This year’s holiday season is primed to be the most mobile yet and this is a trend that is sure to continue for years to come. As tradition has it, the Monday after Thanksgiving is normally referred to as ‘Cyber Monday’ because that’s when all the online retailers release the deal gates. However, this year, with an overwhelming amount of people going online from their mobile devices we may soon need to rethink the name; perhaps ‘Mobile Monday’ (I like it).
With the advancements that have been made in both networks as devices over the past couple years in conjunction with the proliferation of smart phones there is no surprise that the sheer number of mobile shoppers rose from 7.3 million in 2010 to an estimated 17.8 million this year. Here’s what some of the biggest mobile players said about Cyber, or should we call it Mobile, Monday this year:
– PayPal said it saw a 552% year over year increase in global mobile payment volume on Cyber Monday.
– eBay stated that U.S. shoppers spent two and half times more on the mobile channel than they did last year.
– Ecommerce firm GSI said it saw a 374% increase in mobile sales this from their clients alone.
– IBM said, “iPad shoppers continued to drive more retail purchases than any other device, with conversion rates reaching 5.2%.”
It’s not just shoppers who are getting into the mobile spirit this holiday season; retailers are catering to the consumer desire to find/get deal on their mobile devices. Best Buy is now running geotargeted ads that not only save consumers money, but show them where the products can be found closest to where they are at the time. Best Buy is running this campaign within the popular Pandora iPhone application. When consumers see and tap the ad it shows them the offers for the products, how many are available at nearest Best Buy location and how long the offer is good for in an effort to drive consumer traffic. Consumers can also use the click to call function to contact the store.
In today’s commerce environment, whether retail or real estate, being relevant means being mobile. Our mobile devices, smart phones and tablets, generate the shopping and browsing experience we as consumers want to have. A comparison to the “daily deals” trend within real estate is the ability to provide “real time” information. When someone is outside a listing, how are you ensuring they can get all the information about that house right on their smart phone? If you are not catering to the mobile consumer this holiday season and into 2012 you need to rethink your strategy.
For more information visit: www.MobileRealEstateID.com.
