Retailers are happy for customers to buy from them in any channel. Some are more valuable than others in cultivating loyalty and increasing customer lifetime value. For most of the industry, at the top of this list is their shopping app or m-commerce.
This channel is growing and capturing a significant share of online shopping dollars. So, how can you get your customers to install and adopt shopping in your m-commerce app?
Such a strategy will look different for each retailer, depending on your customer. To provide you with insights, our m-commerce app experts have ideas.
The State of M-Commerce
Before we dive into how to drive adoption, let’s look at the current state of shopping apps.
- Global m-commerce sales worldwide hit $3.56 trillion in 2021, up from $2.91 billion in 2020.
- M-commerce represents over 72% of all e-commerce.
- M-commerce created $284 billion in revenue in the U.S. in 2020, representing 45% of all revenue.
- Cart size increased in mobile apps by 22% in 2021.
In taking all this in, you can see the importance of m-commerce to the future of retail. It’s the fastest-growing segment of retail, and it boosts average orders.
M-Commerce Delivers Convenience for Shoppers
When people shop online through a browser, the UX (user experience) can be less than ideal. The mobile website can have all the proper coding and design. Still, challenges with speed, image scaling, and text readability can persist. Beyond UX, browser shopping can be inconvenient. Users typically have to go through more steps and clicks to make a purchase.
If you want to get customers on your mobile shopping app, sell convenience. You can do that in several ways.
Emphasize Usability on App Profile Pages
Show users how easy it is to do everything in your app. That can include saving preferences, reducing checkout friction, and allowing them to do everything in a few clicks. If you target known customers who don’t use your app, your ad messaging needs to convey this. Then drive that home on your profile pages. With iOS 15, you create CPPs (custom product pages) for specific campaigns.
Reiterate Convenience with CPE Campaigns
CPE (cost per engagement) campaigns are critical to UA (user acquisition). They aren’t just after the download tactics. To make your point about convenience, create top-funnel CPEs that include a tutorial or overview of the site. In these, you’ll be highlighting all those convenient features found only in the app.
Retarget Visitors That Didn’t Convert on Your Mobile Site
If a customer browses and adds items to a cart but doesn’t complete the transaction, you still have an opportunity. Abandoned carts are a significant challenge for retail. You may send emails to users (if you have their information) and retarget to direct them back to the site. But what if you focused more on m-commerce app adoption?
Create retargeting ads that emphasize your mobile app. You can even incentivize the shopper if they download the app and make a purchase. It could be a discount, free shipping, or something else of value.
Highlight What Makes Your Mobile Shopping App Better
Do you know “why” your customers choose to use your mobile app? You have lots of data on their interactions and engagement within the app to offer insight. Google offered some potential reasons in its smartphone app shopping:
- 51% of smartphone users shop on a brand’s mobile app because of rewards or points.
- 58% of smartphone users feel more favorable toward retail apps when they remember past behavior.
- 63% of smartphone users are more likely to make in-app purchases when they see relevant recommendations.
You can correlate if these findings seem to apply to your customers. In general, customers will be engaged and frequent app users if you reward them, remember them, and recommend to them.
As a result, these are the messages to convey to customers. Through a diverse and integrated mobile app UA (user acquisition) campaign, you can do this. That can include CPI (cost per install)/CPE hybrids that drive the install but continue to engage once downloaded. The second part is getting them to complete the CPE to enable rewarding, remembrance, and recommendations, which is likely to create or sign in to their account.
You can also use in-app marketing tactics across many different app categories. Additionally, placing ads through a network with enough scale to deliver a high number of new users can round out the campaign.
Other Unique Features in Your App
Other features can drive engagement and help you delight shoppers. AR (augmented reality) has become a fun tactic. Shoppers can envision furniture in their spaces, try out clothing looks, or sample a makeup color. Other interactive features like “Swipe to Like” (think Tinder for product recommendations) and Wishlists are popular, too, according to data patterns.
These interactive experiences can transform the customer’s experience, so be sure to make them prominent in your app profiles and ads.
Social Media Is a Key Tool for M-Commerce
Social media is a significant driver of m-commerce. According to eMarketer, social commerce reached over $36 billion in the U.S. in 2021. One of the most popular social media apps is TikTok, which drove users to spend over $50 million every month.
Understanding that social media is where consumers search for and discover brands will be critical to improving m-commerce adoption. The paid campaigns you run on social media profiles should direct people to purchase your app versus just the mobile website.
You’ll need to balance how aggressive you are, as it could cause some friction of going from social media sites to the app store versus the mobile website. You don’t want to frustrate people, so incentivize them. You can even do this with a pop-up on the mobile website when they link from social media. Craft the message and a strong CTA (call to action).
Track all the data from these interactions to see what’s working and what’s not. Then make adjustments.
Boost Shopping App Downloads with AdAction
Driving customers to your m-commerce mobile app will likely prove to be more lucrative than any other channel. Getting them to transition to it requires defining what’s in it for them. With these strategies and ideas, you can achieve the downloads and retention you desire. Get help with m-commerce UA from the team at AdAction. Get in touch today!
