Just as the age of the internet necessitated the development of websites, and the era of social media drove the need to improve retail visibility, mobiles are a part of modern retail that can’t be overlooked. As the primary online devices carried by hundreds of millions of people daily, a failure to cater and adapt to these systems will only leave businesses behind.
That said, with the frontier of retail demands and technologies continuing to evolve, it can be difficult to determine where the key steps in mobile integration could lie. For both now and in the future, the following technologies can’t be overlooked.
Mobile driving success
Before writing off a greater application to mobiles, it might help to know just how profound the spread of these systems had gone. As of 2008, around 29% of all UK adults had a smartphone. By 2021, that proportion had grown to 88%. Also in 2021, 96% of these mobile users turned to smartphones for internet usage, representing 62.3 million people. This is not a market that any savvy retailer can afford to miss.
Catering to these proportions has been transformative to a great many businesses, for both retailers and services. One of the more illustrative demonstrations of the success mobiles have brought is seen in online casinos, which have been famously successful in the UK and internationally. New UK online casinos see significant attention through improved mobile accessibility, with websites like Buzz Casino and Bzeebet reaching millions of new customers this way. Integrated with bonuses like free spins and deposit matches, the level of success mobiles afford is greater than what could be achieved through traditional means alone, and this level of involvement and growth is what businesses hope to match in a retail space.
Necessary and coming adjustments
For a closer look at the advantages mobiles are bringing, we could examine modern approaches in three tiers; what’s needed now, what could be considered next, and what to look towards in the future.
The very first and most basic form of integration is one we still see overlooked, which is modifying existing websites and online presences to mobile suitability. While mobiles have long been able to translate webpages built for desktops onto mobile screens, this automatic process is often clumsy and inefficient due to differences in space and layout. To maximise the potential of an online page, it’s necessary to develop a dedicated mobile conversion.
Properly targeting a mobile means understanding that information and media need to be featured vertically to adjust for the shift in perspective, and that navigational systems like tabs need to be labelled well enough to be seen and pressed without the risk of mistakes. Fortunately, achieving these changes can be simple thanks to how far backing systems have come.
On social media, most of the hard work is performed by the host websites, which usually offer apps to automate much of the process. Still, information and images should always keep mobiles in mind, so be sure to check how posts look on desktop and mobile systems to ensure consistency and readability. For your own websites, it is essential to fully switch to HTML 5, since this newest web page language was created with tools and mobile access in mind.
The second tier of integration means looking at more advanced appeals to mobile platforms, which are typically found in the realms of payment and accessibility. Payment systems are those which avoid cards and cash, linking directly to users’ mobile phones instead. In the UK, the most popular are Google Pay and Apple Pay, though online retailers should also consider opening their digital doors to Skrill, PayPal, and Venmo. Choice is king, and while it might be possible for a person to forget cash, cards, or even their wallets, chances are they won’t forget their phones.
In terms of accessibility, a hugely popular option for modern shoppers is an entirely online guide for stock and item placement. Though it’s important to have staff on call if needed, there are a great many shoppers out there who wish to be left alone while they try to find what they need. One survey found that 95% of shoppers preferred to go it solo unless help was needed, and businesses need to adapt to this. Having an online map and stock information accessible via clearly visible QR codes can require some investment, but for many shoppers, this step up can be exactly what they’re looking for.
Finally, the third tier would revolve around preparing for the possibilities of cutting-edge new and next-gen tech, like Google’s new immersive system. With Google’s immersive mapping system, users can take a fully virtualised walk through a retail store, becoming familiar with the layout and, if the previous tier is adopted fully, even know exactly where to go before they leave their homes. Through the use of mobile virtual browsing that is hosted on Google Cloud, this tech lets excited shoppers work themselves up, and gives those who dislike shopping a way to easily get what they need.
Combined, adapting to mobile systems is about doing what you can now, and preparing yourself for the changes that are soon to come. As tempting as it can be to sit on a system that works, failing to adapt to the possibilities of new mobile technologies will only leave a business behind.
A little time now can save a lot of stress later, and help give a business the edge it needs above the competition. It’s a never-ending battle to be sure, but one which holds incredible potential if properly fought.
