Internet marketing, like most professions or industry, has its “special” lingo. Internet marketing and online shopping, with their close ties to technology, seems to create a new or novel word, term or phrase on a regular basis. And like the technology industry, some of the terms or words are important, many are often confusing to the layperson, or unfortunately, some are just hype.
In today’s blog, I will cover m-commerce and e-commerce, how they are related and how they are different. By the end of this blog, you will have a better understanding of what e and m- commerce are and how they are a powerful marketing and sales tools for your organization. You will also be able to engage digital and online marketing firms more effectively when discussing your e-commerce and m-commerce needs and goals.
Let’s start at the macro level. E-commerce refers to any commercial transaction that takes place on the Internet. It is a far broader term and encompasses nearly everything that involves buying and selling using the Internet. This extends into inventory management and supply chain management, shipping and tax collection – all the things that must take place before, during and after a transaction.
Part of e-commerce, m-commerce refers to sales transactions that take place on mobile devices – hence the “m.” This typically includes tablets, smartphones, PDAs, etc. It is a subsection of e-commerce. But given some of the limitations and unique designs and applications of mobile devices, special attention is required to ensure success in the buying and selling of goods and services on mobile devices.
People across the globe are using their mobile devices more than ever. More video content is consumed on mobile devices than on traditional desktops or laptops. The rapid expansion and adoption of mobile devices aren’t just happening in the developed world. In many underdeveloped countries where communication infrastructure is unreliable, mobile devices are being adopted at a rate faster than that of the developed world. Moreover, with mobile devices, you don’t need a bank to do your transaction – a luxury that many in underdeveloped countries can’t access. As an aside, it is worth noting because broadband hasn’t become widely accessible or available that much of the commerce taking place in these countries and regions are done with text/SMS messaging. Moreover, given the significant advancements in mobile devices from their chipsets and architecture, mobile devices perform task that only a few years ago could only be done on a laptop or desktop computer.
Now that we have explored why there has been a significant penetration of mobile devices across the globe, I will go over some tips. That way you can maximize your m-commerce results.
Let’s Dig In!
You must make mobile a larger priority for your online marketing. This means determining whether or not to have your site designed to be mobile ready/adaptive. “Responsive design” means that your website will recognize the type of device that is accessing it. Then it will adapt to the mobile device’s screen size that is accessing it. The goal is to give the user a seamless and fast experience. This doesn’t mean that your site is just made smaller to fit on the screen. So you know now that you must consider making your website mobile responsive. But there is another option to consider: a mobile application.
A mobile app is a term that is used to describe a mobile application. It is designed to operate separately from your website. It has been designed to function on many operating platforms. But there are also native applications. Native applications are designed to work with specific operating systems to maximize the user interface, power and screen elements. These are great but more expensive than a responsive website or a mobile app.
I hate to say it depends but…it does. There is no one right solution. Your budget, resources, along with your products/services and your customer profile, along with their use of mobile devices all play into the mix. That said, it will save you time and money to get a good picture of these factors before you engage a firm to create a robust solution.
At IMPROZ we value collaboration and partnership with our clients. We always seek to deliver solutions that will solve their challenges and meet their objectives. We do this by using data, research, innovation, and design.