefit from seeing a smaller selection of menus or category pages. They may need larger call to action buttons and opt-in information emails rather than pages of text. Think of how you can condense your site architecture to suit the mobile shopper.”
7. Voice Recognition Ramps Up
The advancements in voice search have not gone unnoticed, and the new frontier for mobile ecommerce is now being explored.
“People use voice recognition far more than they did just a couple of years back,” said Ari Sherman, Co-Founder of evo hemp. “They are not only searching for standard keywords, but also asking long-form questions and using more detailed terms. This opens up a huge lane for ecommerce marketers that didn’t exist a short time ago. Voice-based SEO and mobile marketing for voice will be a new niche and a mad scramble for available territory online.”
8. Customer Support Branches Out
There is always room for improvement in customer support, and the emphasis is now on the mobile experience as shoppers focus on their phones.
“After the logistical challenges of 2020 and continued supply chain issues, mobile shoppers want another level of customer support that hasn’t necessarily been there in the past,” said Benjamin Meskin, President of Cabrella. “They want continuous updates on shipments, the ability to track items more accurately, and direct contact with support channels if they so choose. Customer service has a long way to go in the mobile landscape, and there’s a lot of opportunity there.”
9. Information at a Premium
Customer info makes the world of marketing go round. Brands now need creative ways to gain this info while keeping things clean and ethical.
“Of all the shopping channels, mobile commerce is taking the lead for biggest growth – at 12.2%,” said Andrea Vidal, Marketing Coordinator at MFour Mobile Research. “Take a look at the top app and website performers. Nearly half of all the websites are shopping sites. This is all mobile traffic. Find out what your buyers are doing on their phone. Collect their app and web data to see where, when, and what they’re shopping for. Once you have that information, you can use these channels to advertise to them directly.”
10. New Industries On the Scene
The more the merrier in the mobile ecommerce world. Many new industries are stepping up to the plate in 2022.
“Industries like apparel and accessories are always going to be pillars of the mobile ecommerce space, but there are sectors finding success in this arena that you might not have expected,” said Jesse Richardson, CEO of The Brothers Apothecary. “We’re now watching heavy hitters in the healthcare sectors make their mark on mobile, introducing a lot of innovative ideas. Mental and physical health are branching out in interesting new ways. Personal finance is also huge, with tons of potential to reach young people and impact lives positively. The upside is tremendous, and we’ve only just begun.”
11. Influencers Step Up Their Game
Without influencers, sales on social media would plummet, surely. These mini-celebs will continue to push things forward across all industries.
“Social media has changed the way we look at the idea of celebrity and the influencer culture in general, and it’s really a mobile phone phenomenon,” said Michel Mosse, Co-Founder and CEO at Owners at Hoist. “These are people that we can relate to on a more personal level and interact with via mobile platforms like never before. It opens up the floor for business models like affiliate sales, referrals, subscription services, and compelling promos that are perfectly suited for mobile. We need to give credit to the power that influencers have in driving the mobile ecommerce machine, even if they don’t have tons of followers. Every connection counts.”
12. Personalized, Customized Mobile Experiences
Mobile ecommerce is the polar opposite of broad-reaching traditional marketing. Personalization is at the core of it all, and customization is always key.
“There is nothing more personal than your mobile phone, and that’s what ecommerce marketers are beginning to realize as they customize the shopping and support experiences for customers,” said Tirzah Shirai, CEO of Blink Bar. “As long as shoppers are willing to share info and sign up for these options, a brand can tailor the ecommerce journey to an astounding degree. This can include everything from clothing and shoe size preferences to specially-selected makeup and even food items that fit a particular diet. The possibilities are endless, and marketers are just getting started.”
Mobile ecommerce is only set to gain more momentum as the years go on, and 2022 represents another big step forward for all industries.
Some of these mobile trends just show more of the same, while others mark the introduction of new ideas and technologies. This is one aspect of modern business we all partake in, so stay in the loop as mobile ecommerce trends shape up throughout the year.
