Online and Mobile Sales' Impacts on Small Businesses
According to a report by Forrester's on 2018 mobile web sales, smartphones will be used in more than one-third (accounting for over $1 trillion) of total U.S. retail sales at some point in the buying process in 2018, including research, price comparisons, and purchases. This indicates people are accessing mobile data from anywhere and everywhere on the go and are prepared to make purchasing decisions on their mobile devices.
If your business doesn't have an online presence in the form of a responsively designed website with e-commerce capabilities or an app, you may be missing many sales opportunities. Today's consumer wants simple, easy-to-use online experiences immediately wherever they go.
Gone are the days of traditional marketing where brands push their products and messaging to consumers. There's been a swap of power, and now consumers prefer inbound marketing processes where they determine their own individual experience with your brand. Inbound marketing is simply communication from the brand to the consumer when they want it and how they want it. Inbound marketing will require you to know your audience better, so you can build customizable touch points of information for your consumer base's journey to purchase. Some of this consumer behavior may be generationally or gender motivated, and it'll greatly depend on your product or service. The more you know, the better you can prepare your sales and marketing processes to meet the expectations of your end users.
Mobile commerce sales now account for about 33 percent of all onsite conversions, so if you're a small business owner, it's a strategic move to help deliver a convenient and secure shopping and payment experience for your consumers. In addition, your online content needs to be relevant for keyword searches and competitive with other similar products or services in your industry.
Small businesses have a real opportunity to offer unique products and services that capture a chunk of market share large businesses cannot. Contact us to learn more about online sales trends and how to reach more potential leads and customers to grow your small business today.
